| Author |
Message |
    
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3785
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 1:34 pm: |     |
I'm a pretty open kind of person. According to some, too open, in fact. And I'm not really bothered by internet tracking of my shopping habits, although I don't make a point of giving out my demographic info and usually opt-out of e-mail lists. Hey - consumer tracking is the way of the world.
But, this just irked me for some reason:
I purchased some -ahem- female items on my company's e-store. I get great discounts & it's one of the best perks of the job. But, I just received an e-mail thanking me for my -ahem- purchase, and reminding me to come back in about 28 days when I may need more.
I realize that even sharing this story may be too much information for a public website (if you really think so, see my first sentence). But, I have to say that it just doesn't seem right that my employer, no matter how far removed, should be sending me e-mails related in any way, shape or form to, well, uh, you know. I mean, aren't we all supposed to pretend that it doesn't happen?
Unless, of course, we need chocolate......
|
Mayor McCheese
Citizen
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 132
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 1:43 pm: | |
Usually web sites will have a box that you can check during your purchase checkout if you don't want to recieve any emails for them. Was this option offered? |
gj1
Citizen
Username: Gj1
Post Number: 115
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 3:32 pm: | |
In a previous job I worked building websites for P&G femcare. They had similar emails and additionally they were working on a program where you would automatically get a personalized pack every -ahem- 28 days.
Of course these were public sites. Is the site you mentioned only for employees? If so that data does seem a little too personal for your employer to be collecting.
BTW, the creative meetings were a riot! |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5299
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 4:21 pm: | |
I guess I don't understand your complaint. You don't want to be reminded of how often you need to use the product? If they sent you a reminder every 35 or 42 days, would that make it totally different? |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 196
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 4:24 pm: | |
 from the perspective of post-menopause (granted it's a little creepy having your workplace privy to this, even if only electronically)
Greenetree, how do you manage to make things so entertaining? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3788
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 4:41 pm: | |
Oh, Tom. Only a man would question whether or not a woman needs to be reminded..... 
MJ - Thank you. It's a gift. And it keeps me from slapping the •••• out of some of the people I work with. |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 504
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 5:01 pm: | |
You do know it's all automatic, a purchase for a certain -ahem- item, will just drop your email addy into the right database's as a user of that -ahem- item, then when the right parameter has occured, a 28 day countdown for this -ahem- item, an email is sent automatically to all addresses associated with said -ahem- item.
I doubt if any real person has even seen this list of purchasers for the -ahem- item, unless of course maybe your employer likes to keep track of these things for some odd reason.
 |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 5126
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 5:22 pm: | |
Consumer databases will soon include samples of your writing; ad pitches in the future may sound a bit familiar to you (use your terminology, slang, etc.). |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1314
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 7:58 am: | |
At least it isn't embarrassing for YOUR spouse to have to buy said products for you. |
bmpsab
Citizen
Username: Bmpsab
Post Number: 108
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 10:32 am: | |
Along those lines: http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf |
Mark Fuhrman
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 1225
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 8:45 am: | |
At my place of employment, they are less subtle. When I was really grouchy last week, my boss walked in, handed me a bunch of Viagra, and told me to get it out of my system. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 679
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 8:55 am: | |
Where they HIS Viagra? |
Carrie Avery
Citizen
Username: Carrie33
Post Number: 41
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 4:42 pm: | |
Does it matter? Aren't they all the same? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3810
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 4:51 pm: | |
Mark - did you ask him if he was making a pass?  That might be my first thought if someone offered me "take as needed" therapy.
Wendy - that reminds me (leave it to me to drift on my own thread....)
A few years back, TS and I were at Costco & they had a great bargain on women's undies: 6-packs for $10 or something like that. So, as we are standing there looking for sizes and colors, we hear giggling behind us. "Look! Panties"! Glancing around, I expected to see a couple of 12 year old boys. But, no, these were grown men. Young ones, to be sure, but old enough (one would think) to maybe even be married.
The next workday, the only other female in my workplace and I were sitting in the conference room, waiting for a meeting to start. As a couple of the guys drifted in (all in their 30s), I was telling the other woman about the "Pany Incident". The guys were all immediately sympathetic to the gigglers. She & I were stunned. It's only underwear! we cried. Yeah, but, it's well, women's underwear, said they. We'd giggle too. Then, our boss, a manly-man (so he liked to think), ex-Marine, jock etc. walked in. We asked him his opinion of the shock value of cotton panty 6-packs in public. No Problem! he boomed. I have 3 daughters and a wife. I even buy tampax!
Weirdest bunch I ever worked with. |
Mark Fuhrman
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 1231
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 5:00 pm: | |
Greenie: I would need to take a whole handful of Viagra (and quite a few shots of tequila) to follow-through! He ain't my type. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page