To hate the “would you like to opt out of Mother’s Day” emails

[Butterflywings84]

Just this really. I understand they are trying to avoid upset but I actually find it worse to have a pre-reminder that I’ve lost my mum. I can usually just ignore what I know is a generic email promoting Mother’s Day. Yes they sometimes get me and I always feel sad about it but the opting out emails almost feel more personal and kind of like the loss is being rubbed in my face. I’m still reminded about it as it still mentions Mother’s Day and it’s almost more of a reinforcement that she’s not here and I’m somehow different than just being able to ignore the usual spam. I’m probably being over sensitive but feels like I see more and more of these emails now and they are really starting to annoy me.

I'm 60 and never had a mother and chose never to be one, when I was 6, so it's totally irrelevant to me, and I always opt out of Mother/Father emails, etc.!

Yes totally this!

Yes I think this is part of it too - I don’t want to pretend she didn’t exist.

I hate them too, I don't give a second thought to the generic ones but these feel like they really get to me. I know lots of people like them but they're just another marketing ploy - look how lovely and thoughtful we are.
It does remind me though that I need to just unsubscribe from the million marketing lists I'm on...!

I must unsubscribe to loads too. I still receive emails from Smiggle and my children are in their 20’s now!!!

Perhaps there should be something about this on “Tell us once” or a separate, similar service.

I see them as short term pain for long term gain, once you’ve opted out you’ll never receive another Mother’s Day promotion.

I was saying the same thing to my friend yesterday. I lost my mum 3 years ago, she lost hers last summer.
Instead of just deleting or ignoring the Mother's Day emails as I don't want to be reminded, which is a 1 second job, they want me to now open the email, think about the fact my mum isn't here and then to unsubscribe. It really bothers me.

Worse than the emails was an experience I had in matalan not long after my Dad died. I went to the checkout with some clothes and the assistant put them through the till and then asked me if I’d like a free gift (I think it was a mug but can’t remember) for my Dad for Fathers Day. I instantly welled up and could only shake my head at her. I couldn’t get away quick enough and went back to my car and cried.

I really welcome the email. I would like to see them all asking me if I want to opt out if mothers day/fathers day/valentines/christmas/halloween. If i want to celebrate any ocassion I will go and look for items. I dont need.bombarded with emails about a day im not going to celebrate due to surving a horribly abusive mother.

I found them harder this year because she was in hospital.and at the time it could have gone either way.

Ironically she hated going out on Mother's Day, so.they weren't much use, She much preferred the following Tuesday, which this year will be her funeral

Maybe it’s too cynical of me, but I have always felt these emails were just a way of reminding people about the events. For the majority, it’s just an additional cloaked reminder of ‘oh! This special day is coming up! Better get my order in.’

I’ve never seen an email like this. If I got one I doubt I could actually do what is required to ‘opt out’ as that would feel unbearably sad, worse than just ignoring any marketing emails aimed at Mother’s Day.

I get plenty of these kind of emails, which I ignore and delete. But I don't get the same emails on the topic of valentines day (which I have less interest in), and I always wonder why that is.

I like them because the wording of some mothers day emails almost feels like it's been written to be as insensitive as possible. 'She does all these things for you so you'd better make sure you tell her how special she is and how much you love her'. I'd love to, Shop, but she's dead so I can't. I'm far enough into it now that I don't find the emails upsetting these days, but the wording makes me so cross still that I'm glad I can block them.

Exactly this!

Oh I hate them. My mum's still here but my dad isn't. Father's day I would usually just ignore and don't really find it that hard anymore but getting an email like "we know this time of year can be tough" or whatever they say is just worse than the emails themselves! It's like it forces you to confront it instead of not giving it much thought past deleting the email. And then of course you could feel sorry for yourself just as much as usual because of needing to opt out as you don't have that parent.

I can see how some people would think they're a really good idea and others like me would hate them.

I think this is a ‘can’t please all of the people all of the time’ situation. Whatever they do, someone won’t like it.

They shouldn't wait until this time of year. Maybe send the email in November the year before and with a list of opt ins / outs for various days.

Just create a rule in your email which sends anything containing the phrase 'Mothers Day' to junk. Not 100% perfect but you'll see a lot less and will have solved quite a lot of the issue yourself.

Yes, this exactly. I have had four so far. I have no reason to be upset by mother's day, except that I keep getting these bloody emails.

Agree. They were introduced because people complained how hurtful it was to get sent Mothers and Father’s Day emails. If you look back far enough you’ll probably find many of those complaints on here

No because I'm not King Shaka Zulu...

😄

I got would you like to opt out of Father’s Day?no my DF is alive thanks.
The worst one was would you like to opt out of Valentine’s Day? So I’m too old to get a valentine, that’s nice.

Yeah I mean it's pink elephant syndrome isn't it. I wasn't thinking about MD at all until they start bombarding with me with marketing guff about how they wonder if I'd like to opt out of it?!

I mean so many people have lost their parents, and loads of people don't have kids. So what? They'd just ignore it. They don't need cheesy marketing communication about how it could be considered insensitive?!