Comments for Staples Wants To Know If They're Freaking You Out With Their All-Knowing Emails

Staples Wants To Know If They're Freaking You Out With Their All-Knowing Emails

2009-11-11T04:09:27Z

Apparently Staples is worried that their emails might be too accurate when it comes to marketing office supplies to people—accurate enough to make potential customers paranoid.

]]> Alexandra writes,

I recently grew tired of the daily Staples email I received. Somehow, hot discounted office supplies just weren't doing it for me anymore. I diligently followed the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email, and was led to a page that immediately let me unsubscribe. Nice. Once unsubscribed I had the option of selecting why I no longer wanted to be pestered with daily deals on manila folders.

Hilariously, one of these options is "Staples emails are too relevant (feel watched)."

Guess which one I picked? I also wonder if they are gathering any usable statistics from this form. I'd think that it would all be skewed by what I assume (perhaps incorrectly) to be a joke.

(Photo: bdjsb7)

Comment from Darkest Daze on 2009-11-18

2009-11-18T21:52:54Z

Newegg does the same thing. I was looking at CPU heatsinks and didn't buy anything, but kept the page saved in Firefox so I'd remember to order it later. The next 3 days I received emails titled "Looking for CPU Heatinks" and the email stating that it noticed I was interested in them and here's a few I may like.

Kind of creepy.

Comment from andoman on 2009-11-18

2009-11-18T21:52:26Z

I don't really care if they are watching what I buy. I rather have targeted ads of something I might want but might not know about than learn about 'the new purple pill' that does God knows what.

Comment from DraconWolfX on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:49Z

@HogwartsAlum:

You're still buying from Staples. Staples owns Quill.

Comment from nstonep on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:45Z

Hehe...business intelligence is supposed to be stupid...but I guess we are creatures of habit and preference.

Comment from catastrophegirl on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:45Z

@GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking: i find it amusing that when i mention my loathing or disgust with something, a twitter account for a blog about how awesome the subject is will follow me.

Comment from chatterboxwriting on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:40Z

@dognose: @GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking: It lists mine as legal and criminal justice; I was just doing keyword research on DUI law for a client, so I guess that skewed my results.

Comment from TheMonkeyKing on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:38Z

Yes, I can confirm it is still there.

And gee, thanks for sticking that Rockwell one-hit song in my head.

Comment from WelcomeToMyWorld on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:37Z

Email from Staples goes directly into my spam file. So I don't actually "read" any of it.

Comment from Dyscord on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:36Z

Well given how paranoid some people are these days, it seems like a valid option, even if it is incredibly funny.

Comment from DangerMouth on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:35Z

@DangerMouth: ..and yet, Google can't remember my damn preferences from one day to the next and show me 50 results per page instead of 10.

/rant

Comment from DangerMouth on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:34Z

@dognose: Oh noes, Google has outed me as an alternative Punk rocker wiith an interest in Bollywood films. There goes my street cred.

Fortunately, they haven't figured out my shoe fetish..

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:34Z

@Red-headed bookworm: @boxjockey68: Just saying that correlation is not causation.

Comment from HogwartsAlum on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:34Z

@AllanG54: We get them too, because we order office supplies here at work and paper from Quill (cheaper). Way more stuff from Quill than Staples; also, they send coupons for the paper that work out to about $2.50-$3.00 a ream. When you're buying 100 reams at a time, that's appreciated.

Comment from Garbanzo on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:34Z

@dognose: That was weird. It lists as my interests a couple of things I have no interest in. I can't even figure out what I might have searched for to give it that impression.

Comment from admiral_stabbin on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:32Z

@azzie: I was merely making jest at how big-brother-iffic Google Dashboard can feel. I do agree that it's not directly related targeted ads...it's much more scary, IMHO.

Comment from AllanG54 on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:32Z

I get emails from Staples and from Quill, another office supply company. They also send coupons which save me quite a bit of dough. I don't find it disturbing at all, just good marketing.

Comment from Red-headed bookworm on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:32Z

@boxjockey68: A similar thing happened to my boyfriend at another store, but I can't remember where. He walked in looking for something, didn't buy anything, then received mailings from them he had never gotten before. His thought was they read a RFID chip in a card or something. I sent him a link to that wallet that is supposed to prevent that. :)

Comment from MostlyHarmless on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:32Z

@floraposte: Email address? Thats how all my friends find me apparently.

Comment from boxjockey68 on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:32Z

I don't like stores that know too much about me...we went to rooms to go once, parked in the lot, never filled anything out, did not buy anything, about a week to 2 weeks later, we got a mailer to my husband (who the car was registered to) and it was directed at him & his recent visit to the store....the only thing we can figure is they ran his plate? CREEPY, we've never even considered going back. I don't like to be watched at all.

Comment from floraposte on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

@GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking: I'm creeped out by the fact that my Twitter (quitter) account received, within the month of its opening, a follower that was a slightly sketchy company I'd done business with over a year ago. I never mentioned their product, my last name isn't in my username, I have no idea how they connected it and what the hell they think they're doing.

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

@P_Smith: You realize you just called someones name a typo, right? It's because of people like you my first born son's name will be "SteveDave"(*).

(*-Not a typo)

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

@Benguin: Actually, there is a high school across the street, so I wouldn't mind if that happened.

Comment from Benguin on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

@GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking: Staples, Office Depot, Target, Sears, Barack Obama, the pervert from across the street. All fans of JerseyCam!

... not United Airlines though.

Comment from jparadise on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

It's odd to hear that this practice is a surprise to anyone these days. Any store that offers a member card with special discounts (the grocery store, CVS, etc) do it because the information they gather form your purchases is valuable to them.

A 'spam' email is handy for signing up for such things. I use two emails... one 'good' Gmail one and an old crap Hotmail one for stuff that tends to be spammy and mailing lists.

Comment from P_Smith on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

Huh? "Creepy" and "paranoid"?

If you're buying things with a credit card or membership card of some sort, that means they have your name and address, plus it means they have a list of what you bought and when you bought it.

How hard is it for a company to program their computers to send out emails for reams of paper every two weeks and boxes of 100 paperclips every two months?

Not to attack "Aelxandra" (*), but why would anyone give their email address to a store? If you must give one, why not create an account somewhere to receive spam from such companies?

(* - Consumerist's typo, not mine)

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:31Z

@catastrophegirl: I sometimes hate when a company follows me on Twitter if I mention them.

Comment from Dafrety on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

@dognose: I don't have any interests either, apparently. Personally, I would have thought Google would have me down as a Sims addicted bargain hunting tecnogeek with a penchant for lulz. I don't clock on ads that often though so that's probably why.

Comment from catastrophegirl on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

hehe, i think oneshanesplace.com really has the method perfected. i mentioned on twitter the other day that i might go bra shopping over the weekend. i didn't mention the store name but it was in fact the store i planned to go to.
they aren't following me on twitter, i am not following them on twitter
within 5 minutes i got an email from them about the weekend buy 2 get 1 free bra sale.
i think they might be reading my mind!

Comment from madanthony on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

A few weeks ago, I got a voicemail at work from a company I had taken a training class with a year earlier. I had clicked on a link in one of the emails they sent me, and they wanted to know if I was looking for a particular class.

It seemed kind of creepy and desperate to me.

Comment from madanthony on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

@dognose:

my only interest is shopping and rebates.

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

@dognose: I have no interests, according to that.

Comment from dognose on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

Feeling watched? Check how google as classified you:

[www.google.com]

Comment from MauriceCallidice on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

@trujunglist: Did your latest paper shipment include any pictures from Ryan's "Exposure in the Workplace" series?

Comment from Lez Lemon on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

I misread a friends-and-family email, realizing my mistake when the shoes were in my cart but not reduced as much as I expected. So, I didn't buy them.

The next day I got an email from the store, saying that they noticed I didn't complete my order so here's 10% off if you come back.

It was a little weird, I have to admit. I kind of wanted to explain why I wasn't buying the damn shoes.

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:30Z

Amazingly, Staples COULD be watching me. Could explain why my recent suggested supplies included pants...

Comment from trujunglist on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

i only buy my paper stuff from dunder mifflin and yes, kelly is disturbingly personal but hey, you can't beat that kind of customer service!

Comment from cash_da_pibble on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

@azzie:
And to think I was getting all kinds of perturbed because I kept getting ads for our competition pop up on MSN.
It wasn't until I realized I had searched said competition for price-matching did I realize my browser was "catering to me" in a very infuriating fashion.

Comment from DangerMouth on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

@azzie: youtube is doing this as well, something I only figured out from a rare visit through their front page instead of through a link.

I'ts a reminder to delete cookies more regularly, but I'm just as capable of ignoring youtube's video recomendations as I am most other types of ads.

Sometimes targeting might be usefull (to me), but seriously, how often do you buy the same thing over and over again?

Also- since Adblock, and I don't see many ads anymore.

Comment from TheWillow on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

@azzie: yeah technology is fun. Behavioral Targeting is more fun. and Behavioral *re*-targeting is the funnest.

Comment from Quatre707 on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

Staples tracks every single purchase made by any online customers as well as in-store customers using a rewards card. The information is used to target specific advertisement types. That bothers a lot of people. I believe this option on the unsubscribe screen is relevant.

Comment from azzie on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:29Z

@admiral_stabbin: I was not looged to Gmail or any Google services.

Google Dashboard is useless for this case.

Comment from H3ion on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:28Z

Does Staples know what Office Depot is charging these days?

Comment from sonneillon on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:28Z

Oh No. Staples knows I need paper and ink cartridges. Oh wait that is all I get from them.

Comment from admiral_stabbin on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:28Z

@azzie: Go login to your Google Dashboard. Build tinfoil hat. Place newly built tinfoil hat on head. Hide.

Comment from azzie on 2009-11-13

2009-11-13T21:36:28Z

Few weeks ago I was doing heavy research on Google regarding Canon lens for my camera.

Now, any major site I visit features "Amazon DSLR store" advertisement on the front page. From IMDB to CNN - all of them have the same ad.

This freaked me out for quite some time until I figured out to flushed cookies from the browser.