Onecard Sucks

I shop at Foodtown because it’s convenient but convenience isn’t everything;

To Bridget Lamont,
Loyalty Programme Manager.
Foodtown Woolworths onecard

Regarding the NZ Herald article. As result of your policy to sell your mailing list you now have one less email address in it as just removed mine from the details.

If I get spam based on the information held previously in your database you've lost a customer. Loyalty works both ways.

Regards,
Robin Capper.

New Zealand Herald - On line to Onecard holders' computers - Thursday 24, August 2006 00:14.00 AM

Supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises' Onecard loyalty programme is going high tech. Marketers can now "rent" information for email campaigns from the 1.5 million-name database.

“Progressive Enterprises' loyalty programme manager, Bridget Lamont, said companies previously ran traditional direct marketing campaigns using the data, but email gave an additional, low-cost channel. The company had email addresses for about 15 per cent of Onecard members, but was aiming to collect more.”

"It cost us a fraction of a traditional direct marketing campaign," said Lamont.

"I'm still a big fan of having a presence in people's letterboxes - email is just another option."

Lamont said following best practice was uppermost in the company's mind and protocols would be followed.

Update: 25–08–2006 21:12:11

I got a very prompt reply. Although the email has the usual “If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information is prohibited.” footer I have reproduced it here, with only contact details removed, for balance.

-----Original Message-----
From: customerinfo
Sent: Friday, 25 August 2006 20:25
To: Robin Capper
Subject: RE: To Bridget Lamont

Dear Robin,
 
Thank you for your email. I have forwarded your email to Bridget Lamont,
We adopt a best practice approach to this activity so ensure that customers' personal information, including email addresses, is protected, and we do not send marketing messages to customers who have advised us that they do not wish to receive them.
We do not distribute any customer information to third parties, but we do send direct mail and email campaigns to customers groups on behalf of FMCG companies.
Kind regards,
Customer Care Representative
Progressive Enterprises Ltd

It appears that the story gave the wrong impression and email addresses are not transferred when the list is “rented” but rather Onecard send spam on behalf of others. For me thats just as annoying as it still hits my inbox* so my email “remains removed” from their database and the original statement stands.

* Spam doesn’t actually get that far thanks to MailWasher