Another Point of Singularity

I had a bad experience with an online vendor of a certain sort of product some years back. (Shrug) It happens. The thing is, it was one of those "It'll be a cold day in Hades before I do business with that guy again" kind of things. That is solely my own opinion, based on my experiences. I won't name the guy's business, as it is pretty much a one-man band kind of thing. I don't wish the guy ill, I just choose not to do business with him.

So, the vendor puts me on a mailing list and I get his annual clearance email once a year. I pretty much made it clear that I would never do business with the guy again after our last transaction, and when I got the first email, I asked to be removed from his mailing list. Dunno if the email got lost or ignored intentionally, but once again, I would get the semi-annual emailing from the guy. I don't believe I ever bothered to repeat the request again-- I just deleted them out of hand. That is, until the recent mailing.

My request was courteous enough, I thought:

At 11/XX/2007, you wrote:

May I be removed from this list, please?

Thanks,

(Nizz)

To which I get this response.. it starts off somewhat corporate-smarmy but the real zinger, in my point of view, is the last sentence:

(Nizz),

While we hate to lose you as a subscriber, we have unsubscribed you from our services. You'll not receive any further emailings from us except in reply to something you send to us.

I'm sorry that we could not be of greater service to you. But by all means please think of us should you be looking for a game of some form, whether new or used.

Thanks, (Nizz), for your one order three years ago. (emphasis mine -- MrN)

(initials)

Now, he did what I wanted and I no longer care, but I do find this really funny as a response. It sings to me.. "What, you bought ONE FREAKIN' ORDER from me and you have the temerity to not want to be on my little email list that generates two emails a year?? How dare you!" Yes, I'm reading into things here but my original dealings with this vendor give me a firm foundation to speculate about the intent.

Now, if it were ME at the other end of that, I might be asking something like.. "Hey, (Nizz).. you only ordered ONE order from me three years ago, and you seem to have had such a negative reaction about it that you've: A) never ordered anything again, and don't even wish to hear from me one or two times a year. Is there anything I can do to regain your future custom? Was it price? customer service or the lack thereof? the website? my e-commerce model? TALK TO ME, (Nizz)!!!"

But hey, he is he and me is me.. It's a funny old world. Perhaps I'm just reading too much into it.