
Amazon.com is clever in its use of tracking and follow-up e-mails - jseliger
http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/amazon-com-is-clever-in-its-use-of-tracking-and-follow-up-e-mails/
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d23
"This e-mail and post are also useful reminders: virtually everything you do
online can be tracked, if someone wants to track you. Amazon does, for reasons
that presently seem benign. Nonetheless, next time I move I might delete this
account (if that’s possible) and start another one, which won’t have a
purchase history going back to 2002."

I'm sorry, but who cares? And did the OP really not know that? I don't browse
Amazon while logged in and not expect them to be using every bit of my history
for marketing. This just seems like a really ridiculous criticism.

Seriously, there's a middle-ground here. If you're doing something remotely
private, take a few steps to make sure you can't be tracked as easily. Don't
want your viewing history tracked? Clear your cookies or enter private
browsing mode. Afraid that your IP address will give something away? Use a
VPN.

This isn't new. People have been tracking you for decades using as many
techniques at their disposal as possible. Sure, it's easier now, but let's be
honest, the quality of information you're giving away here isn't that
sensitive. Unless you're particularly embarrassed about buying high-end
cameras, I don't see where the worry is.

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rlpb
I think this is an important point and don't think you deserve downvotes.

This stuff can actually be really useful. What's wrong with Amazon being
helpful if you have chosen to receive their marketing emails? You know they
know what you looked at. Telling you about what they know you might be
interested in doesn't have to be sinister. There was a time when the
salesperson in your small local town might have done the same.

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noloqy
"Some of them are misses—Leica’s cameras look completely silly to me—but the
hits are there."

Perhaps their A/B tests have shown that presenting you with what you call
'obvious misses' increases the odds of you making a purchase decision...

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joosters
It would be intriguing to see Amazon's stats about how often people buy after
receiving these emails. They must work, I've just got no idea how successful
they are. Would anyone care to guess what % of these kind of messages trigger
a sale?

Similarly, It'd be interesting to see stats on other forms of 'reminder'
advertising. Like the type that keep showing you recently viewed products as
you browse other websites. I'd have thought this would just be irritating to
people, but again, it probably works because companies keep doing it. Are
there any public stats about how effective it is?

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zht
"The Amazon finance card doesn’t interest me and I’m not going to buy a camera
today—or one from Amazon, because of they charge sales tax and most online
retailers don’t. But I’m simultaneously impressed and creeped out by the
company’s nudge e-mails."

I'm guessing this is part of the reason why Amazon is pushing on an online
sales tax at the federal level.

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kposehn
Pretty much; I helped lobby against it in Sacramento with Amazon and the PMA.
The amazing thing was how uncaring politicians were for the plight of small
affiliates - especially those who would be ruined overnight.

Most online retailers have come to understand that solving it at the federal
level is really the best solution for all involved.

