An ill-timed Vonage database e-mail solicitation

So, I know we all get on lists, and our names are stored in databases. It's annoying, but it's a fact of life.

But I was reminded of that Thursday in a particularly annoying way.

A friend of mine, who shall go unnamed, is a Vonage subscriber. Presumably, at one point in the past, she put my e-mail address on the company's Refer-A-Friend list. If I signed up, she would get something, maybe a month of free service or somesuch. I really don't remember if this had happened, but it's certainly possible.

What I do know is that on Thursday I got an e-mail from Vonage with the subject line, "(Your friend) Wants You to Enjoy a Special Limited-Time Offer."

Now, whether or not this friend signed me up in the past I really have no idea. But I know that she didn't sign me up any time recently, because for more than two weeks she's been in the hospital, unconscious after an accident.

So when I got this e-mail today, I was more than a little angry. I know databases exist and names come to the top of them over time, but this just felt dishonest.

I wasn't able to reach Vonage about this today, since it was already after-hours at their offices when I got the message. But the company's external public relations agency said I will certainly get a response from Vonage tomorrow. In the meantime, I think it would be worth them thinking about whether they want to make sure the people whose names they use to solicit business are really in a position to be wanting them to do it on their behalf.

[OneStepAhead608]

silly

i cant believe you would call vonage over that. clearly your friend put your name and email on the vonage site. is vonage obligated to send the email on their behalf right away? no. is 2 weeks too long? no. how long is too long? i dont know but considering your friend could of submitted it as recently as 2 weeks ago and even if it was longer ago im sure vonage says somewhere that they may contact your friend more then once with offers. I dont see the big deal. boo hoo your friend is in the hospital and her name was on an advertising email. people who have dead moms and dads, husbands and wives get calls at there homes for them all the time from people and companies that dont know they are deceased. I can see you bringing this up to some friends or something but on news.com? i think your making a mountain out of a mole hill. running out of things to write about? do you have some agenda against vonage or something? write about how there service is flaky or whatever, but this is silly.

[ccblue]

blame your friend, not vonage

Your friend wanted that $100 in her pocket (up to 2 months of service and a $50 debit card)...so why are you ragging on vonage.....must be a slow news day..........So....theres nothing else in this world to complain about....or maybe you get FREE FIOS service from Verizon........

[fluffytheecat]

methinks

Methinks that you make a large deal out of not much. You might use that energy to help your friend as compared to wasting it on criticizing Vonage, who... trust me on this, doesn't care. Besides, your friend is the one who gave them your name. Lay this "foul deed" at their doorstep, knave. (went to see Pirates recently) <br /><br />And don't even think of dissing my name. Meow!

[pwestbro]

Deactivated accounts

I am sorry about your friend being in the hospital. I used to be with Vonage, and I did sign some friends in the Refer-A-Friend program, and they got the email today as well.<br /><br />The problem that I have with this is that I canceled my Vonage service about 2 years ago. So they are also sending email for deactivated accounts.<br /><br />I was able to log onto my account, and delete all of my "referred" friends. Hopefully, Vonage will not send any more emails to those contacts.

[ejevo]

Misplaced anger

Sorry about your friend, but...<br /><br />This is by no means Vonage's fault. The odds say that most of their customers are alive and well, and I'm aware of no business that checks that all the people in their subscriber list are well immediately before referencing them in a marketing campaign.<br /><br />Your grief and anger are misplaced, and rather than lash out at innocent bystanders I would recommend you seek counseling instead.

[unclesharky]

Not misplaced from my side

As another commenter noted they are using customers who have LEFT THE SERVICE as recommenders.<br /><br />So I feel that I am being misrepresented by Vonage. That is to say, Vonage is sending out e-mails today, with my first and last name on them, based on a recommendation I made 2 years ago and I have since reversed my opinion 180 degrees about doing business with them. In fact, based on my experience I specifically recommend to my friends that they don't get involved with Vonage. <br /><br />When I cancel my service with a company, I have severed business ties with them. I feel it is unethical (although maybe not illegal) for them to be using the e-mail addresses I provided for marketing purposes and it is definitely unethical (and possibly illegal) for them to be using me as a recommender at this point. Obviously, I didn't have my agent read the fine print but I ASSUMED that when I ended my business relationship with Vonage that I would not be used as an spokesperson for them. I'd be interested in what a lawyer or judge has to say about our contractual situation.<br /><br />You can say the original poster's anger was misplaced, but I'm being misrepresented by Vonage and my anger is not misplaced.

[sernovitz]

We're really angry

Lots of blog discussion here:<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.damniwish.com/2007/06/vonage-spams-cu.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.damniwish.com/2007/06/vonage-spams-cu.html</a>

[opendev]

To Negative

To much negative commentary, I would expect some mention of the data retention policies and not whether said friend added said writer to said refer a friend list.<br /><br />Many businesses retain records for an extended period of time to market their products and in relation to the topic. I do find it a painful reminder after discontinuing services when a business continues to send junk mail related to the same product or service which has in fact been discontinued by said customer.