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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    2

    Question Creating Email Accounts That Include the Vendor's Name for Online Purchases

    My question involves a consumer law issue in the State(s) of: California & Texas

    I live in Californa.

    I run my own personal mail server, and have my own email domain name. Have for many years now.

    For every vendor I do business with online, I create a unique email address like "comapny.vendor_name@mydomain.com".

    I've been doing this for years with companies, banks, hospitals, stores, the government, etc so I can make sure that email back and forth associated with any one vendor is only ever used with, for and by that vendor. And after the inevitable data-breach by some vendor, I can simply disable that one email. Simple, safe, and easy to manage. Never a problem. OVer the years I've got many hundreds of these emails in place.

    Now, a Texas-based vendor, after 1st accepting an online order using the vendor-specific email I created for them, has suddenly & weirdly accused me of "committing illegal acts" in violation of "Federal and State laws" by "representing myself as them" and "using their name illegally to make profit" and and that they've "reported me to State and Federal authorities".

    This is after one day, one order, and one email. And they actually paid a lawyer to send the threats.

    Now that's customer service for ya!

    It's of course completely false and they've got absolutely no fact of any kind. They've provided absolutely no specifics of facts, because they can't -- there are none. They've made no mention of specific laws referenced, haven't mentioned patents, or copyrights, or DMCA, etc. It's a complete fabrication clearly based on just their own ignorance.

    I replied, told them they're completely wrong on the facts, cancelled my order and told them to lose me forever as a customer -- I sure don't need to do business with insane vendors.

    But, for general & future info -- I'm curious as to what specific Federal/Interstate/State laws protect consumers in using their own fully-identified, legitimate domain/email in this vendor-specific way? IANAL, but throwing around false accusations of committing crime with no possible facts or evidence sounds like it's defamation at least, too.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Creating Email Accounts That Include the Vendor's Name for Online Purchases

    I'm not going to comment on the legal allegations made by the vendor as you have not shared any specifics. It's possible, for example, that they got "Joe jobbed" by somebody using the address on your email server, and they believe that you were responsible.

    As for laws or regulations that might forbid the use of a company name in an email address created specifically and exclusively for the purpose of dealing with that company, I doubt that you'll find any.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Creating Email Accounts That Include the Vendor's Name for Online Purchases

    Hi,

    > I'm not going to comment on the legal allegations made by the vendor as you have not shared any specifics.

    Of course. That's cuz there were none much beyond the sort of language I quoted above.

    Here's one add'l direct quote:

    "It is extremely troubling and of major consequence that your email address includes our client's business in its name.

    You have previously been advised that you using the name XXXX in attempts to represent that you are authorized to do so by our client is fraudulent and in violation of State and Federal statutes."

    > It's possible, for example, that they got "Joe jobbed" by somebody using the address on your email server, and they believe that you were responsible.

    Understood. They can sure believe whatever fiction they want. But it's not factually possible. The vendor-specific email was created ~ 5 minutes before placing the order on their online system. The threat from the lawyers showed up in my email ~ 1 hour after placing the order.

    > As for laws or regulations that might forbid the use of a company name in an email address created specifically and exclusively
    > for the purpose of dealing with that company, I doubt that you'll find any.

    Yeah, I doubt it myself. I can't imagine any laws that'd forbid it. I *CAN* imagine that there'd be some language somewhere the expressly permits or protect it -- which is what I was asking about.

    I'm not sure, but I think that things are permitted by law unless they're expressly forbidden ...

    Cheers!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Creating Email Accounts That Include the Vendor's Name for Online Purchases

    They may be blowing smoke about a lot of that but the bottom line is that nothing prevents a lawsuit from being delivered to your door. And once that happens you get to pay an attorney a barrel full of money to properly defend you.

    I suggest you profusely apologize to these people and remove the email account. If they then want to continue doing business with you, you can create an email with your business name followed by a numerical code to identify the customer.

    I'm surprised that you've done hundreds of these without getting smacked yet.

    In the future get written consent before you create the email address or use the numerical coding that I suggested.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Creating Email Accounts That Include the Vendor's Name for Online Purchases

    Quote Quoting adjusterjack
    View Post
    They may be blowing smoke about a lot of that but the bottom line is that nothing prevents a lawsuit from being delivered to your door. And once that happens you get to pay an attorney a barrel full of money to properly defend you.

    I suggest you profusely apologize to these people and remove the email account. If they then want to continue doing business with you, you can create an email with your business name followed by a numerical code to identify the customer.

    I'm surprised that you've done hundreds of these without getting smacked yet.

    In the future get written consent before you create the email address or use the numerical coding that I suggested.
    With all due respect that's BS. The OP is reacting exactly like they want him to react. Mission accomplished for them.

    There is no law forbidding the use of a company name in private domain email setup. For example, if you set up an email that had mcdonalds at hotmail ,or costco at hotmail , or paypal at hotmail, or whatever... it's not against the law.

    It's only illegal if you or anyone uses that email/domain to conduct illegal activity.

    Apologize to the company? You must be joking!!!


    Many of these companies have full time counsel on their payroll. They have nothing better to do than harass innocent consumers. That letter is what we call a scare tactic.

    An attorney is not the police. Unless there is a court order saying you are forbidden from doing "XYZ."

    Anyone can accuse a person of whatever. Nobody is going to trample over your 1st Amendment rights.

    They would have to provide evidence and prove damages. None exist!

    "In the future get written consent before you create the email address." - HaHaHa - that is funny!!

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