DA e-mail spam complaint – the plot thickens
The Democratic Alliance (DA) was recently accused of sending unsolicited e-mails to an address listed on the Direct Marketing Association of Southern Africa’s (DMASA’s) do not contact (DNC) list.
Questions were also raised as to how the DA got the e-mail address which the owner said was only used for the DMASA do not contact (DNC) list.
Barnie Kruger, the DA’s executive director of provinces and voter relationship management, said that they have a database of contact details, including e-mail addresses that they receive from various sources including direct canvassing.
“We have investigated where we obtained the e-mail address: dmasa@******.com and can confirm that this e-mail address is associated with Brendon McLean (ID number available),” said Kruger.
“This email address was provided to us by this individual on the 22nd of November 2011 via a telephonic conversation in which we conducted voter canvassing.”
Brendon McLean responded saying that he would never have given this e-mail address to the DA.
“I use the domain of the website hosting the signup form as an alias contact address. For example, if I signed up to mybroadband.co.za, I might use mybroadband@******.com,” he explained.
“I don’t remember or keep or a record of these e-mail addresses – I do this to track when a company leaks my e-mail address. So it is inconceivable that I gave the DA dmasa@******.com as my contact address during a telephonic interview.”
McLean said that if he did ever hand over an e-mail address “it would have been one of my real e-mail addresses. I only use aliases on web forms.”
The DA said that they will gladly remove McLean’s e-mail address from their system if it is requested.
More on DA spam complaints
DA explains SMS, email “spam” campaign
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