I have a feeling

[Aldo]

I received this e-mail and was wondering whether the gut feeling I got is right. What do you think? When I looked up the address it turns out it's a book-shop.


"I'm sorry for not getting back to you ontime. Actually am out of office okay Apology. Thank you for your email regard to my enquiry.

Could you please kindly let me know if your can accomodate my client in,from the period of,19-11-05,through 26-11-05.


Kindly give us in detail's your price for the stay, also let us know if you can pick them up from the air-port okay.

Concerning payment, i would be delighted to inform you that, due to credit card theft, we don't allow our client to forward their credit card detail's okay.

I have discuss this with my client, and they are capable of payment by euro cheque. Kindly let me have in detail's..


Name On Cheque:- ?

Your Full Mailling Address:- ?

Your Contact Phone Number:- ?


I can assured you that, immediately i read from you, i will kindly forward your payment detail's to my client so that payment can get to you ontime for non-desapointment okay.

Moreso, kindly let me know the charges for the air-port cab..


Regards.
Mr/Mrs.Alex
48-51 Broad Street,
Oxford OX1 3BQ
England"

[Alan Knighting]

Aldo,

For me:-

• If an enquiry is on behalf of clients it's a No-No.
  If an e-mail contains repeats of OK it's a No-No.
  If I'm asked "how much" when I publish prices it's a No-No.
  If credit card details are withheld when I don't accept them it's a No-No.

Need I say more?

Alan

[Aldo]

Thanks Alan. It rang several alarm bells, you're right!

[paolo]

I would add to Alan's list - if they sign off 'Mr/Mrs Alex' that is also a no-no.

Although I do very often get people asking me the rate for a particular period, even though they are always published on my sites/ ads.

[alexia s.]

I think you could safely discriminate against them on grounds of illiteracy. I certainly would: so, from now on, no medical students, no Nigerian bishops & no illiterate Oxford book sellers.

[Alan Knighting]

I don't think there any absolute rules about these things. Some "enquiries" are very obvious and some just smell a bit.

I respond to the smelly ones and test them on the responses. Sometimes they're OK and sometimes they're not.

Alan

[spbowman]

Sitting here, a little bored, I found that 48-51 Broad Street Oxford belongs to a large bookselling/publishing company named Blackwell's. Doesn't seem the sort of place to be arranging trips for their clients, but should be better placed to send e-mails with correct English okay

[John Borg]

Aldo,
I suggest you open a new folder for "scam mails" and chuck it in there for future referance. It sounds 99.99 % scam to me!