Lately I've been hearing a lot of talk on the "streets" about the Blastoff Network. Truth be told, I visited the page and was immediately turned off by the whole personalized portal concept. I thought to myself why do I need to join this company to create a personalized page of my favorite sites? Isn't this why I have my bookmarks and other start pages from companies like Google and Yahoo? Needless to say, I just left the page and kept it moving. But then I kept getting random emails from strangers and my buddies like Phil. The company seemed to be mentioned everywhere. As a marketer, I appreciate good viral marketing when I see it. So I figured there must be something to all this. You already know how I do, I got on top of my research and I'm here to share my findings with you. So let's get cracking into this review like a thong.
How The Blastoff Network Works:
The Blastoff Network is basically a gateway site that has an affiliate relationship with merchants such as Walmart, Avis, Best Buy, Target, and so on. As you know affiliate marketers get paid when you purchase something or take some type of action on their affiliate links. I won't even get into the other aspect of the Blastoff Network which is the whole personalized homepage thing. It's pointless and doesn't make you any money so there is no need to discuss it. As previously stated, the Blastoff Network is an affiliate of various merchants.
1. So the Blastoff Network has set up their website where they list all the companies they're affiliated with.
2. You create a free account with the Blastoff Network. They use this information so they can track and pay you.
3. Then you can browse through the Blastoff Network online mall which consist of links to various online stores ( Over 300 at the time of this article) such as iTunes, Target, Starbucks, Walmart, Barnes & Nobles, etc. Each of them are labeled with a certain cash back % which you are entitled to.
4. When you want to purchase something from a Blastoff Merchant, you just click on their link in the Blastoff Mall and you will be taken to their official site (i.e. Amazon.com, Ebay.com, etc).
5. By using that link, the Merchant can track that the Blastoff Network is entitled to a commission which it will then give you a portion of. This is vital, if you want to save cash shopping online, you have to visit the merchants site through the link in the Blastoff Mall rather than go directly to the website.
6. In a about a month you are then paid a portion of the commission (1% and 15% of the item excluding shipping, handling, and taxes) that BlastOff Network has earned as an affiliate.
In essence it's sort of like a rebate program but without all the song and dance that most companies put you through to get that cash back.
Blastoff Network Referral / Affiliate Program:
In addition to getting these cash rebates, you're also paid for your referrals purchases which is probably where you'll make the most money. So even if you don't really do a lot of shopping online, referring people that do on occasion or often can really ad up. This is assuming you have the proper training as an affiliate marketer.
Getting Paid:
Blastoff mails out reward checks on the 15th of the month after your account reaches $20 or more in approved funds. As long as they have your correct name and mailing address, there's nothing you need to do to receive it.
The Cons / Negatives of the BlastOff Network:
1. Blastoff Network is an unnecessary middleman.
So I know some of my smart affiliate marketers are thinking to themselves, "Why do I even need the Blastoff Network?" Couldn't I just cut the middle man out and become a direct affiliate of all these companies I use? After all, then I'll get the full commissions on my own purchase instead of the small portion that the BlastOff Network provides me. Under normal circumstances this would be a huge savings or discount for you.
Honestly that was my first thought as well. But there are quite a few holes in this thought process.
– Most of companies are managed by big affiliate networks which doesn't allow "self-purchasing" by affiliates. Well how would they know Eddy?
Well when you sign up as an affiliate you register your name and address. They can cross reference this information with sales made via your affiliate link. If this information matches, you won't be eligible to earn a commission from any product shipped to your name and address. Obviously there are ways to get around this but I won't get into it. lol
– The other problem is that it may be very time consuming to try to sign up for all the company's affiliate programs.
– Furthermore some companies only want to sign affiliates with proven records or established sites that are related to their subject matter.
So that's several reasons why the "self-purchasing" affiliate route isn't practical and why you may consider a company like BlastOff Network. I think most people would argue that receiving some of the money you earn back from online purchases is better than not receiving it all which is the case for most of us. As someone that preaches that every cent counts, I can't really argue against this logic.
2. Blastoff Network is limited to the U.S. at this time.
As stated on their site: "Currently, we only mail checks to US addresses, including PO Boxes, APO's, and FPO's. Only US citizens 18 years old or older are eligible to earn cash-back rewards."
3. Payments are only made via check.
This always burns me. I don't do well with delayed gratification. I prefer PayPal or Direct Deposit. Waiting for a check and then trekking to a bank just seems so prehistoric to me. It's like using a pay phone or wearing a members only jacket. Who still does that? But I guess money is money.
4. Blastoff Network's is in bed with Prepaid Legal.
During their pre-launch the Blastoff Network had entered into a relationship with Prepaid Legal Services which would allow their associates to recruit members for BlastoffNetwork.com. The benefit for you and I was that we would be able to start building our referral base before the doors officially opened on the Blastoff Network in October. But this came at a cost. Naturally you were required to become a Prepaid Legal Associate. This would end up costing you about $100 ($72 for the associates fee and $27 for a membership fee, and then $17 per month after that). That being said, it was never a requirement to join Blastoff Network. It was purely optional. But of course people fail to read information and made assumptions instead of performing their due diligence. Either case, this is no longer an issue since Blastoff Network is no longer in pre-launch.
5. Blastoff Network is a pyramid scheme.
According to Wikipedia, a pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered. Based on this, I don't see the correlation with the Blastoff Network since there is no fee to join and you're not required to enroll other people to make money.
6. Earning Commissions is difficult.
Let's face it, most of us don't shop all that much and consistently online. So in order to really make some decent money, you'll really have to focus on the Blastoff Network referral program. If I could buy my groceries online and paying bills counted, I would make a killing with this by my own efforts. But the fact of the matter is my personal online purchases wouldn't make me much. I think since most of you aren't trained affiliates and probably don't want to harass your family and friends, your income will be very limited for most of the year. But if you're anything like me, come Christmas time I shop online like crazy. So that's probably when you can make a lot of money on your own efforts.
Conclusion:
Honestly the opportunity seems sound. But I've tried programs like this in the past ( BigCrumbs.com ) and never really made a lot of money with it. Maybe it's my audience who doesn't do a lot of online shopping. Or perhaps I just suck. Who knows? I guess like anything if I put enough energy and time into working it, I can make more money with it. With that said, I would love to find evidence of people who have joined the Blastoff Network and have actually made money with it. I've read a lot of hype from people to join, but I haven't read a lot of folks discussing that they actually made money with it. This may be a matter of circumstances since the Blastoff Network just came out of beta.
Either way, if you do have any experience with the company, I want to hear from you. However please avoid the fluff, hype or self promotion comments. I've had enough unsolicited emails from people encouraging me to join the Blastoff Network. This immediately draw my suspicions. So most of those emails were filed away in a special place on my computer called the trash bin. In any event, I'll continue to monitor this opportunity to see how it pans out. For the fun of it, I've become a member. Christmas is coming soon and I plan to do most of my shopping online as usual. I've never seen the fascination in crowded malls and paying more for items. So I'll be giving the Blastoff Network a try. At the very least I can save myself some more money. I love opportunities like this because I really lose nothing if it doesn't work. So with that said, you may want to give Blastoff Network a shot as well if it's of interest to you. If not you can always try many of my other non-traditional work at home recommendations here and the work at home companies page for traditional work at home jobs. As always I have you covered whatever your preference may be.
In any event, let me know what your thoughts are on the Blastoff Network and their opportunity. Considering all the yammering going on about this opportunity, I'm sure I'll be hearing a mouthful from the fans and skeptics. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Don't leave me hanging. lol
I’m late to this party but I ran across your entry about Blastoff while trying to find a telephone number for those fools. Â Â I’ve also written them a few times with no response and now my emails are being returned as undeliverable. Â Â I *DID* receive a check from Blastoff a few years ago!!! Â Â One check. Â However, they owe me a whole lot more now and it would appear as though they ran off in the middle of the night. Â I’m just writing you today to let you know that I may be the unicorn that got a check. Â Since then, I still have “pending” rewards from 2010 and 2011 that have never (and likely will never) be “confirmed”. Â Oh well!
Sorry to hear about this. But that’s how these things work out sometimes. You live and learn. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Yeah, I think that was the conclusion for folks a long time ago. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I used them for over a year for ALL my online purchasing. Â Some of my purchases never showed up and most showed pending after 6 months still. Â They finally pushed them all through to complete but wghen I asked to get my check and then close my account, they closed the account and never sent my check. Â They don’t respond to emails and the minute amount is not worth going to an attorney over….stay away from Blastoff!
@Todd Nuccio:
I joined Blastoff the first day it was open to the public and then bought a $600 camera on Black Friday going through their mall.
I never got anything for it and when I tried to ask a question on their forums, I kept getting errors saying my account information was wrong so I finally found a way to e-mail them directly and have been waiting “months” to find out why I never got anything back from my purchase.
It might be a good way to make some money for some people but I’ve yet to see a profit and until I do, it’s not worth the hassle, plus I’d never recommend it to my friends since they haven’t proven to me that it’s a win win situation.
I was at my local library a few days ago when I came across a magazine called
WEB BIZ mentioning Blastoff Network. I was a little turned off by it when I saw that it was linked to Pre-Paid Legal though, so I turned to the web to learn more about it.
Thanks for your take on it but I will continue to research this further.
I like the fact that you respond to your audience as much as possible and will be subscribing to your feed!
You’re welcome Toya.
I’m glad the article can provide you with some useful information and that I’ve gained your trust that you’re willing to subscribe to my blog.
Thanks.
So has anyone ever received payment from this site (Blastoff Network)? Any more feedback on this site? Thanks
Mila,
Ditto.
Both Big Crumbs and Mr. Rebates have a search engine on the sites homepage. If you type what you are looking for into the search bar, it will search the 1000+ stores that they both have, will tell you the price, as well as the rebates earned. This prevents you from having to spend extra money to get your rebates as you discussed. That would defeat the purpose. However you must go through the link provided by the rebates program in order to get your cash back. You can also build a business with them, if someone goes through your link and creates an account you get a commission for their orders. This is what my website focuses on helping people do. I feel that Eddy should get the Big Crumbs credit, his link is now on the main page of this site. If you want to try and build it as a business check out my site (by clicking my name). If you have any questions feel free to give me a call my cell phone number is on the contact me page. I would be more than willing to help you out, no matter if it benefits me to or not.
Matt,
Thanks for the link. I appreciate it. You’re a smart guy. I would encourage you to bulk the content on your site. Write some articles with some of your ideas. I think you have value to provide but you need to push it to the next level. That’s just my two cents, take it with a grain of salt.
Hey Matt! You may be right about Pre-Paid Legal, but you would have to assume that Pre-Paid lied about their chance meeting with Blastoff (it was coincidence). Of course Pre-Paid is betting on Blastoff to draw people to them, and maybe it will work… eventually. How do mrrebates’ or bigcrumbs’ search engines work? That is my biggest problem with Blastoff. The time it takes to shop on Blastoff usually negates the savings (unless your time is free). The best way I’ve found is to find a product first (internet search), and if you know a store on Blastoff will sell that product (big guesswork involved), then you can compare prices and buy (if the prices are similar or better). However, few will buy through Blastoff if their retailer’s prices are higher than the rebate (duh). And how do you know unless you hunt for every retailer on Blastoff individually, then use “their” search engines, then compare the prices, etc., etc., etc. Don’t get me wrong. I was very enthusiastic about Blastoff, but this is one area where they fell short, BIG TIME. Hope they eventually improve the search engine so I can Blastoff with them.
I can tell you that I got my free site… bought some printer cartridges for my HP Printer… and the costs were cheaper than going down the street to either Walmert or Office Depot.. I paid no tax or shipping (cause it via a company out state), and in about 3 days they arrived at my house… and to boot, I got about 8 bucks cash back. Can’t beat that. Then I saw today, this from their company: http://blastoffnetwork.com/archives/855
Eric
Hey Eric,
It’s great to hear you’ve saved some money and made cash. Have they actually sent you a check yet?
I actually set through a hour and a half long “blastoff network” presentation in Springfield IL. I was only interested in the blast off network, compairing it to both bigcrumbs, and mrrebates. I found out after setting through an hour and 15 minute long presentation about the parent company, just to hear 5 minutes of them talking about blast off and about 10 minutes of content. I learn that they have 500 stores as opposed to over 1000 merchants at either mrrebates or bigcrumbs. No ebay cash back as you get from either mrrebates or bigcrumbs. I came to the conclusion that this was just a new way to promote pre paid legal, If the company realized the potential of this program they could build an awesome program out of it. However, I feel that the people at pre paid legal are to wrapped up in their “awesome legal services” to ever try and change focus. Your opinions on either side of the issue, and other other comments are welcome.
Trinitymatt Watson
Thanks for the awesome review. I wish I found this earlier as I did most of the same research on my own with similar conclusions. One thing I’d ad is that I think Blastoff could actually blastoff (sorry for that….couldn’t resist) if they were to compare prices across all the retailers. I know it is done already, but not so much in a community portal like this. I guess it is a wait and see. I don’t expect to really make money off it, but I registered anyway…
Thanks Super!
Hi Eddy,
I just signed up with Blastoff Network. I thought it would be nice to use this portal for the holidays and get my friends on board. I also think that it is an opportunity to make some money during the Christmas holidays. It was advertised by Pizza Hut, so I though this program must be good if Pizza Hut is advertising it :). Then I came here to check it out. I am going to write a review on it at my blog. I think it will help people save money on Cyber monday in addition to the sales and make money at the same time.
You’ve done an excellent job reviewing this company and as always I appreciate your honesty! This article really gave me insight on what to expect from the company. I am researching the internet to see if anyone has been paid yet. Hopefully I find someone that has. Any which way though, you are still saving money by using the portal for your shopping.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Shannon
Thanks for chiming in Shannon.
It looks like payments will be happening soon. I received the following from the CEO of the company:
http://blastoffnetwork.com/archives/827 So let’s see what happens.
You’re right Eddy, that should comfort me, but if they say I’ll be paid I expect them to follow through. I mean, why use Blastoff if they’re not going to pay anyway. And it is not the easiest website to navigate (does not have a sophisticated search engine to find specific products), so it takes longer to find the product I want. It’s only worth it if the commissions are paid.
Agreed Todd.
Eddy, this is my first time checking out your site and blogs. I must say, I think you’ve put quite some effort into doing your research on blastoff network. With that said, I am a Pre-Paid Legal member and associate, so I have been registered on the Blastoff network for about a month now? Yes, there were some technical issues at the get-go just like any startup would, I suppose. I like the concept and have done numerous shoppings already, nothing like Todd in the $1000 range but probably have spent approx $300, and I have seen the commissions post on my rewards. It does take a couple of days for them to track and post them to the account, but they have shown up. I have also seen commissions from the shopping of others in my Blastoff network as well.
Am I getting rich off of Blastoff? That would be ridiculous to think so, right? We all know we must give it time to grow, multiply, and reap the benefit from leverage of the numbers, so only time will tell. In the meanwhile, I will continue shopping and saving, while using the media and games panels as well. With holidays upon us, you bet I will continue shopping through Blastoff. Just like you said Eddy, I’m going to do the shopping anyway.
A quick word as an insider from Pre-Paid Legal, there is no plan for us to somehow use this to spam the heck out of all blastoff network members. It is simply a marketing strategy that we are using since Pre-Paid Legal advertisement will pop up every so often on the top right corner where you usually see ads from merchandisers, etc. But that’s about it. Basically brand recognition. In fact we don’t see names or contacts of members past Level 1.
One last thing, I am a very satisfied member and business associate with Pre-Paid Legal. A shameless plug? maybe.
Thanks.
Sergio,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Blastoff. I’m definitely hearing about the growing pains. But again I haven’t heard of any actual payments received yet. So I’m still cautiously on the fence about the company. At the end of the day I don’t really have anything to lose with them. But it would be nice to see that people are getting paid. Thanks again for sharing your experience about blastoff and Pre-Paid Legal.
Well Eddy, I am a member or Pre-Paid Legal (4+ years) and love the service, but have never pushed the business opportunity. I did get very, very excited about the Blastoff opportunity for many reasons including FREE, VIRAL, COMMISSIONS, etc. My experience has not been so good though. I have spent between $500 and $1,000 through Blastoff and I have not seen any commissions show up in My Rewards (except a canceled purchase that shows pending). Blastoff also has not responded to my emails, and the phone number for Blastoff states that I need to contact them by email. Again, the concept is great, but I have not been too happy with the results yet. I have seen others on Blastoff who say they have seen commissions, but not me… yet.
Regards,
Todd
Thanks for sharing your experience Todd. I’ve heard some other technical issues as well. I guess time will tell about this opportunity. At the very least thank goodness it didn’t require any financial investment to join. Any shopping that I may have done would have been necessary anyway. So that’s the one silver lining in this situation if the company turns out to be flakey.
Thanks Paul. I hear what you’re saying man. But as someone that did a 7 year bid in Corporate America, I quickly learned that sometimes decisions are made with no rhyme or reason. Come to think of it, our government works that way sometimes as well. Lol
Terrific analysis, Eddy
It’s nice to see someone presenting a good balanced view of this program. To me the whole concept seems like a huge distraction for people who are serious about wanting to generate income online.
I’m still racking my brains to understand why Pizza Hut got involved. I checked their 3rd Quarter earnings to see if they had taken a hit and this was a desperate move on their part, but 3rd quarter earnings were good for them.
Thanks Callie:
I was ready to jump all into Peapod with the charity aspect but Georgia is
not on the list either, oh well. It’s a terrific concept, especially with the way
the economy is going now.
Best regards,
TRC
Thanks for the information. I ran across Blastoff Network a few days ago and considered asking you about it. I got busy with leaf clean-up and forgot about it. I’ll have another look.
Shawna
You’re welcome Shawna!
@Eddy Salomon:
Sure, you’re welcome.
Yeah, the charity aspect is tuggin’ at my heart strings too!
Hi all,
TRC, your grocery tip caught my eye. I would like to share 2 online grocery shopping programs that do actually deliver right to the customers’ door. In browsing some of the items, in my opinion they were pricey. But to each his/her own and can judge for yourself. Nonetheless, still 2 great programs.
I realize this discussion is off the Blastoff Network topic, but I couldn’t resist sharing. lol
The 2 programs are …
http://www.NetGrocer.com – Their online grocery shopping program is available nationwide!
http://www.Peapod – Makes their program available to certain cities/areas in the following states only: CT, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, RI, VA, WA, and WI. Hey, what’s up with that?! My state is not included. lol
Peapod also has a refer-a-friend (feed the hungry) program going on thru 12/31/09. For that program Peapod will give $10 worth of groceries to you, the referred friend, and your fave food bank. Now how generously thoughtful is that? 😉
Peapod also has a really nice Affiliate program, but I won’t detail it here, those interested will have to check it out yourself. 😉
Both NetGrocer and Peapod are on Facebook and Twitter too!
Happy shopping!
Thanks Callie!
As always you’re full of wisdom. I actually knew about peapod and have seen them around the way. Might have to explore it especially because of their charity aspect.
Thanks for the report Eddy. i would like to ask a question however about a site i had heard
of before and started getting emails about. Actually my wife got the email and sent it tome.
Does anyone have any experience with Kimberly Hoffman. Claims to be a single Mom, who
discovered a system and put waiting on tables behind her. Her program costs $ 17.00. I did
google any review on Kimberly and her program and I came across several, all favorable, but
I’m aware that these ” reviewers ” could be getting paid to say nice things about Kimberly.
She might not even be Kimberly, just a made up name to run scam sites.
any info would be appreciated.
Bill Slateritz
Would you research monkeyjar.com? It sounds similar, but with direct deposit/Paypal and a more facebook/myspace feel. I did minimal research on it (i.e., I searched your site for a review) and didn’t find anything. I found out about it through a “help wanted” ad looking for customer service people. I wonder if they’re actually just using those help wanted ads as an advertisement and that there are really not any jobs available. Thanks – I enjoy your site!
I love your unbiased approach to presenting a new ( or old ) opportunity to the masses. Educating first, “Hey Y’all Join this!” second. Very Very awesome. My writing and approach has absolutely been influenced by you. Of course now it takes me twice as long to get new posts up because now I have to actually think about what I’m presenting. Speaking of which…
You were supposed to wait until I gave my formal BlastOff review before joining. Okay, so I’m a week and a half behind, I’ve honestly been busy ( or maybe it’s just ADHD ).
Awesome post Eddy ( again ). I don’t know if everyone realizes how much research ( DD ) went into writing this. Just the information about “Getting Paid” took a bit of digging on your part.
Phil ( philsfault ) Ames
Hello Eddy:
Thanks for the BlastOff review. I too have received several urges from friends to join the network but was not sure what I would be getting myself into. As always, you’ve done the research for the “Eddy Network” and I trust your judgement.
On the grocery tip, you can shop your groceries on-line at WalMart.com. Although the groceries are not delivered to your home, they are made available for ready-to-go pick up at your Walmart store, which can be a great time saver. In addition to the time saving, according to the way I comprehend the process, I save money.
Let me know if I’m off track.
Thanks, Enjoy & Be Blessed
TRC
TRC,
You’re welcome. I appreciate the fact I’ve gained your trust enough that you value my opinions. Thanks for the tip regarding Walmart! I think that’s a great idea! I wonder if stop and shop, target or kmart do this as well. That’s where I tend to shop for my every day stuff. My Walmart isn’t conveniently located. This is the benefit of having an active community, we all learn from each other. So thanks again!!! 🙂
Phil,
Brother you are always too kind! Every time you and I chat I keep giggling to myself how we became buddies and how it could have turned out totally differently. lol
In any event, I agree posts take a lot longer when you’re trying to provide a balanced view of a company. It’s much to write posts that slam or praise a company. But when you’re trying to illustrate both sides of the coin, it takes a lot more work to filter through facts, opinions, bitterness, etc. lol So I can totally see why it’s taking you longer to write posts. It’s also the reason you don’t see me belting out articles several times a day or week. It takes a lot of energy to do the research and come up with the right words to say that will keep you informed and entertained with my corn ball antics. lol
Sorry for jumping the gun by joining under you before your formal review. But I’m sure you won’t be too mad if you get some referrals because of my premature actions. 😉 I’m definitely interested in seeing how this website develops in the next couple of months. Like I said, it’s nothing new and the business model is sound. So I don’t expect to see a lot of problems. Thanks as always for chiming in. I know you’re a lot more busy of late. How are the kids and the new job?
Sarah,
Just follow the steps in my scam video:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams Within two minutes of applying that technique I was able to determine that I would probably pass on MonkeyJar.com. That being said this is just my initial assessment from the research I’ve gathered. But I encourage you to watch the video and apply it. I’m big on teaching people how to fish and that video does just that. This way you can always perform research on your own and don’t have to wait or depend on me who can be very lazy sometimes. lol Hope this helps.
Hi Eddy,
This is a great review, I think that this company is similar to mypoints and memolink but the difference is that mypoints and memolink they pay you to read emails too and to take surveys ocassionally.
I am part of both (mypoints and memolink) , I personally don’t buy much online but I get some giftcards from mypoints every three or four months only for clicking on their emails, on memolink it took me longer to get paid but with a little patience you can get some extra $$$.
Keep up the awesome job.
I’m not to sure about blastoff myself either I actually met a nice girl while grabbing some fast food for lunch this summer and she happens to be connected with blastoff. She said if I was interested in making some money to give her a call. She ended up calling me and it happened that she was a pre-paid legal affiliate. I don’t do pre[paid legal at all so I passed but she then tells me about Blastoff! Now it seem that blastoff is some how connected to pre-paid legal affiliates and if I wanted to get into Blastoff early during the pre release I’d have to sign and and pay a little money first to become a pre-paid legal affiliate and when anyone came to my page they would be referred to my ad for pre-[aid legal. I’m not sure with the deal is with this blastoff but since I’ve been so turned of by anyone who does pre-paid legal for years I’d stay away. It seems to me that if you sign up for blast off somehow eventually get bombarded by pre-paid legal people either trying to sell you re-paid legal or get you to purchase it. I’d stay away IMO
Hi Jorge,
Thanks. I agree it is very similar to those programs you mentioned. It’s definitely not a new idea to say the least. I think the whole social network angle is the only real difference .
iVibelk,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I think their initial association with Prepaid Legal Services definitely worked against them with certain people. Because there is a significant segment of the population that have had negative experiences with Prepaid Legal Services. In terms of the “spamming” by prepaid legal services associates, I just signed up and haven’t experienced any of that. Furthermore I always make sure to sign up with my gmail address or another throw away email address which is wonderful for fighting spam.
What I think happened is when people signed up for the pre-launch they did it through the prepaid legal services people which probably meant you agreed to their terms of services. This probably has some clause about allowing them to email you. So that may explain that. But so far I haven’t received any unwanted emails. But time will tell. Spam is the least of my concerns and easy to deal with. I just don’t want any other surprises like hidden fees, etc. That being said, I’ll continue to monitor the situation. Thanks again for sharing, I appreciate it.