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A little backstory: my mom used to run a business where she designed, assembled, and sold (kits). While she had (kit business), I had a link on my snake website pointing to (kit business) and mentioning my mom. After a few years of running (kit business), my mom got tired of it and decided not to make (kits) anymore, since even though she was making money at it, it was a lot of work to assemble (kits). Foolish mortal that I am, I was lazy about updating my snake website and left the link to (kit business) up for quite some time.
One day, I get an email from a lady who is "desperately" seeking (kit) and could I contact my mom and find out when she might be making more (kits) and whether she had any of (kit) lying around that she could sell her?
I tell the lady that (kit business) is shut down, there will be no more production of (kit), and she's out of luck if she wants to get her hands on one because my mom sold all her remaining stock of (kit).
The lady emails back going on and on about how much she loves (kit) and how much her friends were wanting (kit), and how much all the people in her craft club were wanting to make (kit). She then asks me to forward an email to my mom as she wants to produce (kit) herself with some cut of the profit going to my mom, if she's interested.
So I forward the email. I also update my website so that the link no longer exists. I talk to my mom as well, and the gist of it is my mom doesn't want to license out (kit) because it's her design, she doesn't want to risk anyone else producing kits of lesser quality, and so on.
The lady keeps emailing me. "When's she gonna make a decision? We reaaaaaaally want (kit)! There's lots of demand for (kit)! Please convince her to let me make and sell (kit)." I know my mom has replied, so finally I just tell her to go away and leave me alone. If she wants to deal with my mom, she needs to not use me as the middle person. I don't hear another peep from her.
Forward to earlier this week. Note that the link is no longer on my website.
I get an email from some person I've never heard of, saying, "I'm told I can get ahold of (my mom) through you. I have a question about one of her kits. Can you please put me in contact with (my mom)? --Another Lady" The signature on the email was for some sort of business solutions company.
With the link no longer on my website, there's really only one place she could've gotten my email... Lady #1. Lovely. I don't want to be a middleman, and I know my mom doesn't want to deal with people about (kit) anymore. I decided to put a stop to this by being about as unhelpful as possible.
My reply email? One word.
"No."
One day, I get an email from a lady who is "desperately" seeking (kit) and could I contact my mom and find out when she might be making more (kits) and whether she had any of (kit) lying around that she could sell her?
I tell the lady that (kit business) is shut down, there will be no more production of (kit), and she's out of luck if she wants to get her hands on one because my mom sold all her remaining stock of (kit).
The lady emails back going on and on about how much she loves (kit) and how much her friends were wanting (kit), and how much all the people in her craft club were wanting to make (kit). She then asks me to forward an email to my mom as she wants to produce (kit) herself with some cut of the profit going to my mom, if she's interested.
So I forward the email. I also update my website so that the link no longer exists. I talk to my mom as well, and the gist of it is my mom doesn't want to license out (kit) because it's her design, she doesn't want to risk anyone else producing kits of lesser quality, and so on.
The lady keeps emailing me. "When's she gonna make a decision? We reaaaaaaally want (kit)! There's lots of demand for (kit)! Please convince her to let me make and sell (kit)." I know my mom has replied, so finally I just tell her to go away and leave me alone. If she wants to deal with my mom, she needs to not use me as the middle person. I don't hear another peep from her.
Forward to earlier this week. Note that the link is no longer on my website.
I get an email from some person I've never heard of, saying, "I'm told I can get ahold of (my mom) through you. I have a question about one of her kits. Can you please put me in contact with (my mom)? --Another Lady" The signature on the email was for some sort of business solutions company.
With the link no longer on my website, there's really only one place she could've gotten my email... Lady #1. Lovely. I don't want to be a middleman, and I know my mom doesn't want to deal with people about (kit) anymore. I decided to put a stop to this by being about as unhelpful as possible.
My reply email? One word.
"No."
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