Adorama's Excessive Intrusion

I've sent this to our Marketing team for review to help improve on customers' experience in the future.

Hi Nancy, Does Adorama in fact send unsolicited emails? ( I have also experienced the same as eric from many vendors i have visited online, a turn off imo) ... If so is there any real possibility that a fine store (in my experience) like Adorama would change their policy since the programming is available?

I'm one of the least modern, though not Luddite, old people around I'm certain. And rarely feel much more than disgust for what passes in much of modern culture as acceptable. All twaddle and substitutes for real value. But today Adorama exceeded it all for intrusive creepy cyber stalking. . . [etc]

and

Hi,

I was sorry to see your feedback on the experience from our website. . . [etc]

Nancy Miller

Adorama CS Ambassador

It occurs to me the probable logical chain of events was 'ericphelps' initially supplied an email address to Adorama and also agreed to Adorama contacting that email address; then 'ericphelps' got upset when Adorama did.

Which begs the questions:

1. Did 'ericphelps' firstly contact Adorama and air his concerns to them – or did he make the choice to only vent here?

2. If the answer to question 1 is "Did not contact Adorama, chose to vent here", then what were the reasons for that choice?

It seems thus far, those answers are not disclosed and those answers go to the point: if one wants a resolution to an issue or an apology for an action - then surely is it not the best course of action, to initially go to the source?

WW

There are ways to foil tracking cookies like doubleclick, including using a VPN. However when you log into a website like Adorama (Amazon, B&H, or anything Google), all bets are off. People tend to buy things related to what they've purchased before or simply looked at. Directed advertising is much more effective than "junk" email, broadcast at random.

I get a lot of hits from B&H, some of which I find useful. Not so much from Adorama, which has a website I find less friendly, and their inventory status unreliable.

You have the option of "opting out" of advertising, which may have the effect of marking you as an active listener, bringing on even more concerted advertising. Google "assumes" using any of their services, including gmail, constitutes consent to all of their tracking and ads. Ad-blocking services often sell your name to advertisers, which are then allowed to bypass their blocks.

The best solution is probably to ignore and delete.

Creepy!

 

Reading point 6 of Adorama's privacy policy, it seems to me that linking website analytics to personal information (e-mail address) is not their policy. Might be worth complaining and seeing how they react. By the sound of it, E-marketing is something they've outsourced.

 

Mike

Thanks Mike, and there's likely the answer, they might not have control or awareness of what the contractor is doing.

and

 

 

 

It occurs to me the probable logical chain of events was 'ericphelps' initially supplied an email address to Adorama and also agreed to Adorama contacting that email address; then 'ericphelps' got upset when Adorama did.

 

Which begs the questions:

 

1. Did 'ericphelps' firstly contact Adorama and air his concerns to them – or did he make the choice to only vent here?

2. If the answer to question 1 is "Did not contact Adorama, chose to vent here", then what were the reasons for that choice?

 

It seems thus far, those answers are not disclosed and those answers go to the point: if one wants a resolution to an issue or an apology for an action - then surely is it not the best course of action, to initially go to the source?

 

WW

WW, no need to 'beg' the question, I'll answer it handily. No I didn't contact Adorama before posting the experience here knowing full well that the company wouldn't change a successful marketing tool based on the complaint of one customer. Perhaps you can share some of the quick turn-around changes you've elicited from companies after complaining?

Most of my experiences with online companies are positive, but when complaints are made the response usually mirrors the weak tea offered by Adorama's representative post above.

Yes, I have bought from them and of course supplied my email address for purchase, but the point of my complaint is that they should not intercept an anonymous 'check-out click' generated by Google and then follow it up with 2 emails encouraging me to buy now!

As I said in my initial post, this was my first experience with this type of intrusive 'we've got you' marketing, and it's detestable. I've deleted their 'cookies', and spammed their email address, and there are many alternatives for photo equipment available. Perhaps 75% of my purchases are online and successful for many years yet even Amazon hasn't intruded in this manner.

I'm wasn't fishing for an apology WW, I'm actually very grown up, and know that the best course is to simply avoid companies that don't do business in that manner.

I got today e-mail from Amazon about carbon monoxide detectors.

 

I looked them up about two years ago, then bought one from Home Depot.

Why they e-mail now, I have no idea.

Because it costs them virtually nothing, and there is always the chance you might respond to one of their emails. Years ago, I bought a car from a local dealership. I still get a card every Christmas (going on 20 years or more now) from the salesman I bought the car from. While I have yet to go to him again (because I buy a different make of car now), there's always the chance he might get another sale from me. When I coached my son's baseball team years ago, one of the other kid's parents was a developer. I'd get occasional emails from him for years (well after the kids were no longer playing ball) advertising houses he'd built, and always wondered why he bothered since I had no intention of ever moving. Circumstances changed one year, and lo and behold, I ended up buying a house from him. Whatever he spent sending me emails (which had to be virtually nothing) was made up for many times in the profit he made from me buying a house from him.

'ericphelps'

Thank you for answering the questions.

I think the phraseology of my comments irritated you: that certainly was NOT intended.

***

So ... in precis:

1. anticipated any complaint to Adorama wouldn't produce any change.

2. complained here (guessing, but seems implied) to alert others of this practice and also to vent a bit - it seems that you were annoyed.

3. (guessing but seems implied) you'll avoid buying from Adorama, because of this upset.

If the above is in the ballpark of correct, then, knowing point three is a bit of an assumption, I think that point three is actually a silly course of action.

You've mentioned that dumped their cookies and emails: so it seems that you've nuked the cause of your irritatation and any future irritations if you have an on line look at Adorama's offers.

Prima facie, point 3 seems like a case of cutting off the nose to spite the face. For example, sometime in the future Adorama might have a ripper deal that just suits your needs . . . if it were a no go zone, based on this upset, which seems 'fixed' at your end, I think that would be not a 'grown up' choice at all.

WW

***

BTW I think this sentence has a typo in it. I think that the word 'don't' should not be there?

If that is a typo, then I can correct it for you.

"I'm wasn't fishing for an apology WW, I'm actually very grown up, and know that the best course is to simply avoid companies that don't do business in that manner."

need to 'beg' the question

The expression "Beg the question" means to give an answer before a question is posed, a solution without a problem. It does not mean, as in newscaster parlance, to demand an answer.

My God.

The hardships of Life.

I’m beginning to think the younger generation is right about the Boomers.

Spoiled rotten.

Hi Nancy, Does Adorama in fact send unsolicited emails? ( I have also experienced the same as eric from many vendors i have visited online, a turn off imo) ... If so is there any real possibility that a fine store (in my experience) like Adorama would change their policy since the programming is available?

What I've found from previous complaints I've received is that you may have signed up your email address to receive these emails in the past. Due to the advancing techology in these marketing emails, once you visit the website and it recognizes your email, through cookies (like if you're signed in to Chrome) then you may receive a marketing email if you have not opted to stop receiving these. If you want to be removed from the email list, I can send a request to our IT team on your behalf. You can send me a direct email to nancym@adorama.com

WW, no need to 'beg' the question, I'll answer it handily. No I didn't contact Adorama before posting the experience here knowing full well that the company wouldn't change a successful marketing tool based on the complaint of one customer. Perhaps you can share some of the quick turn-around changes you've elicited from companies after complaining?

 

Most of my experiences with online companies are positive, but when complaints are made the response usually mirrors the weak tea offered by Adorama's representative post above.

 

Yes, I have bought from them and of course supplied my email address for purchase, but the point of my complaint is that they should not intercept an anonymous 'check-out click' generated by Google and then follow it up with 2 emails encouraging me to buy now!

 

As I said in my initial post, this was my first experience with this type of intrusive 'we've got you' marketing, and it's detestable. I've deleted their 'cookies', and spammed their email address, and there are many alternatives for photo equipment available. Perhaps 75% of my purchases are online and successful for many years yet even Amazon hasn't intruded in this manner.

 

I'm wasn't fishing for an apology WW, I'm actually very grown up, and know that the best course is to simply avoid companies that don't do business in that manner.

If you're still receiving emails please let me know and I can request for you to be manually removed from our email list. You can email me directly at nancym@adorama.com

Hi @nancymiller, I just want to compliment you on your immediate, proactive and personal service as Adorama ambassador. In a previous life, I used to be a customer service quality manager. Your involvement in this thread is IMHO a wonderful (positive) example. For me personally, the way you've reacted here reflects very positively on you personally and on Adorama. I like the way you explained how the e-mail arrived and how to prevent these in the future. Without any bla-bla about Adorama policy, procedures, technicalities, etc. TBH, after your first post I googled you and I read some of your activities on other channels. I think that it's a credit to Adorama to have ambassadors that quickly react, truly listen to and help customers and don't just simply do 'damage limitation' to the brand.

Mike

If you're still receiving emails please let me know and I can request for you to be manually removed from our email list. You can email me directly at nancym@adorama.com

Gentlepersons:

You think that is intrusive.....

I started getting ads for a turquoise pocket Bible, what???

My very devout Christian friend had visited us in Montana and left behind his constant companion, a turquoise pocket Bible. He returned to California and I traveled to Florida. He died. I wanted to return the Bible at the funeral and texted a neighbor to look for the item so she could send it to me.

That same day I started getting turquoise pocket Bible ads pop up while I looked at several on-line sites. By the next morning my e-mail box was full of spam for a turquoise pocket Bible. My wife also started getting ads (both of our phones are billed on the same account). The only time I had ever used that term was in the one text message.

The patent holder of the keystroke program most smart phones use retained the right to log every keystroke (and sell the information).

Go figure,

A T Burke

Gentlepersons:

 

 

You think that is intrusive.....

 

 

I started getting ads for a turquoise pocket Bible, what???

 

 

My very devout Christian friend had visited us in Montana and left behind his constant companion, a turquoise pocket Bible. He returned to California and I traveled to Florida. He died. I wanted to return the Bible at the funeral and texted a neighbor to look for the item so she could send it to me.

 

 

That same day I started getting turquoise pocket Bible ads pop up while I looked at several on-line sites. By the next morning my e-mail box was full of spam for a turquoise pocket Bible. My wife also started getting ads (both of our phones are billed on the same account). The only time I had ever used that term was in the one text message.

 

 

The patent holder of the keystroke program most smart phones use retained the right to log every keystroke (and sell the information).

 

 

Go figure,

 

 

A T Burke

You should've texted about Viagra. You'd be a very popular guy about now!

In all seriousness, though, sorry for your loss.

Thank you, Mr Stevens...

It is not something that is likely to repeat itself much in the future. At my age most everyone is gone.I'm probably the last survivor for most things in my life. That could be good, that could be bad.

About 15 years ago Viagra spam was in its heyday. I got my share. Also, there were ads for a 'male enhancer". I got a lot of them and wondered how all those advertisers had seen me in the gym shower and would know I needed it????

A T Burke

Hi @nancymiller, I just want to compliment you on your immediate, proactive and personal service as Adorama ambassador. In a previous life, I used to be a customer service quality manager. Your involvement in this thread is IMHO a wonderful (positive) example. For me personally, the way you've reacted here reflects very positively on you personally and on Adorama. I like the way you explained how the e-mail arrived and how to prevent these in the future. Without any bla-bla about Adorama policy, procedures, technicalities, etc. TBH, after your first post I googled you and I read some of your activities on other channels. I think that it's a credit to Adorama to have ambassadors that quickly react, truly listen to and help customers and don't just simply do 'damage limitation' to the brand.

 

Mike

Thank you, Mike. Customers are important to us and I only try to make sure that the higher ups hear what they have to say. Also, I'm not tech savvy as well so I'd like things explained in words I understand.

Hio @nancymiller

I don't want to extend this conversation unnecessarily, but I'd just like to add one point

That you that let the 'higher up' know what customers say/feel on-line and on social media is valuable. And, I think, a credit to Adorama (and other companies that take the trouble to do something similar)

One more point:

FWIW, I think your role (or perhaps in the way you personally carry it out) adds something much more important. You listen to individual consumers and what their experiences have been. And you offer suggestions (in their own interests) how they can best address/improve these. You invite a personal conversation about these. Through your personal customer-focused interaction, you change the relationship between the customer (and thread participants) and Adorama.

Just one more point: it can be scary when you're suddenly contacted on-line or on social media by an 'ambassador' or a 'customer service representative'. In the sense that some 'Big Brothers' are tracking you.That you've been a member of PN for a number of years adds to your 'legitimacy/credibility

Best wishes,

Mike

Thank you, Mike. Customers are important to us and I only try to make sure that the higher ups hear what they have to say. Also, I'm not tech savvy as well so I'd like things explained in words I understand.

I'm one of the least modern, though not Luddite, old people around I'm certain. And rarely feel much more than disgust for what passes in much of modern culture as acceptable. All twaddle and substitutes for real value.

 

But today Adorama exceeded it all for intrusive creepy cyber stalking. I noticed here a recent member said they used a Nikon D500 for their exceptional contribution, and not familiar with modern digital cameras I right-clicked on it to be taken to Google to check it out. Once there I must have clicked on Adorama for a quick read about the camera. And not an hour later I received an email from Adorama bleating 'You've got a good eye, we took a 'selfie' of the item you have your eye on - Grab it before it's too late!'

 

This type of skulking tracking is a bit too much..........Creepy, intrusive, oft-putting, and signals an end to any further contact or 'click' with this company. Silly of me I know, since this is the first of this email type I've ever received from a 'check-it-out click', it means that it's a new 'thingy' and all companies will be buying/using this computer code from the amoral caps on backwards energy drinkers that write it, and I can't find anywhere to buy film safely.

Wow! If that's your biggest problem you are one lucky guy. Welcome to 2020. I'm constantly getting scam phone calls for just about everything, including student loans that I've never had, various kinds of threats and attempts at extortion. I do sometimes take the opportunity to vigorously insult the caller.

This may be slightly unrelated, and no offense, but today I received this in email (note the difference between regular vs special price) :-)

This may be slightly unrelated, and no offense, but today I received this in email (note the difference between regular vs special price) :)

Typos, bad or no editing and proofing, and lack of quality control are the new normal. :(