A few months ago I signed up for a free trial of Audible, the online audio books service. After downloading their clunky, propietary audio player (that’s all I need- a sixth media player that only plays one type of media!), I began to browse their site to download me some audio lit.
I know they have a wide selection, but dang if they didn’t have a single book I was looking to listen to. I hung on, searched again a few weeks later, and came up empty again. Time to cancel my service, just a few days shy of the end of my free trial.
Fast foward to today, some FOUR MONTHS AFTER I cancelled my Audible.com account (also note- I was never actually a paying customer- just a free trial rider). I get my mail today, and inside I find a postcard from Audible asking me to return to them as a customer.
SO….when I CANCELLED my account, instead of deleting my info, they kept around my address, then used it to send me direct mail marketing! Worst of all was the copywriting: the lead asked me to spend “only $112!” Geez, you only want me to drop over $100 dollars to re-activate my account?! What a great intro offer!
So to recap:
1. If you cancel your Audible.com account, Audible will KEEP your account info on file
2. Then they’ll use your account info to send you direct mail marketing.
If one single person shoots back that “that’s a normal practice in the industry!”, then my response will be, Wow, you must be really proud of what is quite a terrible marketing practice.
Shame on you, Audible.
PS- Hey Audible, your current homepage looks like one of those freakin’ “GET A FREE IPOD” websites. And that is not a compliment.