SOUND ON SOUND

[ef37a]

Just read from "How to Geek" about getting rid of our details stored in myriad accounts around the world. Looks like a good idea and I shall probably have a crack at it sometime although it looks like quite a piece of work!

The problem however IMHO is with the companies that want you to setup an account even for your first and possibly only purchase. Some even 'sort of' insist or hint strongly that " this will enable us to give our very best service" Well bugger you! I just want one 100g reel of solder and I am not likely to need another one for five years!

When I go into Sainsburys to spend maybe a nifty on some groceries I am not ask to fill in a form with my DOB and other details. Why do 'they' want them for a probable one off purchase online?

Dave.

[blinddrew]

Why do 'they' want them for a probable one off purchase online?

You know the answer to this. They're hoping you'll forget to tick the 'opt out of marketing' box* and then they can add you to their spam list.
Er, I mean 'targeted advertising' list.


* Actually GDPR mandates opt-in only but hey ho, doesn't seem to have reached some companies and obviously doesn't apply to others.

[Luke W]

* Actually GDPR mandates opt-in only but hey ho, doesn't seem to have reached some companies and obviously doesn't apply to others.

I've noticed more and more tickboxes being that way around recently, so it looks like it's getting there slowly.

I'm sure there are some broken "Unsubscribe" methods around as well, I'm almost certain there are companies I've tried more than once to stop emails from.

[blinddrew]

I'm sure there are some broken "Unsubscribe" methods around as well, I'm almost certain there are companies I've tried more than once to stop emails from.

A common trick here is for the subscribe option to be for company A PLUS all it's subsidiaries and owning companies but the unsubscribe option just to apply to one of them.
E.g. if you subscribed to AKG, you'd automatically be subscribed to Harman and every one of their subsidiaries. But when you got a message and tried to unsubscribe from JBL say, it would only unsubscribe you from the JBL list. Likewise you might find that you were subscribed to AKG Europe, AKG UK, AKG USA and each would also require a separate unsubscribe.

NB I'm just using Harman as an example here, I don't think they actually do this!

[Luke W]

Ahhh, I hadn't though of that. Makes a lot of sense, and might explain why I seem to get emails from companies I don't remember buying from or signing up to emails from at all. Of course my not remembering something I've done may play into it as well, it has been known.

[zenguitar]

It makes sense and does explain some emails I receive.

I tend to ignore and delete these emails. If they are from an associate company of a company I did opt in with in the past, then unsubscribing would be a good idea. However, if they are spam emails, clicking on the unsubscribe link only confirms the address is active and in use And that risks being targeted potentially by malicious players.

Andy

[James Perrett]

When I go into Sainsburys to spend maybe a nifty on some groceries I am not ask to fill in a form with my DOB and other details. Why do 'they' want them for a probable one off purchase online?

I'm surprised they've not asked - they used to push their Nectar points scheme pretty hard (which is the same thing).

[Watchmaker]

Not to mention that those who click "unsubscribe" links appear on other lists that escape any regulation.

I'll just grab my coat.

[wireman]

The problem however IMHO is with the companies that want you to setup an account even for your first and possibly only purchase. Some even 'sort of' insist or hint strongly that " this will enable us to give our very best service" Well bugger you! I just want one 100g reel of solder and I am not likely to need another one for five years!
.

I tend to go for Guest or Ebay checkout to avoid this.

What annoys me more is if they send your details to third party review sites, surely this should be illegal, one company wrote back to me to argue this was perfectly acceptable.

[blinddrew]

Depends where you are, where they are, and what you signed up to.

[adrian_k]

If it’s a retailer that I have no interest in having an account with I just use a disposable email address, let Firefox choose a random password, then delete the email address once I have the goods. If I want to by something else from them I just do the same again.

Yes I know it’s a bit of extra work but there’s no chance if someone hacks the retailer they can get any useful data.