Unsubscription from newsletter prevents you from purchasing tickets?

Basq

Not really a Consumer Issue persé, but curious as to get people's opinions on it.

Been getting newsletters from Galway's Roisin Dubh for a while now, and to be honest, I'm rarely in Galway so largely ignore them.

But been doing an "e-mail cleanse" lately and unsubscribing from newsletters where possible, but I noticed this on the bottom of their newsletter:

You are receiving mail because you are a member of roisindubh.net. If you no longer want to receive these mails, click the button below to unsubscribe.

Note that if you unsubscribe you will no longer be able to buy tickets on the site.

This seems a little silly... unsubscribing from a newsletter prevents you from purchasing tickets on their site - or essentially removes you from the system entirely?

Might e-mail them to get some insight into this downright silly decision, but can't imagine anyone who is running a box-office allow this sort of oversight.

Miaireland

I would email them. I am not sure what roisindubh is but maybe they mean that if you unsubscribe that you would not know an event is taking place and may not get tickets. Otherwise it is a incredibly dumb decision to run a business like that.

Cheshire Cat

Basq wrote: »

Not really a Consumer Issue persé, but curious as to get people's opinions on it.

Been getting newsletters from Galway's Roisin Dubh for a while now, and to be honest, I'm rarely in Galway so largely ignore them.

But been doing an "e-mail cleanse" lately and unsubscribing from newsletters where possible, but I noticed this on the bottom of their newsletter:



This seems a little silly... unsubscribing from a newsletter prevents you from purchasing tickets on their site - or essentially removes you from the system entirely?

Might e-mail them to get some insight into this downright silly decision, but can't imagine anyone who is running a box-office allow this sort of oversight.

You have to be registered to buy tickets online. So unless unsubscribing from the newsletter also deletes your log in details I don't see how it could stop you from buying tickets. Sounds very strange to me.

Basq

Cheshire Cat wrote: »

You have to be registered to buy tickets online. So unless unsubscribing from the newsletter also deletes your log in details I don't see how it could stop you from buying tickets. Sounds very strange to me.

I'm 90% sure I unsubscribed from them at one stage and tried to log in not long later to buy tickets to an event, and it wouldn't log me in. So I'd to re-register.

It's just an incredibly bizarre decision.

Kings Inns or bust

Basq wrote: »

I'm 90% sure I unsubscribed from them at one stage and tried to log in not long later to buy tickets to an event, and it wouldn't log me in. So I'd to re-register.

It's just an incredibly bizarre decision.

I work for a huge company with millions of customers worldwide. The twisted 'logic' that a committee of managers can come up with is frankly stunning. IT can happen in any size business but these lads do look as if they're getting a bit of a head start!

GerardKeating

Miaireland wrote: »

I would email them. I am not sure what roisindubh is but maybe they mean that if you unsubscribe that you would not know an event is taking place and may not get tickets. Otherwise it is a incredibly dumb decision to run a business like that.

It might (in theory) be a limitation of the site, perhaps the only way to stop the email is to cancel membership.

So perhaps badly designed software, rather than mad business decision.???

L1011

I'd blame utterly crap web design rather than malice.

Basq

Yeah, I'd be edging towards poor software / database design rather than a business decision for this.

But I don't know.. a business who is very active and popular for gigs and live acts and they're limiting their customer base with this - it's more than a little silly!

Kings Inns or bust

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, I'd be edging towards poor software / database design rather than a business decision for this.

But I don't know.. a business who is very active and popular for gigs and live acts and they're limiting their customer base with this - it's more than a little silly!

That or they've a marketing genius - look at all this free advertising!

Robbo

I've pondered the exact same issue with the same company. I've also reached the same conclusion that it's either a "genius marketer" operating out of the backroom of a provincial copyshop or poor design/worse maintenance.

Either way, it's hardly sound from a Data Protection/Privacy point of view. There's a major issue with consent to marketing comms if you are threatening the consumer with lack of service.

It's an issue worth raising for the Data Protection Commissioner's Office and certainly something that they should be looking at. Granted it seems their stock first answer to any query at the moment seems to be "Can you fix it yourself and not be bothering us?" but they will act if you press them on it and remind them of their statutory duties.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Robbo wrote: »

I've pondered the exact same issue with the same company. I've also reached the same conclusion that it's either a "genius marketer" operating out of the backroom of a provincial copyshop or poor design/worse maintenance.

Either way, it's hardly sound from a Data Protection/Privacy point of view. There's a major issue with consent to marketing comms if you are threatening the consumer with lack of service.

It's an issue worth raising for the Data Protection Commissioner's Office and certainly something that they should be looking at. Granted it seems their stock first answer to any query at the moment seems to be "Can you fix it yourself and not be bothering us?" but they will act if you press them on it and remind them of their statutory duties.

Please explain the leap to this being a Data Protection issue.

Kings Inns or bust

Mikaela Breezy Yarn wrote: »

Please explain the leap to this being a Data Protection issue.

It might be useful if you explained your lack of understanding with Robbo's reasoning. While I make no comment on whether it's correct or not he clearly states his position. Any chance of doing the same incase I get really bored at work today and feel the need to read the DPA?

Robbo

Mikaela Breezy Yarn wrote: »

Please explain the leap to this being a Data Protection issue.

Consent must be given. Inextricably linked to consent is the ability to opt out. If you're reducing the level of service to a customer because they won't opt into spam/marketing emails (delete as appropriate) it's a stretch to say that the consent is freely given.

Consent in this area, like in others, isn't just a one-time deal, it's an ongoing process and can be revoked. Further to this, where the consent was obtained as part of a purchase and you don't re-purchase within 12 months, that consent may expire.

Guidelines.

KIOB, don't bother yourself reading the existing DPA as you're looking at dying legislation. The GDPR (effective May 2018) is the way and the light and it remains to see how we'll implement this; by patchwork or repealing the existing acts and SIs and starting from scratch (the proper way). The DPC guidelines and case studies are a far better way of getting to the core of most issues.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Kings Inns or bust wrote: »

It might be useful if you explained your lack of understanding with Robbo's reasoning. While I make no comment on whether it's correct or not he clearly states his position. Any chance of doing the same incase I get really bored at work today and feel the need to read the DPA?

Helpful. :rolleyes: Honest question that didn't warrant sarcasm.

Robbo wrote: »

Consent must be given. Inextricably linked to consent is the ability to opt out. If you're reducing the level of service to a customer because they won't opt into spam/marketing emails (delete as appropriate) it's a stretch to say that the consent is freely given.

Consent in this area, like in others, isn't just a one-time deal, it's an ongoing process and can be revoked. Further to this, where the consent was obtained as part of a purchase and you don't re-purchase within 12 months, that consent may expire.

Guidelines.

KIOB, don't bother yourself reading the existing DPA as you're looking at dying legislation. The GDPR (effective May 2018) is the way and the light and it remains to see how we'll implement this; by patchwork or repealing the existing acts and SIs and starting from scratch (the proper way). The DPC guidelines and case studies are a far better way of getting to the core of most issues.

Thanks, that's all I was wondering.

evolving_doors

Shur if you want to buy tickets just resubscribe and then unsubscribe whenever.

Basq

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Shur if you want to buy tickets just resubscribe and then unsubscribe whenever.

Oh yeah, that's real handy!

Kings Inns or bust

Mikaela Breezy Yarn wrote: »

Helpful. :rolleyes: Honest question that didn't warrant sarcasm.

My apologies it wasn't meant as an attack it was meant to keep the conversation going, completely unnecessarily as it turned out so sorry again.

evolving_doors

Basq wrote: »

Oh yeah, that's real handy!

It's as good as you're going to get though! If you don't like their shenanigans and you want to go to a gig then whatcha gonna do?

rubadub

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Shur if you want to buy tickets just resubscribe and then unsubscribe whenever.

usually all the emails will have a certain string of words, like an address or phone number. You can set it up so all these mails go to junkmail. You might want an exclusion so emails you do want come through, e.g. ticketmaster confirmation emails to me have

"Thank you for purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster."

while their other emails will not.

dudara

Interestingly, I just received a mailing list email from entertainment.ie.

I went to unsubscribe, and in order to do so, I have to delete my "ulike" account, thus deleting all preferences, saved subscriptions etc.

ben.schlomo

My emails from the Roisin go to spam, ive them followed on social media so its easy to see what gigs are due. I dont really see the issue.