When I was VERY little (I know it's hard to believe, but I was once), I remember watching Hawkeye and Chingachgook, the 'Last of the Mohicans'. It must have inspired me.
Have you heard from the 'offenders' (note the quote marks, this means I can not be sued) yet John?
About 2 years ago, we noticed a drop in our Black Aretfacts mail order business. I found out that our website was not working, the url was being directed to a company in Scotland who had somehow managed to steal our website address. I immediately contacted the web hosting company I use and with many appologies the url was redirected back to my own site.
I contacted the offending business and told them in no uncertain terms that this must not happen again and asked them to forward any orders to me! I never heard a word from them. No appology, no explanation, nothing. I seethed and simmered for a while but it would have been very expensive to sue for damages so I just left it at that.
For a while................
Then about 6 months ago I started receiving booking enquiries for a company in Scotland. I quickly realised that it was the very same company who had previously stolen my website url. At the time I had no idea why the bookings were coming to us. Anyway I silently had my revenge as each time an enquiry or booking came through, I simply pressed the delete key and consigned their potential customer to electronic data oblivion in MY wastebasket.
You have no idea how good it felt to hear the soft click of that delete key. Then after a short while I had the added pleasure of emptying the wastebasket. Still they came through and the pleasure continued.
Then...............
Last month I received an email directly from the offending company. A very chatty email explaining that they had set up a new website and email booking system which happened to have a similar name to mine. However, the local tourist authority had misprinted the url and it happened to be that by mistake they had printed MINE. Would I be ever so kind and redirect any enquiries to them, and how kind I was etc. etc.
Well folks, it felt very sweet as I remembered how THEY had ignored MY plea for help. And when I heard the soft click of the delete key as their plea joined it's compatriots in MY wastebasket I felt even better. Even now I am still receiving their bookings, and guess where they end up?
John, bide your time. You never know when the 'favour' can be returned.
Keith (revenge is sweet) Hart
as I am sure there are a couple on RibNet.
