I don’t think so, part 4.

Can we say “ridiculous”, boys and girls? Yes, I heard again from the mental midgets who man the email at Double Day Books. I’m done trying to talk with them. I’ve gotten more intelligent responses from ACfH.

It is my most avid of hopes that, some day, one of their PR people stumbles across this entry and discovers exactly how inept their service system can be. Following is a complete recap, the most recent reply on top, with all the previous correspondence trailing along behind like some forgotten puppy dog.

From: Double Day Service

Reply-To: Double Day Service

To: Salamander

Subject: Re: Processing error?

Date : Mon, 10 Jun 2002 18:47:28 -0500

Dear Member,

Thank you for contacting us.

We would be happy to remove your name from our mailing list; however, we will

need your account number or your complete name and mailing address to access

your account.

Please include this entire email in your response for a prompt reply.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or

concerns.

Sincerely,

Julia Fetterman OCSR

Online Representative

Original Message Follows:

————————-

Yes, I can see how you might call that a “processing error”. A little

research has revealed to me that you were able to appropriate my name

and

email address from another book club I belong to. This bookclub did not

have my permission to release my name and email address to anyone, even

related companies, for the purposes of marketing spam. It is my

intention

to cancel my membership with them over this matter as well.

It is my belief that some companies have become far too cavalier with

the

information they hold on their clientele. It is also my belief that they

fail to to complaints seriously unless there is the direct threat of

financial loss to them. I’m certainly not in the position to cause you

any

financial loss, but I am in the position to avoid your products in the

future, which is my current plan of action.

To the very last, you have failed to verify that you had removed my name

and

email address but instead sent stock replies to me that were intended to

deflect my attention away from my concern. I do not consider this an

“inconvenience” as you phrase it so much as a breech of privacy. I ask

one

last time that you remove my name and email address from your records.

Salamander

From: Double Day Service

Reply-To: Double Day Service

To: ********

Subject: Re: You must be joking.

Date: Fri, 07 Jun 2002 17:04:30 -0500

We apologize for the email correspondence that you received from us. Due to a

processing error, an email was generated to your email address from the

Doubleday book club. We would ask that you please disregard the email that was

sent to you. Also, please be assured that we are in the

process of correcting this problem so this does not occur in the future.

Again, we do apologize for the inconvenience.

>Original Message Follows:

>————————-

>

>That’s why I’m writing. I don’t have an account number. I didn’t sign

up

>for an account. You wrote to me to thank me for an account I did not

>request. And now you want me to give you my home address? I think we

have

>a failure to communicate here.

>

>Surely you can look me up by my email address, since you managed to

somehow

>appropriate that along with my name from somewhere. I already have

some

>security issues with your company. Don’t you agree it is rather

>unreasonable for you to ask me to provide you with my street address

when I

>didn’t even give you my name and email address?

>

>My name as you had it in the email you originally sent to me, is *

>******. There is a misspelling in the last name; do not feel

obligated

>to correct it. The email address you have on file for me is the one

that

>this email has originated from, **********. That should

be

>sufficient for you to verify that I am who I say I am, and proceed with

my

>request.

>

>I will continue to await confirmation of the deletion of the account I

>never

>asked for.

>

>************

>

>

>

> >From: Double Day Service

> >Reply-To: Double Day Service

> >To: ******************

> >Subject: Re: Thank you for your online registration!

> >Date: Fri, 07 Jun 2002 12:42:33 -0500

> >

> >Dear Member,

> >

> >Thank you for contacting us.

> >

> >We would be happy to address your request or concern as listed below;

> >however, we will need your account number or your complete name and mailing

> >address to access your account. If you recently relocated, please provide

> >the old and new addresses.

> >

> >Please include this entire email in your response for a prompt reply.

> >

> >Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.

> >

> >Sincerely,

> >

> >Lonny Ridinger OCSR

> >Online Representative

> >Original Message Follows:

> >————————-

> >

> >To whom it may concern;

> >

> >I received the following at my email address from you this afternoon. Be

> >assured that I have never “activated” an account at Doubleday, am not

> >interested in having an account at Doubleday, and am very concerned that

> >someone else could activate an account in my name at Doubleday. A brief

> >scan of your terms of agreement verifies that I would not be interested

> >in visiting your site; any company that deals on-line and assumes no

> >responsibility for spreading viruses to other computers is of no interest

> >to me.

> >

> >I have no idea how you got my email address and name, but I would appreciate

> >your removing that information and my “account” from your files. I would

> >also appreciate a confirmation from your offices when this deletion has been

> >effected.

> >

> >***********

> >

> >

> > >From: [email protected]

> > >To: ************

> > >Subject: Thank you for your online registration!

> > >Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 11:35:43 -0400 (EDT)

> > >

> > >

> > >Dear * ******,

> > >Thank you for activating your membership online at the Doubleday Book

> > >Club! We are delighted that you have chosen the convenience of online

> > >access to the club catalog and your account. We are certain that you

> > >will enjoy all of our special Internet-only benefits that make being a

> > >book club member better than ever.

> > >And guess what? You came at the right time! Our site is now better

> > >than ever because we have redefined our online home inside and out.

> > >Stop by our Reader’s Circle, where you can meet your favorite authors

> > >and read the latest book excerpts; and don’t forget to visit our Sales

> > >& Specials area, where you’ll find dozens of wonderful titles at great

> > >discounts. Don’t miss out on all this and more at

> > >DoubleDayBookClub.com!

> > >As a valued member, you are also entitled to receive our exclusive

> > >FREE Doubleday Book Club Newsletters! Learn more about your favorite

> > >authors in Doubleday Book Club World of Authors, and sign up for any

> > >of the other three newsletters: on Entertainers, Food & Cuisine, or

> > >Fitness, Nutrition & Diet: Click Here!

> > >Thank you once more, and we hope to see you again soon.

> > >Sharon Fantera

> > >Editor-in-Chief, The Doubleday Book Club

> >

>

>*************************************************************************

> > >Know someone who’d be interested in the Doubleday Book Club? Forward

> > >them this email and let them in on great deals on their favorite books

> > >Click Here!