Genius marketing, creepy, or just coincidence?

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
Holy Crap! I would have dropped my sprite!

That is extremely creepy imo.

I get texts somehow from some place wanting me to donate to the Haiti relief fund. The thing is the number is a number from Haiti. I have no idea how they got my number either.

I also do not like it when places ask for my phone number, email or zip code. It is irrelevant to my purchase. I gave my number a few times and the result was advertising text messages. I actually called payless shoes and chewed them out. I told them they had no right to text me offers and spam my phone and email! They got my number from when I put shoes on hold on their website I was to have dyed. I was not happy and I did not get the shoes as a result.

I was shopping a few weeks ago at American Eagle and the lady was shocked I refused to give her my email and my phone number. I told her I didn't need her marketing sent to my email and my phone. She said "oh we don't do that" and I said "well what do you need it for." She didn't have a thing to say after that.

No kidding..its ridiculous what kind of info they want nowadays,for spending some money at a store.
Especially in these days of ID theft etc.

So glad you chewed them out...I've done the same. the poor lady though answers back saying"I know exactly how you feel,but they require that we ask..and I hate it"

Same thing with asking for donations all the time at checkouts. They make you feel small if you don't contribute..and quite frankly ..I don't TRUST many charities.

reply to post by mnmcandiez


It's called a screen shot... On the iPhone if you push the power button and tge home button at the same time it takes a snap shot of what's visible on the screen, like this Nifty

hmmm... very interesting. maybe the machine itself has wifi and some scanning devices that picked up your phone number. since you were close to the machine for a minute maybe it read your number and had an automated text sent to you. i can see those machines being more computer like now that its 2011

reply to post by jidnum


Like I said, I'm sure I've texted them for a cap game or something at some time in my life, so not only could they get the number... I'm sure in their fine print I agreed to such a thing...

No I haven't done it again, but I will... Lol honestly I expected you'd all laugh at me and call it a coincidence, as I thought it most likely was. As numerically improbable as that might be.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver

I also do not like it when places ask for my phone number, email or zip code. It is irrelevant to my purchase. .

The last time I was asked for my zip code, I told the lady to use hers The last time somebody asked me for my phone number I gave them the local sheriffs office I have also given the hospitals ER room number......

Im so bad LOL

reply to post by sparda4355


Well in this age of technology I wouldn't put it past them.

I mean look at heineken, they have a bluetooth bottle opener that will post on your facebook wall every time you open a beer and invites people to come drink with you. I'm sure you have to allow such permissions but marketing has been taken to a whole new level.

I've been noticing for a while that whenever I send an email (from gmail) to someone and later log into facebook, I get ads from whatever subject I was talking about in my email. I'm pretty generic on facebook. Just have pictures up of my kids for extended family to see, say hi to people once in a while, etc. I don't talk about personal things on facebook. So it amazes me that these ads pop up.