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Greg Swartz

Greg Swartz

Senior Member
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ok, I started a new ad on craigslist and these are the e-mails I start to receive. Any of you out there do the same thing?

What do you do with these? (The last one sounds like my Nigerian cousin's uncle's grandfather who had lotsa bookoo $$$)
Greg :cool:


Hi,

I would like to know an approximate cost for upgrading a 100 amp service to a 200 amp and then install the 100 amp in a detached garage. I would buy the new service and run the 2 gauge aluminum wire underground to the new panel. The 100 amp service would need to be hooked up only with no breakers enabled. The current service is located in the attached garage of a house built in 1984 with romex wire and is not drywalled. Apparently my meter has 200 amp capability.

Thanks




Hi ,I just viewed your Advert ,I'm james wright Moving to your area from ( Toronto Canada ) to spend my holiday season in the U.S in my new home that i just purchased.I'm interested in your services,cos i believe you can handle the job.I'm looking to moving over by 28th June. I have viewed your advert and believe you can handle the Job.

Please let me know if I can pay you in Money orders/cashiers check for the Service.I am willing to make an upfront payment/deposit of 650usd to secure your service,and when i arrive,I would remit the remainder part of your payment.I would be needing your skill and service for 3 days,between 17th of june to 20th of june.Let me know if your services could be rendered for those days.I am willing to provide the materials and tools needed for the job.


I have $4000 in money orders being payment for a Temporal car I wanted to buy on my arrival to the US but my company has already taken care of that for me, Can I make the money orders in your name and send to you so that when you cash them you deduct your payments deposit payment[650usd], and help me disburse the rest via western union money transfer to my travel agent for my flight arrangement to come over I will be in the US .Can I trust you to do this for me ?

Please send me the informations below to mail the Payment if you can agree to this for me thanks..

1)Name on check :

2)Full Address were payments will be sent to

3)Direct phone number.


As soon as i read the information above from you,I would provide you with the details of the house

Regards


james
 
Greg Swartz said:
I have $4000 in money orders being payment for a Temporal car I wanted to buy on my arrival to the US but my company has already taken care of that for me, Can I make the money orders in your name and send to you so that when you cash them you deduct your payments deposit payment[650usd], and help me disburse the rest via western union money transfer to my travel agent for my flight arrangement to come over I will be in the US .Can I trust you to do this for me ?
Click to expand...
This smells of a scam! :mad:
 
Ok, new subthread under this.

Ok, new subthread under this.

Ok, I got a new-subthread under this one.
I advertised on craigslist and got a phone call from an advertising company. They want to sell me job leads. I am supposed to meet with them tomorrow. I want to copy a letter they sent me.

What do you all think? (I'll be meeting them at noon on Friday...)
Suggestions anyone?

Greg :cool:


May 30, 2007

From: Mike Sylvester
Colorado Weekly Homebuyers List, Inc.

Company: Swartzelectric
ATTN: Greg

SUMMARY OF OUR SERVICE:
1. We provide you with a weekly list of new homeowners in the areas that you choose to target.
2. We can email the information to you/ provide peel and stick mailing labels.
3. We include, the first and last name of the homeowners, the physical address, the price of the home, and phone numbers when available.
4. We provide each client with a support system to maximize your success with the list.
a.) You will receive a marketing manual – (ABC’s of Direct Mail Marketing.)
b.) Our PR staff: will maintain contact with you through out your subscription to make sure the list is working for you and will critique your mail piece.
5. We have a hold feature, which allows you to place a hold on your subscription so that you are advertising when you can handle additional business.

SUMMARY OF PACKAGE:
Area: El Paso County

Counts: Average approximately 1110 names per month with a guarantee of 13,320 names in
12-months

PRICE:
Retail - $268 per month
@12 months- $222/month
@18 months-$175/month
@24 months-$155/month
@36 months-$139/month

COLORADO WEEKLY HOMEBUYERS LIST INC.
- Serving Colorado Businesses for 25 years.
- Our Clients see an average response rate of 3-5%

Statistically speaking, the average American family moves every 5 years. This means you lose an average of 20% of your repeat clients a year! What are you doing to replace them? According to Entrepreneur.com, new neighborhood marketing programs have shown as high as a 20% response rate! We’ve been in business over 25 years. Our data is, literally, compiled daily and put out weekly. This gives you the opportunity to “welcome” a new family to your area, with your “special offer”, 7-20 days after closing on their homes, before your competitors even know they exist.

New Homeowners need to hear about you, they are new to the area and have no idea where you are, contact them before others do.

If you have further questions please call me. Thanks Again.

(Moderator's Note: Name and contact information has been removed.)
 
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that money order thing is definetly a scam. its happening all over down here. these people will send you money orders and sometimes cashiers checks off of real banks and when you deposit them they will go through and it will take sometimes weeks for the banks to find out there bogus. i have been hearing about this stuff on the radio for a few months now. there is some issue with the way american banks verify cashiers checks that allows it to happen.
 
Greg Swartz said:
I advertised on craigslist and got a phone call from an advertising company. They want to sell me job leads.
Click to expand...
I would run away from this one. I sincerely doubt that they will give you (i.e., leads that turn to jobs that turn a profit) anything close to what they will take from you (i.e., their fee for "selling" you leads).

Whatever else you do, don't sign anything the day you first meet with them. Take it home and read it carefully. And if they pressure you to sign right away, then leave immediately.

I am not suggesting that this is a scam, or that they intend any illegal activity. I just don't expect them to be worth their price.
 
Greg Swartz said:
I have $4000 in money orders being payment for a Temporal car I wanted to buy on my arrival to the US but my company has already taken care of that for me, Can I make the money orders in your name and send to you so that when you cash them you deduct your payments deposit payment[650usd], and help me disburse the rest via western union money transfer to my travel agent for my flight arrangement to come over I will be in the US .Can I trust you to do this for me ?
Click to expand...


This scam may work well enough with the general public but I doubt if it will with contractors. Contractor motto: " once we get it, we keep it". If this guy thinks that most contractors are honest enough to send back change from a four thousand dollar money order, he's crazy.
 
growler said:
This scam may work well enough with the general public but I doubt if it will with contractors. Contractor motto: " once we get it, we keep it". If this guy thinks that most contractors are honest enough to send back change from a four thousand dollar money order, he's crazy.
Click to expand...

ROFL!!!!!!!!!

It's mine! all mine!!!!!!!!!!
 
Just met with the company...

Just met with the company...

OK, I just met with the company.

I wanted to see what they had to offer.
Basically it was an excel spreadsheet that has people's names, house selling price, address, and maybe a phone number.

If I were to have the whole County, they would sell me the info for $200 / month and I would get about 1100 leads a month.

If I were to have 4 zip codes, they would sell me the infor for $125 / month and I would get just under 300 leads a month.


They suggested the return rate is 3-5%, I figure closer to 3, and the manager I met with stated that 2% is also realistic...

So, if I get 1%... 3 sales a month 2%... 6 sales a month...
What do you all think?
 
First, I think they are offering nothing that you cannot get, easily enough, by yourself.

More importantly, however, if I had just bought a house, and if some electrical contractor calls me and says they know I just bought a house and would I be interested in some electrical upgrades, I would be angry at the intrusion. I would also put that EC on a permanent ?black list.? If I ever did need electrical services, they would not be getting a call from me.

By the way, is this advertising agency offering written confirmation (i.e., guarantee) that none of the phone numbers they might give are on the ?National Do Not Call List?? If you call someone on that list, and if they submit a claim against you, is the advertising agency going to pay the $1000 fine?
 
Oh, and let me add,
Greg Swartz said:
So, if I get 1%... 3 sales a month 2%... 6 sales a month...
Click to expand...
What if you get 0% sales a month that you can attribute to this source?
 
TAKE your name off craigs list. My wife thought this would be a good idea and I got 4 call of people who wanted $1000.00 work done for $.01 It is a waste of your time and energy. oh yeah I got calls asking about advertising too. I don't do any type meadia advertising I have a referal only business.
 
as far as the sending money back situation goes, it is true contractors aren't sending anything back. But where people get screwed is when they see the check or money order post to their account they start drawing on those funds because it sometimes takes the bank weeks to find out the check is worthless.
 
Ok then...

Ok then...

Alright... I hear each one of you.

I am advertising on craigslist. I've gotten 1 actual job from them in 3 weeks.

I am affiliated with servicemagic. As much as I dislike them, I actually get leads. However, in the last week, I have received nothing!

I am subscribed to BidClerk. I am trying to get on a few jobs with the city... however nothing starts until July. The only "soon" job is a homeowner who will not answer e-mails and submitted the wrong phone number!

I am on google AdWords and Yahoo. I have not seen a single click to my website!

I am the sole EC sub for a local fire alarm contractor. They have no need of my services right now!

I am affiliated with a couple of the local spa comanies. I have had 1 job in the last week.

When the phone book comes out, I will be in there.

I just got listed in the bluebook. But I will not see any results until September!



What do I have to do to get a *&(*%$#!!!! job! I am going door to door in neighborhoods that I have jobs going. Either I get nothing, or a $150 job.

You all talk about referrals. Everyone I talk to says I do good work. Everyone asks for cards and gives them out to friends. Even my bank has cards in the cashier's drawer. I have yet to get a "so and so suggested I give you a call."

If everyone likes my work, then why do I have NONE!!!

Sorry, I'm ranting and raving. I just went to meet with some businesses today, and I have no work lined up next week. I am a little bit pissed!

What am I doing wrong?
Greg
 
Try calling realators in your area and ask if they will hand out your business cards. You may have to supply them with some references. Most realators have a lot of connections, and get asked for refferels from home buyers and sellers.
 
DAWGS said:
Try calling realators in your area and ask if they will hand out your business cards. You may have to supply them with some references. Most realators have a lot of connections, and get asked for refferels from home buyers and sellers.
Click to expand...

In my area the realators charge to put you on their reference pages, they have made a business out of referals, most want $300 or more to put your business card ad, in their hand out they give to home, buyers and sellers, anyone in the agency hands out a card, not in the graft pool, would not be working there for long.
Living in a pay to play state. is expensive.
 
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First off I wouldnt pay for that list, you might as well pick up the phone book and start dialing.

are you only looking for service type work? if not, market to the builders in the area (not going to hire you for next week though). why depend on one type of work, "dont put all your eggs in one basket". get a back log of contract work with builders then fill in with the service work.

Just my 2 cents..

Joe
member of (Deleted)
 
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Is there a plan room, can you see if the court house sells a listing of
permits or new listing ? Is there a plan Room or a dodge report that you can join ? Someone complies those lists someplace ... I'd walk-in to every mortor and brick GC's office... cause I know I will ....

Well, I missed charlie b's statement which is 180? of mine, Damned if you do damn if you don't...
 
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