Sunday 16 October 2016

Invoice scam - Do not pay for services not ordered or needed - techesseosseo.org was oseoservice.org SPAM FRAUD SCAM

December 2016 update
Same scam - new domain = techesseosseo.org

Seriously unless you have a business relationship with

]Registrant Email: wangbing616@engineer.com
Admin ID: 1611081654kifh
Admin Name: wang bing
Admin Organization: wang bing
Admin Street: Dong Shan Quxiangzhouqucuixiangjiedao1406hao
Admin City: guangzhou
Admin State/Province: guangdong
Admin Postal Code: 519000
Admin Country: CN
Admin Phone: +86.075620871127

Don't send him/her any money or CC card details.

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As the owner of few domains on the internet I get my share of frauds and scam emails. The fake SEO service invoice that looks and sounds proper is a common culprit. Intended to arrive on the desk of an admin person, who may be does not look to closely or is fooled by the language, and just clicks to pay.  This is fraud as regardless of if the service exists, and it probably doesn't, because the service was not ordered.  Sending invoice in bulk hoping that a few pay up is a common scam made easier by  email and web technology.

Don't fall for this one.  The letter says :

We do not register or renew domain names. We sell traffic generator software.

and yet uses the domain registration information to spam. The fact that the scammers have used domain information to scrape admin email addresses in breach of the terms of service of the registrars is just a minor point.












Sunday 2 October 2016

Sometimes warranties work - Samsung Fridge Freezer fixed for free. (almost)

We have a nice big 2013 Samsung fridge freezer Model RSH7ZNBP that had a problem.



Over the last few months it had developed a "Death Rattle". Each time the motor stopped it would rattle like something inside was loose. Of the few moving parts in a fridge the core compressor is the most important providing the central cooling function. This part sounded like it was suffering.  Being fairly new device Samsung was called who recommend a service company in our area. Actually about 100 miles away in Somerset, but they visited the next week.  The repair quoted was 
  • Replace the Compressor, 3 way Valve & Re-gas appliance at a cost of £413 and thanks for the £94 call out fee. 
This seemed a lot to pay for a quality fridge that was just a few years old.  I was about to call Samsung in a huff to see about getting a reduction when I saw a sticker on the front of the instruction booklet ...
  • 10 Year Warranty on the Digital Inverter compressor
Fantastic. The words inside confirmed that the compressor was only guaranteed for cost of parts, the main cost involved in the quote.  A call to the service centre whet much easier than expected and the same service folks visited a week later ... with the wrong part.  A further visit a week later saw the compressor, 3 way valve all replaced and the fridge/freezer re-gassed and working. No more mechanical clanging rattle on compressor stop.

Looking back just a bit concerned that the service folks who first visited did not know about the 10 year extended warranty given for free with this model but ho hum all sorted in the end. 

The usual rules apply for these complex appliances, Keep the receipt and book of words and insist on a woking life of 3..8 years without major repairs.