Warning: Today I rant.
At the moment I am fuming
about a problem endemic in our connected society. At least I have found it an
ongoing, annoying issue. I do not know if others are faced with the same
dilemma. Although it is not a dangerous or costly concern, it is irritating, at
times maddening, and definitely frustrating.
So here goes:
Why is it so easy to subscribe to various websites
and receive a constant barrage of ads, news alerts, solicitations or whatever –
and so difficult to unsubscribe?
Theoretically by scrolling
down to the bottom of an email – first of
course locating a magnifying glass so the fine print can be discovered and
studied - there is a link to unsubscribe,
or maybe it says:
If you no longer want to receive emails
from this company, click here.
Clicking produces a screen
saying something like:
Verify that you no longer wish to receive
our valuable emails by checking the box below.
Sometimes a follow-up screen
wants to know why I no longer wish to receive this particular company’s
correspondence, or wonders if perhaps I would like to receive their valuable
materials less often (once a week? once a month? exclusive promotions only?
holiday products? sales announcements? midnight madness extravaganza offers? cyber Monday markdowns? new product news? Try NEVER).
So I click through, check off the boxes, and wait for my slew of emails to be reduced by
at least one.
Unfortunately too often
nothing happens. The steady barrage of emails from the
company continues unabated.
What could I have done wrong
that the company rejects my request?
Sometimes my user name and
password are requested. A lot of times I do not remember the information
because I used the site to buy an item once – probably months or even years ago. I have a lengthy password file, but occasionally
forget to add a new one. I use the same password for lots of websites – a
no-no, according to Internet security gurus – but at my age I forget too much
to fool around changing (and remembering) passwords all the time.
Occasionally I mark an email
as junk and hope future emails are immediately relegated to the junk or spam
folder. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
So what is the secret to
getting rid of unwanted on-going emails?
I am more careful nowadays about
giving retailers my email address, not wanting to be bombarded with ads and
tired of scrolling through the junk before arriving at one I actually want to
read.
Then there are the totally
unsolicited emails that magically appear in my inbox. They arrive and I wonder
– where the h*** did that company get my information? Probably purchased from
another retailer, or some company that now collects and sells the information.
Once again I waste my time attempting to get rid of the unwanted messages.
I guess I should feel good
that so many companies want my business. I am wanted. I am solicited. I am
sought out, petitioned, implored to read the correspondence and ACT NOW! I am
supposed to drop whatever I plan on doing, grab my credit card (or PayPal
information) and CLICK THIS BUTTON IMMEDIATELY!
I am afraid it is a losing
battle.
So here is my plan. I am
going to set up a new email account and begin giving it to retailers and those
annoying websites demanding that YOU CANNOT PROCEED FURTHER WITHOUT GIVING
US YOUR EMAIL NOW.
I will never have to actually scan through the emails. I will know, even if it says there are 25 - 50 - 100 or more emails,
that every single one of them belongs in the round – a.k.a. discard - file.
There is another possible
solution. I can give my email address and, by mistake, key one or two incorrect
characters. Of course that is not an honest thing to do, so I will open that
other email account…
Soon – maybe a month, a
year, a decade from now – my ‘real’ email account will be devoid of advertisements
and solicitations.
But then I wonder –
will I get any emails at all?
Will anyone out there not
wanting me to buy something want to correspond with me?
Time will tell.
I know what you mean. Years ago I spent months trying to unsubscribe from dozens of pesty emailers, but very little happened. It's generally a bit better now because those links are a little easier to find and a few businesses actually honor them. Also, when I buy anything online now I remember to UNclick the line that says "Please send me news about all your great products," etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I now use Google's gmail, which sorts incoming mail into three categories: a main one that I see first, plus Social (notices from all social media) and Promotions (from businesses etc.). Periodically I check promotions because there's a message I actually need, but then I can tell it to give me email from that address in the priority window.
It feels a little less overwhelming, at least. But I'd say don't worry. There will always be somebody who wants you, and your business, enough to figure out a way to reach you!
I use the same system as Blissed Out Grandma. Most of the time I mark and trash can all the promotions and most of the social (because i am going to see them elsewhere anyway).
ReplyDeleteI share your frustration. This is a pet peeve of mine and I hate it! I get too many emails as it is and I hate being inundated with this spam. Grrl!
ReplyDeleteI get quite a few emails from places like Best Buy and Crocs, because I buy from them. I am almost ashamed to admit that I enjoy looking through them for things I might want. I am the reason everyone else gets inundated! Sorry... :-)
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. But for us, unsubscribing to the catalogs that come in the mail is even more difficult. I think we're gonna have to move!
ReplyDelete