Has marketing gone too far? I mean I was in the check out line at JC PEnny and they offer to track when you are close to one of their stores by the GPS on your phone and text inform you of all sales going on. Now, im all for getting coupon text but can you imagine driving past a shopping area and your cell phone blowing up with 100 text from the stores?

Has it gone to far? Wht happened to just looking in Sunday's paper?

[Edited 10/13/10 5:43am]

I don't think I know anyone who actually buys a paper anymore...

CarrieMpls said:

I don't think I know anyone who actually buys a paper anymore...

I get email alerts from the stores I frequent.

This sort of tech has been a long time coming, so I'm not so shocked by it. It is a bit intrusive to my tastes, though, so I'd simply opt out of this "luxury" to the extent possible.

Well I recently posted another tech-phobic thread involving cell phones so obviously I'm creeped out about this too. Just the thought of others being able to keep track of my exact whereabouts at all times is scary enough, even when they don't use that info to pester me with ads. And you can bet that soon it won't even be optional to receive them. They'll just drop in in a never-ending stream depending on where you are, like some sort of laser-guided spam e-mail.

it's too much for me...that's for sure. That's why I opt out of stuff like that.

even in the check out, when the lady says "phone number" I say NO. They look at me like I have 2 heads and say it's only for marketing. I just tell them I don't care, no thank you. zip code...ok maybe...phone #...NO WAY

Shorty said:

it's too much for me...that's for sure. That's why I opt out of stuff like that.

even in the check out, when the lady says "phone number" I say NO. They look at me like I have 2 heads and say it's only for marketing. I just tell them I don't care, no thank you. zip code...ok maybe...phone #...NO WAY

That shit really pisses me off too. I wouldn't even give them my zip code, as a matter of principle. I'm there to shop: I get the product, they get my payment. End of story.

Yeah, I get emails from the stores I frequent, but the thing that gets me is that every other day is "THE BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR!" Yeah, right. And I'm the freakin Easter Bunny. Half the time I ignore the ads because I figure it's not really a sale. They just hike up the price and pull it down to the MSRP. I do a lot of shopping on line because I HATE going to the stores. I don't like the crowds and then I tend to buy a bunch of stuff at one time and find myself dragging 4 shopping bags around the damn mall. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and don't even want to LOOK at my purchases!

Shorty said:

it's too much for me...that's for sure. That's why I opt out of stuff like that.

even in the check out, when the lady says "phone number" I say NO. They look at me like I have 2 heads and say it's only for marketing. I just tell them I don't care, no thank you. zip code...ok maybe...phone #...NO WAY

Yeah this always annoys me. It doesn't happen often, but I think I am gonna have to start handling it the same.

CarrieMpls said:

I don't think I know anyone who actually buys a paper anymore...

I buy a newspaper every weekday. I read it while eating lunch because my eyes need to take a break from looking at a computer screen all day.

Now you know someone.

Shorty said:

it's too much for me...that's for sure. That's why I opt out of stuff like that.

even in the check out, when the lady says "phone number" I say NO. They look at me like I have 2 heads and say it's only for marketing. I just tell them I don't care, no thank you. zip code...ok maybe...phone #...NO WAY

Same

Except I also say no to the zip

sextonseven said:

CarrieMpls said:

I don't think I know anyone who actually buys a paper anymore...

I buy a newspaper every weekday. I read it while eating lunch because my eyes need to take a break from looking at a computer screen all day.

Now you know someone.

I buy a newspaper every Saturday and read it on Sunday morning while drinking my coffee.

I hate cell phones and only have one for emergencies. I seldom use it and don't give out my number too often.

Just wait till the eye scans start.

cell phone technology is just the beginning...

we are all nothing more than consumers and numbers.

The technology available for use with cell phones (as well as many other handheld electronic devices) and gps is many years ahead of what's actually been made available to the public. They've tested hundreds of applications/uses that are still being kept "in-house" until they can decide a) whether or not to charge people for them, and b) whether or not the "Big Brother" aspect will freak people out too much.

I think it's starting to be more trouble than convenience. For instance, people complain when they try to call you and you turned off your phone, just because you wanted some quiet and time for yourself. I mean, how ridicolous is that?

Cerebus said:

The technology available for use with cell phones (as well as many other handheld electronic devices) and gps is many years ahead of what's actually been made available to the public. They've tested hundreds of applications/uses that are still being kept "in-house" until they can decide a) whether or not to charge people for them, and b) whether or not the "Big Brother" aspect will freak people out too much.

They are watching you.