BlockShopper.com review: unauthorized advertisement of sale ot my house 16

Blockshopper.com will not take my info off the internet...

so for all of you people out there who are getting the run around with them...

here is the CEO's info...

Timothy Landon
2704 Bennett
Evanston, Illinois
847.332.2021

spread it around, call him, call your attorney general, Homeland Seurity, every real estate board
you can think of all their advertiser and let them see the blogs of people who want OFF their site.

I, too, am horrified to learn that not only have they advertised my property, but also list our full names along with an aerial photo of the exact location of our property. This is a clear danger of not just identity theft, but to our physical health and well-being. I have contacted them but to-date they have not removed the information. It seems that there should be something illegal to list a propertywith full disclosure of the owner names. By the way, our property has NEVER been listed for sale and is 10 years old. I question the purpose of the listing and their overall integrity.

I am very upset with blockshoppers staff. I emailed Scarlett@blockshopper.com; timothylandon@blockshopper.com; brian@blockshopper.com; drew@blockshopper.com and informed that due to the security of my job and me having such a rare name that no other female have, if they can remove my name from there site. They informed me its "public information". I kindly asked again and informed them that I was just promoted to a high risk job and which is located one city away from my home. I also informed them that i receive threats and they have placed me and my family in risk. But they didnt seem to care.
I believe we should file a class action lawsuit. I know there are others out there with the same concern.

I too have made requests of this company to remove my name; explaining that I have been a victim of a stalker in the past and that publishing my name with my home address puts me and my family in danger. They refused, short of me sending them legal documents, restraining orders etc. As this company has proven their complete lack of ethics already- I'm certainly not going to trust them with further personal information!

I've been writing to all of my legislative representatives and my state governor. I have drafted a letter that can be used as a form letter for this purpose. I have also drafted a letter to send to advertisers that can be used to ask them to stop advertising with these people; helping remove their advertising $$ is probably the only way to slow them down until some legal action takes place to stop this.

Here is an email sent out as a chain email a few months ago.
It was on the blockshoppervictim site, until Blockshopper's attorney's forced the web host to take the site down.

Pass this on, and follow the suggestions- Hopefully these people can be stopped.

Dear all,

I'm not one to take part in chain emails, or public crusades for that matter. For those of you who know me, despite my political convictions, you know I'm far too busy for such activity. Further, that governmental intervention is usually the last thing I look or hope for.

When Googling your name, typically there is a lot of interesting information available. However, a new site, Blockshopper.com outdoes it all. Blockshopper passes themselves off to be a "Real Estate" site with a twist- they utilize information obtained from public databases and social websites such as Facebook, Linkedin, etc..., and create stories about those buying or selling their house.

Blockshopper mines public databases such as those of county records, and if your house is not in trust, they create a special web page just for you (really just for them)- complete with yours and your spouses name, home address, and what you paid for your home. A map pointing out your home is always included. Further, they SEO (search engine optimaize) the page so that it comes up on the first or second page of Google should a search be accomplished on your name.

If you're really lucky, as so many seem to be, there will be a corresponding article about you, your spouse, both of your job histories, your children and where they go to school.

Blockshopper does not return telephone calls, and refuses to allow an opt-out since Real Estate information is "public". "There is no legal requirement to remove information", touted one of their founders, Brian Timpone of Chicago in an interview.

There is a way to remove your current address from Blockshopper and thus Google- move. (I'm told that sealing your public record with a court order is a possibility, though difficult to accomplish.) Putting your house in trust after the fact doesn't work- they keep the last known names on their special page.

While I do not wish to debate the legalities of their 1st amendment claims, one thing is clear: In the past, one would have to know where you lived to pull up information about your home address from the appropriate county web site. Just a few years ago, they would have needed to obtain the information from County Records via standard mail. Now, courtesy of Blockshopper, a single Google Search will provide such information via your specially created page on Blockshopper.

I pulled mine up (my last name in this email is an alias) while in Europe last week- no article, but the basic information was there- and on the second Google search page with a title in big letters. Personally I'm of the believe that publicly available doesn't necessarily mean readily and instantly available.

Just your name and Google- and it will be on the first couple of search pages from anywhere in the world.

There has already been at least one attack reported due to the site's callousness:
www.blockshoppervictim..com

Though I can not confirm that the story is true, it most certainly could be.

I would encourage the following:

Exercise your right to the first amendment, and at the very least send this to as many people on your email list as possible.
If you are a Realtor, let Blockshoper know you will not work with them until they offer an opt-out. Tell your national association how you feel.

If you work with or use products from those who advertise on their site, be sure to let them know you are boycotting them.

Let organizations for missing and battered women and children know about Blockshopper.

Pull up your favorite congressman- then let them know how you feel by including the Blockshopper information obtained off of Google/Blockshopper in the letter.

And if you're feeling really creative, a Youtube video like "United Breaks Guitars" could make national news. Dave Carroll brought one of the worlds largest airlines to its knees for wrecking a ~$500 guitar, and not reimbursing him.

Lastly, feel free to let the owners of Blockshopper know how you feel- though I most certainly do not condone behavior encouraged by the following sites, their home addresses and phone can be found here:

http://www.blockshoppervictim.com/msgboard/viewforum.php?f=2
http://blockshopper.blogspot.com/

Blockshopper has options which would show decency, while maintaining their business model- they could keep the stories (basic information if there is no story attached) and remove last names and children by request. They simply choose not to, since they feel they have "no legal obligation".

Thank you for your help, and I hope with enough pressure, something will be done before more acts of violence against every day people take place; people like your family and mine.

In regards to the websites that others have set up as being Blockshopper victims or tracking blockshopper complaints- does anyone out there have real information on why they don't exist anymore? Were they truly forced to shut down by Blockshopper? And if so on what grounds?

I am asking because I'm in the process of writing letters and want to make sure that my information is very accurate.

If anybody is interested in coordinating efforts to stop BlockShopper, e-mail me at OptOut4Safety@gmail.com.

THERE IS A NEW ORGANIZATION AND WEBSITE devoted to getting Blockshopper to allow people to opt-out from their listings. Please go to:

www.OptOutMovement.org

We have a very interesting and active discussion going on (see "join the discussion" link). If you're ticked off at Blockshopper and ready to do something about it, the Blockshopper Opt Out Movement (BOOM) wants you!

PAY ATTENTION: Here's what everyone needs to do-

Fill out a complaint form with the Missouri Attorney General. It takes 5 minutes.

http://ago.mo.gov/consumercomplaint.htm

Next, do the same thing for the Attorney General in your state. They all have a form to fill out.

Next, do the same for you local Congressperson. Usually it's just an email submission form.

All of this takes maybe 15 minutes total.

Are you mad? Then do it!

The AG for Missouri needs to see 50 or more complaints before it hits his radar screen so DO IT.

California has a an Office of Privacy Protection. Fill out a complaint there:

http://www.privacy.ca.gov/response.htm

Hopefully if they get enough of them, we can spur some action.

My name is Sarah and I am an analyst at Balestriere Fariello, a trials and investigations law firm in New York. Our firm has been investigating BlockShopper's potential misconduct for several months and would be interested in hearing more from you about your experience. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience if you are interested discussing your experience.

Thank you,
Sarah Goodman
sarah.goodman@balestriere.net
[protected] x 132

We have had increased burglaries in our neighborhood including break-ins where single people live. I am not associating this with blockshopper as I have no evidence but when I can look up our entire street on their website, see who owns each home with a picture of the home I am concerned. Now I, as the burglar, can target homes where a single woman probably lives for example. I understand blockshopper defends it's stance by saving all of this is public information but the power is in the presentation. They are doing a disservice to our communities.

Here''s a google street view of Scarlett Simpson's home: 4971 W Tilden St. Springfield, MO [protected] http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4971+W+Tilden+St.+Springfield, +MO+[protected]&hl=en&ll=37.206978, -93.383628&spn=0.006469, 0.013411&sll=37.207300, -93.383396&sspn=0.006295, 0.006295&layer=c&cbp=13, 355.24, , 0, 0&cbll=37.206975, -93.383362&gl=us&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A&panoid=do2ClVQmykCLzEN4AdpJ8A I e-mailed the link to her -- of course this is just public records so she can't complain.

Also on the internet is her home phone, which I won't post until I confirm it's accuracy.

4971 W Tilden is not the home of the Scarlett Simpson involved with the Blockshopper website. It is my home and the home of my wife, whose name happens to be Scarlett. I find it ironic that you all complain about this website and then post unconfirmed facts of your own.

Blockshopper.com refuses to remove my personal info from their website. I contacted the company with my concerns and asked them to remove my name. Somebody named Scarlet denied my request.

Therefore, I'm listing their CEO - Brian Timpone's personal information here:

Address: 922 Lathrop Ave. River Forest, IL, [protected]
Phone: [protected]

BRIAN TIMPONE / BRIAN THOMAS TIMPONE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/briantimpone/
https://about.me/brian_timpone

CURRENT ADDRESS: 922 LATHROP AVE, RIVER FOREST, IL [protected]

btimpone @ enteract.com
timpone @ interaccess.com
btimpone @ gmail.com
btimpone @ chicagotoday.com

Business Name: LOCALLABS
Address: 27 N Wacker Drive, Suite 428,
City: Chicago
State: IL
Postal Code: 60606
Country: US
https://locallabs.com/
First seen: 2008 - Present

__________________________________________________
EDWARD "COACH" WEINHAUS / EDWARD ANDREW WEINHAUS / EDWARD WEINHAUS

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddieweinhaus
www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-directory/weinhaus
https://blocktribune.com/author/edward_weinhaus/

https://about.me/edwardcoachweinhaus

edward.weinhaus @ chicagobooth.edu
edward @ blockshopper.com

CURRENT ADDRESS: 7141 N KEDZIE AVE APT 601, CHICAGO, IL [protected]

Employer: THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Booth school of Business - Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship.
Email : Edward.Weinhaus@chicagobooth.edu. Address : 5807 South Woodlawn Avenue

His custody battle with his ex wife Natalie Cohen:
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7342665/weinhaus-v-cohen
______________________________________________________________