[rkudeshi]

A related story: I was recently shopping around for a new ISP. One I considered was Verizon FiOS. In order to see the prices in my area, I had to enter my address.

Two weeks later, I got a letter in the mail. Written outside on the envelope was something like: "We noticed you were checking out our website! Here's a special offer just for you..."

It's not the same as what OP posted, but it certainly left me creeped out.

[jrockway]

Heh, that's why I always fake address details when I'm checking out cable or DSL options. Of course they're going to use the personal information you enter for marketing purposes, that's why they ask for specifics like apartment number and your mobile number that they don't need to determine service availability.

[joelackner]

that's a clever way of sticking it to them, jrock. i feel sorry for my neighbors already.

[jrockway]

You don't use valid addresses, of course. If you're in apartment 2R, you say apartment 10B or something.

[JadeNB]

It is possible to enter completely fake information, rather than someone else's address. (For example, aside from the burden on the post office, I think entering a street address for an apartment complex without an apartment number harms no one.)

[jrockway]

Though unfortunately the mailman is usually smart enough to route that kind of mail if the name on it is correct.

Actually, it's quite difficult to fail to send someone a letter. The post office does try pretty hard to deliver mail.

[archangel_one]

Why are you so creeped out that they sent you a piece of advertising by mail after you gave them your address? It'd hardly be surprising these days if you received spam after giving away your e-mail address.

[Evbn]

It is still abusive, to represent that they need it for transactional purposes and then to spam you with it instead.

[lhnn]

Flightfox just posted an article about how they more aggressively pursue potential customers with email, and it's doubled their conversion rate.

How is this isolated example of snail-mail marketing at all creepy? As long as it's Verizon and not a third party, it isn't strange at all.

[angelbob]

There's a difference between "strange" and "creepy".

Something can be really common and still really creepy.

[dkarl]

I get pounds of mail every year advertising U-Verse when AT&T doesn't offer U-Verse at my address. The mail has been coming for years now. Big thick envelopes full of brochures, little letter-sized envelopes, oversized postcards. At least Verizon is advertising a service you can actually buy.

[Bill_Dimm]

At least Verizon is advertising a service you can actually buy.

Don't count on it. I'm constantly pestered by Verizon to buy their FiOS service, and FiOS isn't available in my apartment complex.

[dredmorbius]

This is common with many, many services.

I'll generally enter another address in the neighborhood.

[gabemart]

When I was last shopping for DSL internet service in the UK, every provider would require you to enter your phone number to see what speeds they could provision you with.

Most had a small box to uncheck to avoid a marketing follow up phone call.

But at least one company didn't have a box--they just had a message saying that if you entered your phone number to check for service, they would call you at some unspecified later date. There was no way to opt out.

Needless to say, I didn't buy their DSL.