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complaints
Can Dell Stop Itself From Sending Me Catalogs?
Dell, for the love of God, stop sending me catalogs! They are annoying and unwanted, not to mention, useless. If I want to buy something from you, I'll go online. I've filled out your online forms asking you to stop. I've asked over the phone. Three different Dell executives have been in email contact with me pledging that they would investigate the mystery of why Dell is addicted to sending me catalogs. I've burnt them. I've recycled them. They continue to arrive. In my previous post on this, someone mentioned they got Dell to stop after filing a BBB complaint. Here's where you go to make one online. I just filed one, my first ever BBB complaint (Dell, see what you made me do?). It took less than 5 minutes.
UPDATE: After drafting this post, I re-emailed the Dell execs who said they would help me. One of them wrote back to say that these May catalogs are the last I will get. He says that I spoke with him back in March, they had already missed the May cuttoff because they process the files far in advance. We'll see what the mailman brings next month.
guerilla marketing
Top 5 Guerilla Marketing Mishaps
In the never-ending quest for free publicity, guerilla marketers have gone through great lengths to try to make a big splash. Many guerilla marketers will often concoct stunts that are risky or illegal to grab the publics' attention. Some stunts go over better than others while a few completely backfire. As a tribute to these foolhardy souls, WebUrbanist has put together their top 5 mishaps in guerilla marketing. The list, inside... More »
marketing
Chrysler: Want $2.99 Gas For 3 Years? Guaranteed?
Chrysler is betting that you're worried about volatile gas prices. So worried, in fact, that you'll leap at the opportunity to "lock in" a price of less than $2.99 a gallon for 3 years by buying a new Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep. More »
junk mail
If You Love Junk Mail, Visit The Direct Marketing Association's Advocacy Website "MailMovesAmerica.org"
Did you know that "advertising mail is under threat?" It's true! But what can you, the consumer who loves junk mail, do to stop the 15 states that, in 2007, "proposed the creation of state Do Not Mail registries, similar to the national do not call registry"? The Direct Marketing Association has set up a website just for you! More »
controversy
Beer T-shirts For Teenage Girls Bad For America?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has its knickers in a twist over Forever 21 selling "beer shirts," because the clothing retailer is "popular with teenage girls." More »
living green
My first thought when I saw spotted this ad for "360 Vodka : The World's First Eco-Luxury Vodka" was "what the heck is this bullsh*t?" So I took a picture and went online to find out what makes it so good for the environment. For one thing, their website proclaims that their printers and fax machines have been configured print double-sided. Wowie zowie! They say they do lots of other stuff, like use locally grown grains, have a distillery that uses 200% less energy than pot distillers, and the bottle is 85% recycled glass. So that's cool, but I think I'll be sticking with my Smirnoff's triple-distilled for about $10 less (affixed to Vodka360's 100% recycled box is a pricetag for about $31). Have you tried it? Does it taste luxurious, or recycled?
What Makes Vodka360 An "Eco-Luxury" Vodka?
My first thought when I saw spotted this ad for "360 Vodka : The World's First Eco-Luxury Vodka" was "what the heck is this bullsh*t?" So I took a picture and went online to find out what makes it so good for the environment. For one thing, their website proclaims that their printers and fax machines have been configured print double-sided. Wowie zowie! They say they do lots of other stuff, like use locally grown grains, have a distillery that uses 200% less energy than pot distillers, and the bottle is 85% recycled glass. So that's cool, but I think I'll be sticking with my Smirnoff's triple-distilled for about $10 less (affixed to Vodka360's 100% recycled box is a pricetag for about $31). Have you tried it? Does it taste luxurious, or recycled?
advertising
Free "You Don't Need It" Stickers
Receive these beautiful stickers by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Steve Lambert/Anti-Advertising Agency
c/o Eyebeam OpenLab
540 W.21st ST.
New York, NY 10011
You Don't Need It - Stickers [Anti-Advertising Agency via Don't Believe The Hypebeast]
complaints
Dell Celebrates Earth Day By Sending Me Junk Mail After I Said Stop
Despite my repeated requests via online form and phone, and even a few posts about it, including one where I made a photo spread of burning the offending items, Dell keeps sending me catalogs. So here is another post for the online pillory, but, in celebration of Earth Day, instead of burning these catalogs, I have recycled them (see above). Their inability/indifference is all the more stupid because two different Dell execs contacted me to say they would look into the issue. They even had me email them the cryptograms on my address label to help remove me from their mailing system. Dell, please, help me save the planet and take me off your stupid catalog lists. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to deem your material "pornographic" (hey, I know it when I see it, right?) and use USPS form 1500 to get you stop. When you decided to get people to lust after your XPS line, that probably isn't what you had in mind.
PREVIOUSLY: Dell Won't Stop Sending Me Catalogs So I'm Burning Them
leaks
These internal Verizon emails, sent by the same insider and as a a followup to "LEAKS: Insider Says Verizon Isn't Fulfilling Advertised Discounts For Tens Of Thousands," shows why some of our readers have complained about Verizon offering them one price and billing them another, and then being inflexible in offering service credits. It appears to show that Verizon mailed out a half a million "Blitz" promotional rate cards, then decided it was an error and pulled the offer from the computers. Then Verizon let people get the advertised offers, but only if the customer specifically asked for it. Around the same time, on March 3rd, management cuts the discounts reps can give to $150. Two weeks later, it's $50. Two weeks after that, it's zero. Even if a customer was overbilled and legitimately deserved a credit, tough titties, Texas, you weren't going to get it. Verizon insider's explanation, rebuttal to the response by Verizon PR pointman John Bonomo, and the internal emails, inside...
More »
Internal Documents Show Why Verizon Isn't Fulfilling Advertised Discounts For Tens Of Thousands
These internal Verizon emails, sent by the same insider and as a a followup to "LEAKS: Insider Says Verizon Isn't Fulfilling Advertised Discounts For Tens Of Thousands," shows why some of our readers have complained about Verizon offering them one price and billing them another, and then being inflexible in offering service credits. It appears to show that Verizon mailed out a half a million "Blitz" promotional rate cards, then decided it was an error and pulled the offer from the computers. Then Verizon let people get the advertised offers, but only if the customer specifically asked for it. Around the same time, on March 3rd, management cuts the discounts reps can give to $150. Two weeks later, it's $50. Two weeks after that, it's zero. Even if a customer was overbilled and legitimately deserved a credit, tough titties, Texas, you weren't going to get it. Verizon insider's explanation, rebuttal to the response by Verizon PR pointman John Bonomo, and the internal emails, inside...
More »
Is "plum" poised to supplant pink as the new black? This NYT article, full of quotes from people who shovel bullshit for a living, seems to think so. [NYT]
privacy
Should The Government Set Up A "Do-Not-Track" List?
One of the most popular sentiments expressed by readers on our blog is "be a smart consumer." Now two privacy advocacy organizations are calling for the creation of a "do-not-track" list that would protect registered users from online data collection. They argue that a list is needed because too many consumers won't or can't understand the methods behind online tracking. To illustrate, one of the organizations "pointed to a 2005 University of Pennsylvania survey in which only 25 percent of respondents knew that a Web site having a privacy policy doesn't guarantee that the site refrains from sharing customers' information with companies." But a do-not-track list is overkill, and a fearful reaction against emerging technologies. More »
ads
Location-Based Cell Phone Ads Launching Soon
PC World has an overview of Loopt, which will begin testing location-based advertising via CBS Mobile in the near future. What's notable about the service—aside from the fun concept of triangulating location via cell towers—is that Loopt and CBS Mobile "seem to have made most of the right choices for privacy." That includes the service being opt-in instead of opt-out, and no personal data (such as account info or phone number) being sent back upstream. The targeted ads replace existing ads as well, so there's not a location-based spammy increase in advertising with the service. This is the kind of advertising we "like"—localized, relevant, and anonymous on our side of things. More »
spam
Conde Nast Will Never Stop Emailing You. Never. Stop Asking.
Condé Nast marketing department, are you on crack? Have you put some trinket from "The Hills" in charge of your mail server? Justin has emailed you repeatedly to tell you to stop spamming him. His marketing preferences on your site show a vast field of "No" for every single title on your list. And yet he's received 16 emails since his last request—almost three a month. You should know better—or, as Justin puts it, "This isn't some Nigerian guy trying to make my penis larger or send me money, this is a company here, in the United States, that I know should be held accountable." More »
catalogs
Can The "Sears Catalog" Save Sears?
When Sears chairman, Eddie Lampert, took over Kmart, he was determined to revive the long dead "blue light special." Excited about bringing back the old favorite, Lampert's chief marketing officer called the new campaign a "marketplace of discoveries." More »
telemarketing
Cablevision Tries To Sell You Phone Service During Funeral
Cablevision tried to telemarket Greg Scoblete phone service during a funeral:
Two days ago I attended a wake. During the wake my cellphone rang...I couldn't answer the first call, but shortly thereafter it rang again. "Must be important," I thought, ducking out of the room.Congratulations, Cablevision, you've taken the definition of shameless marketing to a whole new level.
It turned out to be a Cablevision telemarketer trying to rope me into the triple play. Fair enough. I told the rep that I wasn't interested in the triple play and in any event, I was at a wake.
"I understand that," he said, "but I'll have you off the phone in five minutes saving money on your long-distance bills."
(Photo: Getty)
sex sells
Spirit Airlines, holding a "Threesome Sale", is apparently desperate for attention and I guess we'll just have to give it to them. In this sale, members of the $9 Club get fares from $3 each way, seat upgrades for $3, and $33 for 33 hours. This comes on the heels of their last titillatingly titled marketing push, the "M.I.L.F sale," which simply meant "Many Islands Low Fares," and in no way, shape, or form, referenced American Pie. Now, before you get all outraged, remember that this is called "targeted marketing." If you're buying tickets for $3, classiness is probably not the first thing on your mind. I can't wait for their next sale. I hear their marketing teams is busy coming up with clever acrostics for "gangbang."
Spirit Airlines Hold "Threesome Sale"
Spirit Airlines, holding a "Threesome Sale", is apparently desperate for attention and I guess we'll just have to give it to them. In this sale, members of the $9 Club get fares from $3 each way, seat upgrades for $3, and $33 for 33 hours. This comes on the heels of their last titillatingly titled marketing push, the "M.I.L.F sale," which simply meant "Many Islands Low Fares," and in no way, shape, or form, referenced American Pie. Now, before you get all outraged, remember that this is called "targeted marketing." If you're buying tickets for $3, classiness is probably not the first thing on your mind. I can't wait for their next sale. I hear their marketing teams is busy coming up with clever acrostics for "gangbang."
