My Adventures with SmartSource Web Support.

I have two addresses on my email account. One for my personal general emails, and one for my 'Deals' like Woot Daily emails and coupons, stuff like that. I did it to de-clutter my inbox. Unfortunately, some how both of my addresses ended up subscribed to Smartsource's coupon mailing list. This means that every time they mailed out coupon notices (and it happens on a regular basis) I get two, one in each folder.  I thought I would remedy this pretty easily, by clicking the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of their emails. One problem, every time I clicked it, in every browser I tried, I got this:

 

I had a bit of a dilemma. I can't just block the address for these emails, because then it will block both, not just the double. I still want to get the one on my 'deal' address. So I check their site.  It says, and I quote:

"It's easy to unsubscribe from our emails. There's always an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email we send. Click that link and submit your request to be unsubscribed. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be processed and for your email address to be removed from future mailings.

If you've used the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails, but you're still getting emails from us, please submit your details on this form so we can give it immediate attention."

Submit I did. What follows is my complete (minus some personal info) email communications with Smartsource's support. My attempt to get "immediate attention", spanning 4 days and 10 emails total (counting my emails to them and their replies). This is some of the most inept customer service I have seen. (I have added some commentary in blue)

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Hello, I have two different addresses on my email account, and some how I got both of them subscribed to your emails. So I am getting each email from you twice. I would like to just get [email address withheld] unsubscribed.  I tried the link in the email, but it keeps saying it's an invalid link. Thanks

I started very civil.  Stated what my request was and thanked them.

Reference number:	LTK12124062823855X Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us.
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us. It's easy to unsubscribe from our emails. There's always an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email we send. Click that link and submit your request to be unsubscribed. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be processed and for your email address to be removed from future mailings. If you've used the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails, but you're still getting emails from us, please submit your details on this form so we can give it immediate attention. Please feel free to reply if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, SmartSource Coupons Support

So they reply with the exact instructions I used to locate the form I needed to contact them in the first place. Also notice that the font for the actual "help" is different from the surrounding text. They literally copied it from the help page on the site.

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Hello, As I said when I used the form the first time, the unsubscribe link that is provided in the emails does not work for me. It takes me to a page on your site saying the link I clicked was invalid. That is why I used the form on your site, which I was referred to by your email FAQ (also on your site), asking for help unsubscribing this email account. So please unsubscribe this email account from your emails. Thanks

This time I was a little more stern, pointing out to them that I had already did what they told me to do and it didn't work, which is something I mentioned in my first email. I again ask them to remove my address from their mailing list.

Reference number:	LTK12124062823855X Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us.
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us. The link you clicked to unsubscribe was not valid. This could occur for any of the following reasons: You've attempted to print the maximum amount of times Solution: This is by design.  You received a link to print but waited too long - the link is now expired Solution: Attempt to get another link from your original source.  You've already used this link to print Solution: Attempt to get another link from your original source. Please feel free to reply if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, SmartSource Coupons Support

Now they are giving me help on printing coupons. Which is in no way related to my issue. It's at this point that I realize they are just pinpointing on specific key words in my emails and pasting in help for those words. My first email said 'unsubscribe' and they pasted the unsubscribe text from their site. This time the word was 'invalid', so they pasted in text on invalid printing links.

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	I'm not sure I fully understand why you are trying to help me print coupons, when I am trying to unsubscribe from your emails. The UNSUBSCRIBE link in your email is not valid. I want to UNSUBSCRIBE this email address. Your help page said if the UNSUBSCRIBE link didn't work, to contact support for "immediate attention" SO PLEASE UNSUBSCRIBE THIS ADDRESS FROM YOUR EMAILS.

At this point, I begin to get aggravated and snarky. I point out that they answered a question on an issue that I never even asked about and that their site promises contacting their support will provide "immediate support"

Reference number:	LTK12124062823855X Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us.
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us. It's easy to unsubscribe from our emails. There's always an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email we send. Click that link and submit your request to be unsubscribed. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be processed and for your email address to be removed from future mailings. If you've used the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails, but you're still getting emails from us, please submit your details on this form so we can give it immediate attention. Please feel free to reply if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, SmartSource Coupons Support

And now, since I had 'unsubscribe' in all caps four times in that last email, they paste in the unsubscribe instructions from the site again. Which is no help to me, because it refers me either to an invalid link or contacting support, which I am currently doing.

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	I see that you are just copying the text from your help page on your site. I already tried that, it doesn't work. In fact, I have tried that repeatedly before I even contacted support. Why would I contact you in the first place if that worked? Obviously, since you already copied that stock response into a previous email to me, and I have continued to email you asking to simply unsubscribe me manually, it did not work. I am asking you one more time to unsubscribe this address. If you can not do that, please escalate my support ticket to someone who is competent. Thank You.

I point out that I know they are just pasting in stock responses and not actually reading my issue. And this is also the point where I get mad enough to let the insults fly. I honestly can't believe the run around I am getting. I ask for an escalation, hoping to get someone that has a brain.

Reference number:	LTK12124062823855X Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us.
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us. Have you try checking the unsubscribe link on alternate web browser ? Please feel free to reply if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, SmartSource Coupons Support

Here we are folks. The only hand typed, non-stock answer I get during this entire ordeal.  Of course they recommend something that is the first thing any idiot would try, but I am somewhat relieved that they actually attempted some support here.

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Hello, I have tried it in both Firefox and Safari. I have not been able to get the link to work in either browser. It just keeps telling me: "The link you entered is not valid. Please check if it is the link you received in the e-mail." I thank you for sending me an actual suggestion on how to fix it though. The last few emails I have been getting were just copied from the support page and were as if the person responding didn't even read my problem. At this point, I can't believe what I have had to go through, just to get my email address removed from a damn mailing list. What should have happened is I should have submitted a support ticket and the email I got back should have said "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir, we have removed your address from our mailing list manually." I think I'm just going to give up, 3 days and 7 emails back and forth, just to attempt to get off your mailing list. This is pathetic.

Okay, here I am at the angriest I can be over this. I know this is really stupid. It's such a small thing, getting my email address off a mailing list, but that's the point. This should have been a one email, quick fix. As I pointed out in this email, after my support ticket was submitted, someone should have just manually deleted my address from the list and been done with it.

Reference number:	LTK12124062823855X Please use this ticket number in any correspondence with us.
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting us. It's easy to unsubscribe from our emails. There's always an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email we send. Click that link and submit your request to be unsubscribed. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be processed and for your email address to be removed from future mailings. If you've used the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails, but you're still getting emails from us, please submit your details on this form so we can give it immediate attention. Please feel free to reply if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, SmartSource Coupons Support

And it returns. The stock support tip pasted from the site. The one that didn't help me the first 2 times they sent it to me.

From:	James
Subject:	[email address withheld]
	Thank you for sending this to me for a third time. Or should I say, thank you for nothing. Your support is terrible. I am done. Do not reply to this.

And this is where it stands at this point. I just can't justify wasting any more time on this. I told them not to respond, but that means they'll probably respond with that unsubscribe tip for a 4th time.  I guess I'll just block all incoming emails from Smartsource and stop visiting their site. I can't support this crap.