Comments on: You Can Argue With Stupid, But You Will Never Win

By: Mike Ford, AGA, GAA, RAA, SCREA, Realtor®

Mike Ford, AGA, GAA, RAA, SCREA, Realtor® — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 20:53:25 +0000

Well written article TJ! You are a much nicer person than I am. I do not consider myself bound by any sort of confidentiality when individuals send me THEIR clients private information without my having asked for it; or had any prior discussion with them concerning it. I also tend to take prohibitive language as a sort of personal challenge. Tell me I ‘cannot; must not, should not or shall not’ and my immediate reaction is “I bet I can!.” Admittedly it is a quirk of personality. It’s also what makes me so willing to go tilt at windmills a la Don Quixote. Like most people I’d have given voluntary cooperation to privacy requests on emails accidentally sent to me…right up until it appeared to be as much a routine as constant status update requests are from AMCs. Anyone that sends me an order to bid on without my asking to be on their panel, OR having an established a mutual vendor/AMC relationship is going to have a copy of their email sent by me (unredacted) to their client. If their client is not disclosed in the order, then I’ll send it to the property owner or borrower and inquire whether they anticipated that their lender would keep the fact that they are applying for a real estate loan confidential; or whether it was their expectation that it would be broadcast to a multitude of appraisers with no regard for their qualifications or their clients privacy. AMC ordering is not a new concept. If they are so arrogant as to think privacy or competency is important, then I’m more than willing to help them grease their own skids with their client. As appraisers, we have few opportunities to reject AMCs bad practices. This is one that would be too good to pass up.

By: Baggins

Baggins — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:40:03 +0000

In reply to misguided.

Imagine this engagement in a different industry. We have a documented medical visit record for the following individuals, and have determined they need anti depressants because they felt suicidal yesterday. Mr Misguided, Mr West, Mr Advocate. Our proximity guidance program indicates you may be their nearest possible retail servicer, as all are located in (city, state). This email is strictly confidential and you are required to respect hippa and medical privacy. If you are not the intended recipient…. Please provide your best fee and turn time.

By: Baggins

Baggins — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:33:02 +0000

In reply to MD appraiser.

It would appear that way, but if true would not be true across the board. It’s more than less just a consequence of a massive body of companies behaving like telemarketers in an incompetent manner. It’s like legal telemarketing and spamming and the recipients, because we hold licensing in this specific field, have no consumer protections to stop the solicitation efforts. Think of amc’s like boiler room operations which recycle the same ever shrinking contact list, over and over and over again. That is in fact, exactly what is happening. We are the distributor companies one and only available customer base.

By: Baggins

Baggins — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:26:52 +0000

Well you know why they do that right? To skirt spam and email technical faults and hold ups. When addressed to themselves, the copied recipients, blind or included, the recipients use of the spam button is less likely to bring about a total block of email communications for the sender whom would be recognized as a spammer. In the early days we’d get these emails direct and we’d simply put them in spam. Then many of their communications were blocked automatically through regular email systems recognition of spam and unwanted mass mailer identification programs, there would be the occasional email from another address; communications are not getting through for these platforms, we’re working on it… Somehow these companies have avoided this lately, probably by addressing to themselves. In years past I observed that no matter how many times I put the unwelcome and previously rejected solicitation emails in spam, they’d just appear back in my regular inbox. I must have spent more time demanding to be removed from amc lists and dealing with massive spam email campaigns than I ever spent signing up or even working with most of these outfits. Direct assignment matters, it is important, nothing else is acceptable. Around 2016 I was deleting one to two hundred unwelcome quote fee emails per day. Their operational efficiency gain is our efficiency loss. We can’t run our business around a question mark and we are not day laborers. If the distributor can not assign the majority of orders direct assignment at consistent fees, they are immediately fired and replaced with more respectful companies whom can. It’s not rocket science but these geniuses have found glorious overly complicated methods to rake unearned fees and somehow provide the illusion they’re actually doing something and working. A reprogrammed alarm clock could distribute simple zap requests in continual rotational order with standard engagement terms. Idiots.

By: IMJSAYN

IMJSAYN — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:29:34 +0000

You nailed it TJ!

By: Scott R.

Scott R. — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:24:44 +0000

I just looked at an email from Consolidated Analytics. I would be breaking the law if I responded. Sure enough….in the To: section my email is not there. At the bottom of the email is: Disclaimer Statement: Information contained and transmitted by this E-MAIL is proprietary to Consolidated Analytics and is intended for use only by the individual/entity to whom/which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If this is a forwarded message, the content of this E-MAIL may not have been sent with the authority of the Company. If you are not the intended recipient, an agent of the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering the information to the named recipient, you are notified that any use, distribution, transmission, printing, copying or dissemination of this information in any way or in any manner is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please delete this mail ? Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

By: MD appraiser

MD appraiser — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:46:42 +0000

“Or maybe it is a thought out executed plan of collusion by the amcs to not have any appraiser respond. Then they can make the claim there is an appraiser shortage.”

Ding ding ding ding ding BINGO!

By: misguided

misguided — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:41:09 +0000

amcs usually blast emails to hundreds of appraisers for the fastest and cheapest, regardless of their geographic competency, qualification, and experience. I never feel PRIVILEGED when I receive these “confidential and privileged” emails! Most end up in my spam box.

By: Eric West

Eric West — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:27:05 +0000

Great article TJ and I agree with you a 1000%. I don’t like blast emails. I do not bid on them and I’m not the only one. And yes, I wonder if this is what they will be using as evidence of a shortage in rural areas if S 2155 passes.

By: Advocate

Advocate — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:09:34 +0000

Does this surprise anyone?