[3.6 Rules Clarification] Sellers DMing Potential Customers

We have two clarifications that we would like to make in regards to Sellers DMing (i.e. direct messaging) potential customers. One has to largely do with the Want to Buy and Hire a Freelancer section, but Sellers in the Marketplace may want to take heed as well.

The other is about contacting past clients you may have had via DM.

Cold DMing BlackHat World Users

The first clarification surrounds Sellers cold DMing potential buyers. As those who are familiar with rule 3.6 know, this is expressly forbidden.

3.6 Advertising to, or solicitation of, any member to buy or sell any products or services through the unauthorised or impermissible use of the Site such as DM solicitation. (Note: If you have something you want to sell on this forum, post it in the Marketplace SubForum.

Click to expand...

However, there are a few situations that allow a Seller to contact a potential buyer via DM.

1. A user posts on a sales thread, in the Marketplace, that they would like the seller to DM them.
2. A buyer makes a thread in Want to Buy.
3. A buyer makes a thread in Hire a Freelancer.

While there isn't any rules for the Marketplace stating that Sellers need to include a link to their sales thread (although it would be best practice), this IS mentioned as part of the Want to Buy & Hire a Freelancer Rules.

We have been seeing a lot of Sellers operating in WTB & HAF who are missing this particular step in their DMs to potential clients. It's not a suggestion folks, please start adding it.

While we're sure that you may think this is annoying, it actually helps protect you from getting a pesky warning for cold DMing a user. If they report you because they don't know why you're DMing them, then chances are you'll be receiving a warning related to cold selling. Nobody wants that so the simplest thing is to just leave a link to where the potential buyer "asked" for you to contact them.

NOTE: a buyer posting a thread in WTB/HAF currently is "permission" for a Seller (i.e. upgraded member) to DM them. Just so you're aware, we will be introducing forms for Buyers to fill out in the near future and one of the questions is "how do you want Sellers to contact you".

Contacting Clients You Have DM'd Previously

A question came up not long ago about cold DMing and contacting clients you've DM'd before. Say, you're an upgraded member who has had contact with a previous paid client and have an offer you think they'd like. Of course, you can always contact your clients via your website or whatever outside method you have set up. However, the question is about clients kept in DMs.

You can ABSOLUTELY contact a happy past client via DM, as long as you keep it in the conversation you had going already. If you need to create a new DM, that is considered cold DMing.

Just to be clear, so there are zero misunderstandings, this doesn't mean you can go and start spamming offers to every DM in your inbox. But that one client you had a great experience with previously? By all means.

Thank you BHW team for this as this will cut unnecessary DM’s in everyone inbox from random sellers.

thanks for clearing this up, really appreciate the update. good to know about the old client policy too!

Well, few new rules that are being forced on the forum are killing the freedom of the community. If someone has no, thread he should be asked to pay an extra top up amount like 147+60 dollars a year to be able to reply to DM without a thread.
Making one marketplace thread compulsory is good. But, thread for every service the want to bid for seems like exaggeration.

Well, that is just my point of view.

Fresh Ideas Marketing said:

Well, few new rules that are being forced on the forum are killing the freedom of the community. If someone has no, thread he should be asked to pay an extra top up amount like 147+60 dollars a year to be able to reply to DM without a thread.
Making one marketplace thread compulsory is good. But, thread for every service the want to bid for seems like exaggeration.

Well, that is just my point of view.

Click to expand...

For the moment, you don't have to have a sales thread for every service you offer a customer on BHW. The services DO have to fall within MP rules, but that's a whole different rules clarification.

The point of this clarification for rule 3.6 is you can't just randomly DM a user with an offer. You should be linking back to where they asked to prove you're not cold selling. So that could be a sales thread. It also could be a WTB, HAF or even a discussion where someone went "hey so and so, could you DM me?" This way if they're confused about why you're contacting them and decide to report the DM, you're not getting a warning for violating rule 3.6.

This is very good! Well done BHW
Was getting way too many spams once I post in HAF or WTB.

the link back to where the buyer asked for contact makes sense

from a buyer side it also makes it much easier to tell a legit reply from someone just finding users and cold messaging them. simple rule but probably prevents a lot of confusion

I've always thought there is the rule for every seller to link to their BST when responding to a "hire a freelancer" thread

Topiano said:

I've always thought there is the rule for every seller to link to their BST when responding to a "hire a freelancer" thread

Click to expand...

If a seller has a BST, they're always welcome to link to it in their HAF/WTB response in the thread, or in DM. However, when someone DMs a user about their WTB/HAF thread the rule is that they have to include a link to that thread. They're of course more than welcome to include the link to their BST in their reply as well, but they need to prove their response was asked for and it's not a cold DM.

As stated, Marketplace sellers don't have such a rule, but I personally think it's good practice to link to where in their BST that the user asked for more info just in case the buyer forgets and it gets reported. We've dealt with plenty of reports where the user asked for info, went away, forgot then reported the seller for cold DMing. We do our best to make sure it really is cold DMing, but this makes it clear cut.