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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Return to Sender
ChrisCrossings · May 6, 1999

Q: After giving my e-mail address to a couple of the online travel agencies, I have been inundated with e-mail advertisement for all sorts of vacation packages that I have no interest in. What can I do to make them stop?

- Craig Stocki

A: Your agent would rather take a commission cut than stop spamming you. Unsolicited e-mail is as unpopular as it is profitable. Internet retailers entice you to sign up for their distribution lists when you ask for a fare quote, then turn around and barrage you with cyberjunk.

Here's the problem: You offered your e-mail address, and by clicking "accept" at the bottom of the sign-up page, you essentially asked for the messages. Maybe you didn't know you were doing it, but that's no excuse.

The first step I'd take is to ask the offending agencies to cut out the spam. Sometimes you can remove your name from a mailing list with a reply message. But usually you're required to return to the site, log on, and click a button to stop the mail -- and look at a few dozen more advertisements along the way. What if you forgot your password? Then you have to come back to the site again and repeat the process, subjecting yourself to more ads, once you've found it.

Frustrating? You bet. Unfair, too.

It looks like the law might come to your rescue. The state of Virginia is mulling legislation that would ban spam and subject people who send the unsolicited e-mail messages to criminal prosecution. A California law permits Internet Service Providers to sue spammers for damages of up to $25,000 per day for sending electronic junk mail. In Washington, fines for spamming can range from $500 to $1,000 per message.

But let's be real. You're probably not going to take these agencies to court. It would require too much time and effort. The reason I mention the rules is that citing them could put the fear of God in these retailers, and they could probably stand a good dose of that. They're using deceptive tactics to get your e-mail address and then take advantage of your ignorance. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

As an alternative to confrontation you could simply block the messages. A new company called Bright Light Technologies is offering some of the most sophisticated spam-shielding software with four Internet Service Providers. It's said to be highly effective. If you're on America Online, you can also stop certain senders from delivering mail too.

Better yet, next time an online agency asks for your e-mail address, give it a fake one. I guarantee they'll never bother you again.

Christopher Elliott is a writer based in Annapolis, Md. E-mail him at christopher@elliott.org or visit his Web site at http://www.elliott.org.