back to article Business guru tries to silence bloggers over 'misleading' mailshot

A marketing mailshot, similar to one described as misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority in April, is reappearing in British offices across the country - and bloggers who complain are getting hit with threatening legal letters. The missive from Cardell Media looks like a handwritten envelope containing an article …

COMMENTS

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  1. Dr. Mouse

    So how long

    before El Reg get a "cease and disist" letter from 'em?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Novel marketing?

    Spam, hit the complaints with C&D notices?

    And, uhm, why would anybody in the UK honour US-based C&D lawyery spam?

    Sounds like a nice abuse of law countersuit to me.

  3. Pete 2 Silver badge

    I got one of these

    And I did admire it for its originality. It looks like a piece of business journalism, printed on newsprint and torn off (quite neatly) along one edge. However, being a cynical old git I didn't believe any of it was true. Apart from being unsolicited, the actual content of the piece - which extends over both sides of the larger than A4 tear-off doesn't contain any actual information that you'd expect from a newspaper - such as its title, or the date of publication. It's also very heavy on the hype, with a few anecdotes stories of "windfall" level increases in turnover and too much emphasis on the CD sets the guy is giving away. If you read it out loud with a nigerian accent, you'd instantly recognise the article's heritage.

    One thing the guy does get right is his assertion that "Most advertising does not work". Yup, and this is a prime example. I'm planning on keeping the article as a warning to others.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    on facebook

    not the best picture - looks shifty (in my opinion)

  5. Mike Hunt 1
    Happy

    No such thing as bad publicity

    To paraphrase Monty Pythons Life of Brian - "I am Chris Cardell, and so is my mother". This is just another way of getting your "copyrighted" name mentioned, and as the man said, "There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that's not being talked about". It's a straight rip from one of his videos on the Chris Cardell (there I've said it again!) - "Cause and Effect", where he has caused these letters to be sent out, and the effect is that he is now getting a mention on the internet again. Bravo.

    Let the C & D notices commence.....

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Darwinism

    This Chris Cardell chap is merely continuing the good work of Charles Darwin. He should be celebrated, not berated.

    If it weren't for people like him, fools all over the country wouldn't be fleeced out of their money after developing emotional engagement with a glorified flyer, and would therefore be more successful, popular with the ladies and breed.

    So raise a glass with me to Chris Cardell, the man who added a little chlorine to the gene pool so that we don't have to.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cometh the hour, cometh the 4chan

    Who needs the ASA? The internet is the perfect tool to deal with this sort of thing. So come on world + dog - send him your thoughts.

  8. Matthew Anderson

    The mans a fool

    Chris Cardell is a royal tit. I get his marketing guru style nonsense and have only NOT unsubscribed as it is at least of vague interest to see what kind of nonsense these scammers get up too. Business Guru? Charlatan more like...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    i would write back saying...

    take me to court - you cannot get convicted for telling the truth. As long as you have reported accurately that they are in breach of the ruling.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No further complaints?

    I got one of these things a few weeks ago. After a quick Google turned up the details, including the previous ASA decision, I went to their website and complained over this new mailshot. I got a letter a fortnight ago from them acknowledging my complaint, and discussing the original ruling.

  11. gimbal
    Badgers

    Wot?

    Oh, the lawyers have actually joined the marketing team - but my, that's grand.

    I doubt that any matters of the criticisms could leave room for even a slander case, in court. Just because they're lawyers, doesn't mean they should get away with being "legal bullies", no?

  12. JCL

    insert Chris Cardell

    wow, just had a quick look on google - someone is going round inserting Chris Cardell into all kinds of blogs etc...

  13. Apocalypse Later

    Copyright

    You can't copyright a name.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    He's ...

    ... not got a wiki entry yet.

  15. SlabMan

    Is this the guy who vivisects meerkats?

    No? Oh, must be another Chris Cardell then.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    chris cardell

    is a junk mailer peddling a worthless product - is that what people think?

    used an advertising campaign that the asa judged to be deceitful and misleading, did they?

    his lawyers Preovolos & Associates are intimidating bloggers who make fair comment about chris cardell and his product, are they?

    people think that if the product was any good chris cardell wouldn't use deceitful methods of advertising do they?

    I have a foolproof method for becoming penniless, if anyone wants to buy it...

  17. Wayne Smallman

    I'm not giving in

    Hi guys!

    If you do a search on Google for either "Chris Cardell" or the much more popular search phrase "Chris Cardell scam", you'll find my article: "ASA investigate Chris Cardell newspaper cutting 'scam'".

    I would, on a typical day, attract upwards of 60 page views for that article and since getting the dubious sales letter from him in April, I've had thousands of visits from Google.

    As you can imagine, I was hurting Cardell. As such, I was issued with a cease and desist order. I've not removed the article, but instead placed a temporary notice explaining that I'm looking into the legality of their claims. If I'm within my rights and it's determined that I am acting in the interests of the public, the article returns in full, with all of the 50 comments of angry complaints against Cardell.

    I've also written an open letter to him, which is frank and rather damning of his exceptionally deceptive tactics. If that's deemed legal, that goes live, too.

    I've reported him to Trading Standards and since having a look through the Fraud Act of 2006, his letter does at least pass the first question posed in section 3 of that act, so I've reported him to the police for fraud.

  18. Matt Hawkins
    Megaphone

    Chris who?

    Just added a post to my blog. I accidently mentioned his name a few times amongst cold hard facts.

    I don't exactly get loads of hits but it all adds up. To send me a letter he will need a UK court order. He better start whistling.

    I hate companies who think their money is above the law.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    doesn't free speech protect from this type of C&D request?

    basically, they are trying to stop a well earned negative backlash by claiming copyright over their company (family) name. As long as the bloggers are not posting lies or making money from the company's name, then the company shouldn't be able to use C&D against them.

    or did I misunderstand something?

  20. Magnus_Pym

    Copyrighted name?

    I wonder if all the other Chris Cardells in the world have to pay him a fee whenever they introduce themselves.

  21. el-em
    Coffee/keyboard

    hmm got one of these too...

    filed it in my "which idiot do I know who would send me crap like this" pile with a few suspects to pester - didn't bother to google but now have and maybe it's time to resurrect my blog too just for the hell of it :)

  22. Tom 13

    Re: "We're working with various partners to try and get this stopped."

    Erm, no you're not. Not really. If you were, his lawyers would already be in a world of hurt. Because instead of looking at potential court action against the twits sending the cease and desist letters, they'd be raising ethics issues with the local bar. THAT will get the attention of even the shiftiest of the ambulance chaser types and a smart salute to boot. And it is highly unethical to be sending cease and desist letters under false pretenses.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    He's thought this out though

    Google Chris Cardell and you'll find results 15-18 or so are pages titled 'Chris Cardell scam', but these are pages on one of his own websites or a trade organisation he is a member of. He's obviously understood that his methods were likely to be seen as scams and has used this tactic to attempt to forestall the negative consequences.

  24. Adrian Midgley 1
    Go

    Anyone in San DIego?

    Call the local Bar association perhaps?

  25. Chris007
    Grenade

    He's bought google words chris cardell and scam...

    ...and is now appearing at the top of any google searches for "chris cardell scam"

    top marks for that one

  26. Simon B
    Heart

    Dont say Chris Cardell as Chris Cardell is copyright Chris Cardell!

    Chris Cardell

    So I can't say Chris Cardell because Chris Cardell might send letters asking that Chris Cardell is removed because Chris Cardell is copyrighted (or such) to Chris Cardell!!

  27. elboffin

    I've got this man's junkmail too

    ....he is using listed Directors' address info of companies from Companies House

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