Microsoft Account Alert and Client Logo Dialogue

Today I got this interesting email, which supposedly came from Microsoft.  Here’s what I shared with a Google group:

I got this interesting email from “Microsoft???” today.  Notice they need to ask me for a password and reply to an email?  Gee!  Can’t their tech support just look up my password?

I have worked with Microsoft Corporation experts, at the highest levels, over the years.  Not one I would consider to be “dumb”.   And why don’t you just point me to an official Microsoft website for more info?

Account Alert

Dear Valued Member,
Due to the congestion in all Hotmail users and removal of all unused Hotmail Accounts, Hotmail would be shutting down all unused and unconfirmed Hotmail Accounts, You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply botton, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.

• User Name: ……………..
• Password: ………………….
• Date of Birth: ………………….
• Country Or Territory: ……………….

After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Warning!!!  Account owner that refuses to update his or her account before two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.

Now on to Logo design.  I’m having a dialogue with a client and an Indian logo designer.  I’ll blot out the names.

Indian company:

How are you?

I was now thinking of taking freelance design projects. I along with few of my designer friends would be offering the following services

1. Design Research
2. Packaging design
3. Product design
4. Graphics design
5. Logo design
6. copywriting : punchline etc.

I can do consumer research in India and give suggest companies on insights (design directions) to launch new products specific to Indian markets.

Request you please see if you can give me this opportunity to offer these services to your organization.

Me:

XXX showed me the pricing he got from you for logo design. XXX knows what the US prices are, as he already consulted with a couple local US logo designers. If I go to Google and type in “logo designs”, I find a number of western companies doing this work for around $200.

For $2500, I think you should provide a detailed proposal (i.e. free of charge, as all business proposals usually are), detailing what you give the US client for $2500. Most clients do know that Indian labor costs are cheaper than US/Canadian labor costs. So given just a bland proposal costing $2500 and US companies charging around $200, it’s a simple matter to predict whom they will hire.

Indian company:

I certainly do understand the prices offered by freelancers. It is a huge market and anyone can offer logo design ranging from USD 250 -USD 250000 . It all depends on experience in creating big brands and processes. Logo at very low range at USD 250 is just a me too category and I do guarantee that it will  be satisfactory.

But the kind of services which my team offers is a research based innovative solution to create an identity. So the charges is USD 2500. We shall give you complete solution till satisfactory.   If you can trust me I shall break the costing into the following

• Research, Brainstorming and design directions —– USD 250
• Logo conceptualization —————————USD 1500
• Refinement—————————————USD 650
• Artwork & guidelines —————————– USD 100
• You may try out with design research and directions first and then take it ahead.

Me:

Here’s what I recently found for XXX and what I shared with him.    If you want my recommendation for Logo design, I would pick Logo Bee out of Montreal, Canada.  Here’s what I found out:

• If you type in Logo Services into Google, they come up on the first page
• They have a great package for around $200
• They have a website at http://www.logobee.com/
• The Web of Trust doesn’t flag them at http://www.mywot.com/, via my Firefox, Google Chrome or Internet Explorer Web of Trust Plug-ins
• I’m enclosing a PDF copy of some research I did on them at Hoover’s.  I have free access through the College of DuPage library.  They gross an annual million dollars in sales, have been around for 10 years and have a Dun and Bradstreet number.  This data is provided by Hoover’s.
• If I search for any complaints on the Better Business Bureau website, I can’t find any at http://www.bbb.org/canada/
• I would wait until you obtain a trademark before contacting them.

YYY –  Now, let me mention what I said before:     If you are doing any costly alternative to what I told XXX, it should be a formally written business proposal.  In it, you would breakdown what you research, time spent, costs, benefits, etc.

The proposal should show XXX why he should choose your services over Logobee, which has been around for 10 years, and has a million dollars in annual sales, and a staff of 10 people.

I’m enclosing what I call a “real” proposal, which I submitted a while back, to a company in Dubai.

And the dialogue is still continuing! What do you think?