Mobile App Auto Email Opt-In

I met up with a long-time friend in Los Angeles who told me about this new dating site called "Coffee Meets Bagel". An interesting enough name that got me hooked. However, as a marketer, after being on the site for less than an hour, I found that I couldn't unsubscribe nor delete my account. And, because I have so much fictitious info on Facebook, much of what is displayed on the CMB profile is inaccurate to say the least and there are aspects of the CMB profile that you can't edit, like your age. Apparently I have a bachelor's degree from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, according to my CMB profile.

What caught my attention on their privacy page was this statement: "...we reserve the right to send you certain communications relating to Coffee Meets Bagel such as service announcements, security alerts, update notices, or other administrative messages) without affording you the opportunity to opt out of receiving such communications." 

Oh really. Plenty of startups have burned on such flagrant disregard for privacy standards.

If I delete the smartphone app, would that in turn really delete all my info on their server; or would they continue to use my info to hook other people into the system?

From the app's web and iPhone interface, it doesn't look like I can delete my account at all. How to do this is not apparent. I had to look at the intro email and it's not terribly obvious. It's in the mice print section of the email where one normally unsubscribes. But, before you opt for permanent deactivation, be sure to unsubscribe yourself from everything you've been already subscribed to. Because heck, there isn't anything more annoying that receiving email from a deleted account. 

One thing comes to mind when it asks for my mobile number as a means of tracking, I mean matching, my profile to a potential bagel: lead generation. Nothing nefarious here. But it has the makings of bait and switch written all over it.

LinkedIn and User Privacy

Perhaps you were among the 100 million users who got automatically opted into LinkedIn's ad network, or perhaps you read about it through some social media site. Not terribly interested in having your demographics used within ad targeting? Here's how to opt-out:

1. Click on your name on your LinkedIn homepage (upper right corner). On the drop-down menu, select "Settings"
2. From the “Settings” page, select “Account”
3. In the column next to “Account”, click “Manage Social Advertising”
4. Un-check the box next to “LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising”

You could also turn on/off Enhanced Advertising, Partner InMail, data sharing with 3rd party applications, invitations to participate in research, and LinkedIn announcements.

I'm a bit surprised that LinkedIn didn't have any Home dashboard messaging about the mass opt-in change to user settings. At least users have the ability to opt in and out when they want to. Options are always good. We make better decisions when presented with many options instead of few or none.

Sears Rewards Program #FAIL

Thanks a lot Sears, I really didn't need to be spammed by all your eCommerce entities all at once. Sears is typically where I go to get tools and appliances for the home; although, in today's age, Home Depot wins out on in-store price comparisons and Lowes wins on customer service; at least in southwest Washington anyways. The customer experience is probably different where you live. Regardless, this post reflects upon the poor execution of what could have been a good retention marketing campaign by the Sears rewards program.

Update and clarifications - Email CAN-SPAM

Here's a cheer for all the consumers out there. *Yay!* Finally, it seems that someone has been reading all the FTC complaints and companies will have to comply if they are to stay compliant with these new proposed operating rules with regard to how a customer unsubscribes from a list. I'm sure at least one of these scenarios has happened to you when you tried to subscribe from that bacn list.

The new rule provisions address four topics:

(1) an e-mail recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her e-mail address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply e-mail message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future e-mail from a sender;

(2) the definition of “sender” was modified to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single e-mail message is responsible for complying with the Act’s opt-out requirements;

(3) a “sender” of commercial e-mail can include an accurately-registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act’s requirement that a commercial e-mail display a “valid physical postal address”; and

(4) a definition of the term “person” was added to clarify that CAN-SPAM’s obligations are not limited to natural persons.

More details - http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/05/canspam.shtm