I don't know whether it's just me or more of us, but I'm getting so tired of creepy commercial use of our data that I'm opting out when it gets bad. Here are some examples:
This morning I got an email from Chicago Music Exchange, and the subject was literally "We Caught You Looking!". Of course the email included a link to a guitar I had looked at on their site. I don't need follow-up stalking emails telling me they're tracking my activity. So I unsubscribed from Chicago Music Exchange emails, because there's apparently no option to just opt out of the stalking.
It's not unique. Last week I had the same situation with Eastwood sending me an email titled "Did you forget something?" and a picture of a guitar I checked out there. I unsubscribed from Eastwood emails and emailed Mike to tell him why. That went unanswered.
The week before that, I had to tell a Musician's Friend salesman to take me out of his database several times because I don't do business with Musician's Friend. He had to take me out of Guitar Center's database too, because apparently he was being prompted to email, text, and call me from both companies (because they're really the same company). So I don't see the deal of the day emails anymore because I don't want also their stalking.
At least Sweetwater is good enough to note when customers don't want out-of-band hassles, so I haven't yet had this opt-out situation with them. Bottom line, am I the a-hole, or is it just too annoying how companies are trying too hard to up customer engagement?
Customer stalking
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uwmcscott
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- Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 1:45 pm
- Location: Northern Wisco
- Gearlist: A few LP's, a Strat, a Tele and a few acoustics.
Yes, it's quite pervasive. VPN's and browser security can help somewhat, but for the most part if you want to play the game you end up giving up some info.
AGF Survivor Champ Emeritus (Ask TVVoodoo )
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redman
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- Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 3:22 pm
- Location: Asheville, NC
- Gearlist: Gibson LP, Agile PS900, SX Tele, SX Strat, PRS SE Zach Myers Yamaha FGX830c, Yamaha LL16, Yamaha LL26, Eastman E10D, Tobias Bass, Squire CV 60's P Bass
I also hate that, for me Sweetwater is even worse I was recently looking at an expensive guitar on their site and an hour later one of their "sales engineer" was on the phone with me trying to get me to send them almost $5000 for a guitar which I would never purchase I was just simply taking a curious look. I'm sure they not only tracked my browsing but also checked how much gear I have purchased over the years.
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tonebender
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- Joined: Sun May 31, 2020 8:39 am
- Location: Wheremyhathangs, FL
- Gearlist: Fav: Gibson LP and Gibson Goldtone Amp. Other gear: Gretsch, Peavey, Taylor and more.
Recently I have put a couple things on my watchlist on both Reverb and Fleabay. In all cases I get a price reduction offer from the seller. I like that so if and when I do order something I watch it first and wait for the discount. Sweetwater is my "go to" for online new music stuff in general.
"Will follow through with a transaction when the terms are agreed upon" almightybunghole
Exactly.tonebender wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 4:32 pm Recently I have put a couple things on my watchlist on both Reverb and Fleabay. In all cases I get a price reduction offer from the seller. I like that so if and when I do order something I watch it first and wait for the discount. Sweetwater is my "go to" for online new music stuff in general.
AGF refugee
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andrewsrea
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- Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 4:43 pm
- Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO
- Gearlist: 28 Guitars: (2) basses, (2) acoustics, (3) hollow bodies, (3) Semi hollow, (1) Double-neck, (17) Solid-bodies
Good advice all around! I never used the 'watchlist' and will try that.tonebender wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 4:32 pm Recently I have put a couple things on my watchlist on both Reverb and Fleabay. In all cases I get a price reduction offer from the seller. I like that so if and when I do order something I watch it first and wait for the discount. Sweetwater is my "go to" for online new music stuff in general.
Everybody now a days are sending me the 'you left this in your cart' even if I did not. AI.
Speaking of, a great meme I stole today:
Live life to the fullest! - Rob
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toomanycats
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- Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:43 pm
Stalking? What's that?
“There are only two means of refuge from the miseries of life: Music and Cats!” Albert Schweitzer
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Rollin Hand
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"I'm not a sore loser. It's just that I prefer to win, and when I don't, I get furious."
- Ron Swanson
- Ron Swanson
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tlarson58
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- Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:28 pm
- Location: Steamboat Springs, CO
- Gearlist: A tele, a bass and a bunch of other stuff.
It's unnerving. Today I'm going to ask Alexa all kinds of questions about...um.. Cleveland vacations and see what starts poppping up on my computer. I just know that people are listening.
Tommy Larson
Steamboat Springs, CO
Steamboat Springs, CO
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BatUtilityBelt
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- Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 4:25 pm
Yup. Do it now, before AI is smart enough to know you're messing with it.
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Rollin Hand
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One day at work, I was working on a project regarding a company, and our team talked about it.
The same say, ads for their product started showing on my teammate's computer.
We are through the looking glass.....
The same say, ads for their product started showing on my teammate's computer.
We are through the looking glass.....
"I'm not a sore loser. It's just that I prefer to win, and when I don't, I get furious."
- Ron Swanson
- Ron Swanson
That is why I stopped going to the Keyence website at work. Literally non-stop marketing emails and phone calls if I look at one thing.
10 years, 2 months, and 8 days of blissful ignorance ruined by that snake in the grass Major Tom.