Companies which sell occasional purchases that bombard you incessantly

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

We have bought some excellent things over the last few years, but they are clearly 'investment' items of the sort that you buy once and then don't need again ever - or at least for a very long time - from companies that only specialise in a very narrow range of items.

Nevertheless, we are now bombarded with sales literature from them, urging our next purchase, suggesting that they genuinely think people will keep buying them again every few weeks - these are arriving by post as well, not just the mass spam emails.

There are a number of these firms that do it, but the worst has to be a company that sells very expensive reading lights. Their products are brilliant, really worth the price; but we have bought one now and are happily using it. If we did want another for a different room (and could afford it), we know exactly how to find their website. Every fortnight or so, we get another catalogue in the post from them, and I'm baffled as to just how many customers they have who regularly buy their products from them at the same frequency as they buy in the family groceries. It must cost them a lot in printing and postage - all to specifically target the people who have already bought the one-off purchase from them!

AIBU to wonder why they do this? Is it just a case of having a customer list and thinking that they must be somehow exploiting it, however pointlessly; or does their doing this really translate into a great deal of repeat sales from people who presumably want 8 reading lights in every single room of their house? Are they thinking that their customers have gone cold and deserted them, when in fact they just obviously don't need another one?!

If they're sending you newsletters just because you previously bought something from them and they got your email address that way, that sounds like a GDPR violation.

I get two or three mailings from Fred Olsen cruises every week, I've never used them nor asked for their brochures.

Creed I'm looking at you.
Unless you are simply assuming that I bathe in perfume twice daily and bought a bottle for each of my friends, there is just No Fuckin Need Of It!

This made me laugh as we had similar. Spring colours indeed 😂 no, I do not need multiple bean bags to suit all seasons!

If they're sending you newsletters just because you previously bought something from them and they got your email address that way, that sounds like a GDPR violation.

Very true - although I don't know how 'scary' the enforcement and/or fines are to them. Maybe less than what they stand to make by ignoring it initially; maybe using data centres in third-party countries might blur things slightly?

I think most of them probably do get people to genuinely sign up when buying something by vaguely mentioning 'letting you know about special offers' - albeit often making you untick the box if you don't want it; but of course, people assume they mean an email from time to time and don't expect them to spam you daily.

I'm also rather cynical about the whole 'legitimate interest' thing in the cookie opt-outs, which seems to me to be a deliberate way to catch you out and keep themselves technically within the letter of the law, whilst knowing very well that you would have opted out had they been honest about it.

The ones that make me laugh are boden kids and Pgl still contacting me years later when child no longer a child.

I'm also rather cynical about the whole 'legitimate interest' thing in the cookie opt-outs, which seems to me to be a deliberate way to catch you out and keep themselves technically within the letter of the law, whilst knowing very well that you would have opted out had they been honest about it

Yes, I agree with you completely. It took me ages into the introduction of the cookie banner to realise that 'Refuse all' didn't cover legitimate interest. Subsequent to this I found out that even if you do object to their 'legitimate' interests, they are allowed to override your objection as their interest might trump your opt-out! Despite all this, I still make sure to click through and opt-out of everything and object to everything I can in the options, every time.

Sign up your kids for holiday club! Hmm considering it’s 10 years since they were at your after school club do you think I want this opportunity?…

I also get loads from blinds 2 go.

The ones that make me laugh are boden kids and Pgl still contacting me years later when child no longer a child.

Yes - they're the retail equivalent of the vintage zombie MN threads with oblivious posters giving advice on how to deal with nappy rash or teething for a 'baby' who now has kids of their own

Centre Parcs do this! It's infuriating- stop reminding me I can no longer afford to go to Center Parcs 😡