The Anonymous Widower

Unwanted E-Mails From Respected Companies

When I sign up to buy something from a company on-line, I always make sure that the direct marketing links are checked or unchecked, so that I don’t get any marketing e-mails. I don’t know for certain, but I suspect that a good on-line marketing code, that might even be the law, states that you must be able to opt-out of any direct marketing. So I always do.

Obviously for my on-line banking and utility suppliers, I don’t opt out of receiving informational messages like my new bill is ready, but these are not direct marketing.

Recently, I got a promotional e-mail from a respected company that I use, where I knew that I’d set the marketing e-mails settings, so that I don’t get any.

I reported this to the company and they said it shouldn’t happen, especially as the offer was genuine.

On checking I found that the e-mail had not come to the e-mail address, I commonly use, but to an old one that I used to use a couple of years ago. I still monitor this address, as some of my old friends still use it and haven’t updated their e-mail address for me.

It then became obvious what had happened.  It had been sent by an e-mail marketing company and they were using a list, which contained my old e-mail address. I’m not sure how they obtained the e-mail, but I could have signed up with any number of companies several years ago and one of these didn’t have an acceptable non-pass on policy. Incidentally, I have checked and find that I still use the e-mail for a couple of subscriptions, so these companies may have sold on the the details.  I’m not going to name anybody here, as I can’t be sure how the marketing company obtained the e-mail address.

But this does show a very big dilemma for the marketing departments of respected companies.

If say you are doing a promotion and feel that because it may have popular appeal, you might want to give it to a marketing company, who have a list of e-mail addresses, that they have obtained legitimately.

But this list might contain the e-mail addresses of your current customers, who have signed up with you not to receive marketing e-mails. Some may find this unacceptable and may take their business elsewhere.

So how can you ensure that a marketing list used by a third party, does not contain old or unused e-mail addresses of your current customers.

To put it simply, you can’t!

The only way to ensure it, is not to employ a third party marketing company, that uses e-mail. After all, if you want to obtain new customers through the Internet, you can always use embedded web adverts in respected web sites, like newspapers and broadcasting companies.  I have bought quite a few products from this type of advert in the quality newspapers. But I would avoid using adverts that pop-up in a new web browser, when you access some of the tabloid web sites.  They just annoy.

After all, you get more business from an existing customer, who you don’t annoy!

One company I deal with is always sending me unwanted e-mails, despite settings to say they shouldn’t.  Unfortunately, I need to deal with them, but when I can find an alternative, I will cease my involvement with the company.

July 20, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | Computing, World | Advertising, E-Mail