I’m having a battle with my email. One of my 2009 resolutions is to pare down the amount of shouting shopping emails that sneak into my inbox. You know the ones: 70% off sale through this email offer only! Newest arrivals – first peek in this email! Keep your new years resolution! Lose more weight with this email!
Every day I “unsubscribe” to one. It’s interesting how each company handles the UNSUBSCRIBE process. Some are incredulous, “what do you mean you want to unsubscribe? Are you sure? Are you really sure? Really, really sure?” Some are stubborn to stay, “Can you tell us why you want to unsubscribe?” I almost expect them to say ‘Give us your excuse and make it a good one. If we don’t buy it we’ll continue to send you crap.’ Others make you work for the unsubscription: fill out this form, reconfirm your name and email address, give us your first born. Some sound pitiful by claiming it will take weeks to get off the mailing list. They apologzie for the emails that might continue “in the interim” but, rest assured, they are working to save your profile changes. The threatening ones are the best, “You will no longer receive announcements from —. You will miss out on great savings opportunities!” I almost expect them to add a shrug and sniff and add, “your loss!”
Today I received a new reaction to my unsubscribe request. All I had to do was click ‘unsubscribe’ and I was done. Deceivingly simple and painless. No incredulous attitiude. No forms to fill out. No apologizing or threatening. One click and supposedly I was off the list…Too good to be true. This company just had to have the last word. They not only sent a follow up email saying “your request will not be fulfilled until you reply to this email, but they also sent a confirmation that my request had been received. Are you keeping track? In the process of trying to get rid of one email they sent a total of three. And here’s the kicker – I still don’t know if I sucessfully unsubscribed!
The Last Word
~*LunaSea*~ 
i’ve always been told to never click that little “unsubscribe” button. especially if you never subscribed. once you click, they know you exist. email confirmed. you are now a sitting duck.
i have two email addresses ~ well really there are four or five ~ but two primary. the one the people have. the one the computers have. magazine subsciptions and store receipts. online forms and bank options. they all go there. you all go here.
xoxo
This is actually an experiment. The email account I am trying this with is my junk-only account. Not counting the four social network pages where “messages” can be left I have no less than 7 different accounts. Two for work, two for family/friends, one for kisa, one professional, two for junk and one “way private” that I almost never give out…oh wait. That’s definitely more than 7! LOL
The experiment is to see how successful opt-out really is. I discovered a new way “they” deal with unsubscribing today – break the hot link so your request goes…nowhere! Brilliant!