UPDATE (6:39PM): A friend called me and informed me how the process works. The martial arts program is being run out of Bodyworks, but not directly tied to them. The previous owned of this phone number had signed up for the course, and was therefore texted about it. However, the approach taken by the marketer who contacted me quite strange.
Also, I have owned this phone number for well over a year, so the information of this marketer was terribly outdated. It makes sense that Ray from Bodyworks was confused about the message. That being said, he was not aware of Systema being run out of his gym tonight it appears, or was at least not wanting to be involved with it officially.
To be clear, it is not the fault of Bodyworks in anyway. My journalistic curiousity is satisfied. Thanks to Mike for calling me and filling me in on their sign-up system.
I have received an email response from Bodyworks, concerning the text-message marketing I received earlier today.
I’m not sure what to think about the email response yet. I’m happy it didn’t take them long to get back to me, but it still seems odd that someone would message me to attend their gym, who was not hired by them.
“Dear Mr. Veilleux,
We have received your complaint and I have reviewed the link you sent me directing me to your personal website.
I can assure you that this was not directed from our facility. We DO NOT, HAVE NOT and WILL NOT provide any of our membership information to any individual or organization without having a court order to do so. We run generic advertising campaigns with TV, radio and print and never via email/text messaging. The campaign that is referred to in the message that you received was run last year by a local radio station so it is not even current. I have no clue who that number belongs to and have tried calling it a few times and receive a voicemail.
We are very clear on our advertising policies and the rules and regulations that we are required to follow. All of our material and methods are not only vetted by our legal counsel but also the groups we advertise with. My guess is that someone has somehow sent you an old message.
We always give away prizes for charity events as well as marketing campaigns. Any information captured by these agencies is kept and maintained by these associations. We never receive this information as they have to comply with their privacy laws in the same manner that we do.
I have also reviewed your comments about the message you received and they are unjust and I would kindly request that you remove such unwarranted comments.
Trusting that I have satisfied your query.
Best Regards,
Ray”
In regards to Ray’s request concerning my comments: when I mention the marketer’s grammar, I assumed it was a third-party hired by them. The comments were not aimed at Bodyworks, but the third-party company I believed was working for them. The comments concerning it being illegal to text-market without customer consent is accurate, however. Ray has said it was not on his company’s behalf, but some questions still remain about it. To clarify, Bodyworks was apparently not responsible for the message, and it came from someone else. Who would message me concerning a company they aren’t reprenting? Questions abound. Any ideas?
Andy Veilleux 
just received a text from the person:
“Hey chill out Campbell. 2 things: 1 – Make it a habbit to remember who u give your number to. 2- It i quite easy to write ‘no’ or just not reply. U seem to be really too stressed. Take a few deep breaths. It does the body good apparently.”
I plan on figuring it all out.In regards to the Campbell comment, this phone number (apparently) used to belong to someone I coincidentally know named Spencer Campbell. That piece of the puzzle is now solved.
Why this person/company is sending me text messages, while being denied by the Company’s manager, is still a mystery. Still digging..
hehe. this made me smile. 😀
just proves what i have recently found – it’s not an anonymous world any more…
text-message marketing angers me, greatly. haha 😛
Pingback: With great [influence] comes great responsibility | Andy Veilleux's website
I have the answer to all of this…
The text message you received was actually from my girlfriend who was trying to help me promote my class to her contacts that she had acquired over the last couple of years. If you re-read the message as being sent potentially from some you know, you’d immediately realize that is was not a marketing message but in face a personal invitation from a direct contact.
My girlfriend who shall remain nameless is a involved with the community as well and acquires on a regular basis multiple contacts from the local business scene. Is it her fault or mine that you do not remember the interaction you originally had that ended up in you giving out your cell phone number?
I strongly believe that you took this way out of proportion and should apologize desperately to all who have read your words. You made no real effort to come to a conclusion before yelling “scam, identify theft, watch yourselves…” A program I was promoting internally at Body Works which was gaining popularity has not been canceled because of you. I now have to resort to finding another location after my plans had been set to not only promote myself ethically but also Body Works as a fine establishment.
My girlfriend feels horrible for this when there was no reason to. My program got shut down before it even had a chance to take off thanks to your outspoken beliefs about marketing. Let me tell you about marketing and myself.
I have been avidly marketing online for over 10 years, probably longer than you have been exposed to that segment of the internet.
I know about spam and unsolicited advertising and how extremely unwelcome it is. I teach all of my clients to use email marketing responsibly and actively preach about the pitfalls of unethical practices.
I come from a local family, a family business that spans over 20 years in Sudbury and not once have we breached our customers’ privacy in any way shape or form and nor do I ever have the intent of doing so in the future.
I believe my girlfriend only had great positive intentions behind her requests and do not blame her a single bit for the end result but you alone.
I believe you should not only ask Body Works, myself, my girlfriend and God for forgiveness, but you should make a public example of this and yourself to show what happens when one is quick to jump to conclusions without having all the facts. Submitting this to local newspapers, radio and television would be a good start. Sign your name to it. It will show how humble you are.
This friday the 13th, August 2010 my morning began with a phone call from the manager of Body Works with a possible concern about my program. When I called them back I was shocked to hear about what had transpired while we were asleep after a successful class with 5 students the night before.
I’ve now had to contact multiple people telling them that the Body Works classes have been canceled… End result? I’m losing students. I’m losing the momentum I was gaining within the gym. Body Works is losing future business.
I respect that you believe you were doing good. And after our mutual friend contacted you tonight, I asked him your name. I said “I don’t have anything against this guy, I don’t even know him. But I need to speak with him to make sure he understands the error of his ways.”
I wish you nothing but the best in the future and hope that you will bite your virtual tongue in the future until you know what you are experiencing is what you believe it to be.
You would benefit from our classes and training. It will teach you to calmly analyze the events presented to you prior to making hazardous decisions and actions that effect multiple people, businesses and yourself.
With regards,
Richard Aubin
PS: I urge you to post this comment everywhere you made remarks about this incident, including Facebook, Twitter and the like.
Hi Richard,
I’d like to take a moment to respond to your comments. First of all, you would have gotten a lot of answers by reading my follow-up post to this one (https://andyveilleux.com/2010/08/13/with-great-influence-comes-great-responsibility/).
I never gave your girlfriend my number, which is where the controversy started. You claiming that I have means that you did not fully read my description of events, and also that our mutual friend may not have been completely honest with me about your relationship with the original number owner, and the conversation our friend had with you about it.
I never said your program got cancelled, rather that your course at Bodyworks has been.
I have nothing to ask of God, as I am not a follower of any denomination of faith.
I am not humbled by the experience by any means, and will not be discussing it with the local media. Doing so might bring some unwanted publicity to the gym (which was Bodyworks’ concern with this in the first place). Contacting the media would also be a way of marketing your company, which I am not a representative of in any regard.
All that being said, many of your comments were previously addressed by me (in a post published yesterday, which I made a special effort to put up in a timely fashion).
As I expressed there, I have no ill will towards you, and wish your program success.
Thanks Andy, I understand your reply completely.
I appreciate that negative publicity is not what anyone wants.
You are correct that I did miss some information and should have gotten all the facts about your comments and posts prior to posting my reply. Just goes to show what happens when we respond in haste.
Richard.
Definitely There are lessons to be learned from this situation.
Thanks Richard.