Consumer Frustration

 Thanks to Memegenerator for the image. 

     I'm not the type of girl to badmouth a brand, so I will refer to the brand as "the company." Somehow I ended up on the company's e-mail list earlier this year. I suspect it might be from signing up for an online contest they sponsored. Here is a word to the wise: read before your opt in for anything. As part of these check-mark boxes,  as you are probably agreeing to receive e-mails you don't want or need. I realized during the summer I was more likely to pick up their products in a local store and would not need to order from their website. Therefore, I unsubscribed from their e-mails.

     But, apparently I was not unsubscribed. The direct word UNSUBSCRIBE on the e-mail did not bring me to a new page or a confirmation like all of the other websites and newsletters I've unsubscribed from in the last few months. The e-mail blinked blue for a second, then returned to normal. I would describe it as like clicking on a giant button that turned out to be just a picture of the word UNSUBSCRIBE. Naturally, I e-mailed the company and asked them to take me off their list via their customer service e-mail. I got a response back that this was an issue they could not address, and I would have to call them to get myself taken off their e-mails. Just between us readers, I found it ridiculous that I had to call someone to ask them to stop e-mailing me. E-mail was invented to make calls less necessary! I decided I would just delete the e-mails when they came in, but I was still getting one every day or two.

     Finally, I had enough. I called the company today.  The very sweet and thorough rep and I were on the phone for almost 25 minutes explaining the simple situation. (I was getting e-mail I did not want. I could not make it stop. The e-mail customer service said it was beyond their control.) By the end of the phone call, I had told the rep more information that I would tell a first date. Let's keep put fingers crossed I'm one e-mail less by next week.I am aware these are first world problems, but  they are still annoying.
   
     How much "junk" e-mail can I be expected to sift through each day? It's bad enough I get physical junk mail and unsolicited phone calls, but let's all agree we should be able to control who e-mails us!