5 Times a Company Was Creepy with Personal Information

The call is coming from inside the house.

Might just be one of the creepiest lines ever uttered, right? That’s kind of how consumers feel when they realize your company is just a bit too close for comfort. The problem is, those same customers really like customized and personalized experiences. That leaves you hanging in the balance between stranger and stalker.

In honor of Halloween, we thought we’d share a few of the instances where companies got way too creepy with the personal information they gathered from customers. In addition to that tingly, shivery feeling you get from pure entertainment, you’ll also get a warning. You know, like Never, ever, ever under any circumstances say, “I’ll be right back.”

Target Predicts Teen’s Pregnancy

One dad was shocked and incensed to receive mail addressed to his pregnant daughter from Target. She absolutely was not pregnant, and he would know—he’s her father! Only, Target was right. Using a sophisticated algorithm applied to the data collected from millions of shoppers, the super-chain is actually able to determine when their female shoppers are pregnant. Not only that, but they can pretty much narrow down when the baby is due.

Now, this is a pretty impressive algorithm, but it’s also downright creepy. Someone needs to tell Target to stop peeking in people’s windows.

Orbitz Delivers More Expensive Results to Mac Users

So, Orbitz can tell what kind of computer you’re using when you visit their site. Not only that, but they’ll also rearrange the search results accordingly. If you’re a Mac user, you’re likely to spend $20 to $30 more for a hotel room than PC users. Instead of letting Mac users find those rooms on their own in a list of search results, Orbitz just puts all the expensive stuff on the top.

OfficeMax Addresses Letter to “Daughter Killed in Car Crash”

Segmenting your contact list is a great idea, but you should never let your buyers know exactly how they were separated from the rest of the crowd. OfficeMax made a pretty horrific blunder when mailing a marketing letter addressed to a dad with “Daughter Killed in Car Crash” printed on the letter and the envelope. What made it worse was, after ripping this dad’s heart out, the company then specified “Or Current Business” underneath. Because, you know, the segmenting wasn’t that important after all.

eBay Finds Customer on Facebook with Ad

Visiting a website with or without the intention to buy is fair enough for any consumer. And, of course, those sites may want to reach out after a visitor leaves to see if they’re still interested in the products searched. The problem is, when ecommerce marketing follows a buyer from the website to the buyer’s social media page—like eBay did with this customer—it kind of feels like a salesman walking in the front door and sitting down to dinner with the whole family. Weird and creepy. Someone should tell eBay, right?

British Airways Uses Facial Recognition Software

Now, this sounds like something out a futuristic sci-fi B-movie. In an attempt to provide better customer service to their most loyal customers, British Airways uses facial recognition software to pick those big spenders out of the crowd. Now, imagine how you’d feel if you were approached by name in a crowded airport, even if that person wanted to give you free stuff. The whole concept might just be a little too invasive.

As you can see, things get a little creepy when marketers have access to too much information. Stop the stalking and start building relationships! Even if you have more information than you should—like that really nervous guy who Googles his date so he’ll know what to talk about—don’t let on that you’ve done your research. Let the connection unfold naturally so you don’t end up starring in some poor, unsuspecting customer’s horror story.