Affiliate Marketing Blog: Buy.at Just Didn't Send Their Affiliates' Email Details Out To Everyone Did They?

Friday, 27 July 2007

Buy.at Just Didn't Send Their Affiliates' Email Details Out To Everyone Did They?

I've just logged in to my email account and saw 44 emails from Buy.at. I thought that they must have been busy boys and girls working hard on new affiliate offers. But no, it's 44 emails and it looks like each has 50 email addresses to their affiliates.

I'll have to speak to the missus about the data protection implications as she's an "expert" in the field, but at least I know who to contact at europa-pet-food.co.uk and studenthealth.co.uk.

I've not seen a apology as yet - perhaps they're still working out their response. But now everyone's got my personal email address - I'm sure I didn't want the guys at Alcopoints (a former Sterling Rock brand) to know that.

Miffed - yeh! But at least I know shit happens but a nice big apology and good will gesture would go down well!

6 Comments:

At 27 July 2007 at 12:42 , Anonymous said...: Must just apply to affiliates signed up to a certain program Lee. I haven't had the email and I'm joined up to about 60 odd programs on buy.at

Paul
At 27 July 2007 at 12:52 , getvisible said...: Doh - I should have said, it was one about having an incorrect VAT number in their system:

"As part of our continual review of the data stored in our systems, we have noticed that the VAT registration number detailed in your management area appears to be invalid. Please log in to your management area and adjust the details as soon as possible, but no later than 24th Aug 2007. Failure to supply a valid VAT registration number will result in your payments being made without VAT, which is in line with HM Revenue and Customs guidelines."
At 27 July 2007 at 15:04 , Anonymous said...: Lee,

I have tried to call you on the numbers provided in your management areas without success. I have left one message and the other number has no message service. I have also posted in the A4U forum asking you to give me a call.

The purpose of this call was to make a personal apology to you for the problems that you have been facing today.

We have reviewed the situation and understand that, worst case, 100 email addresses have been
effected. We want to make sure that when our apology is sent, everyone effect is covered, hence the slight delay.

If you could give me a call on the numbers provided in my earlier emails, I would be happy to talk this matter over.

Paul Newton
Finance Manager
buy.at
At 27 July 2007 at 21:37 , getvisible said...: Paul and I have been communicating via email today due to my incommunicado due to client work.

I worked out the 2000 odd email addresses from the 40+ emails I had and the sample showed 50 email addresses in each "To" field. Obviously I wasn't going to sit there and go through each. I'm happy with Paul's assertion that there were only 100 or so emails.

At the time this was going on I was sending out a client email broadcast so saw the funny side as I clenched my but cheeks as it went out - hoping that I wouldn't do the same!

For all those that are intersted here's Pauls reply to those affected:

As you may have noticed, we have had software problems on one of our systems today which has resulted in a number of emails being sent to multiple recipients.

A maximum of 102 users have been affected, but our files show that only 75 emails were actually sent out.

Obviously, this is far from ideal but I hope that you can accept my most sincere apologies for this along with my assurance that steps have been taken to ensure that this will not happen again.

If you wish to call me to discuss this, or any other, matter please call me on (censored).

I'm glad they've taken the matter seriously but I'm glad no-one has got on the high-horse as mistakes happen!!

Good luck guys ...
At 29 July 2007 at 21:44 , Anonymous said...: An apology is a good start. In a perfect world no one would make mistakes, but then life would be boring!
At 15 November 2007 at 18:08 , Anonymous said...: You can't go wrong giving a sincere apology, even in this day of high technology things go wrong.