Beware signing up to Emma's Diary!

[petitpas]

Hello ladies,

After another upsetting episode caused by Emma's Diary, I thought I would post a warning.

I signed up to Emma's Diary in early 2010. In April, I lost my pregnancy so I emailed Emma's Diary and asked them to close my account and make sure nobody contacted me about the pregnancy.

Little did I know that they had already sold my details along with my due date (November) to a number of companies. I received a number of calls from companies such as Talk Talk, all identifying themselves as having received my details from Emma's Diary (at least they were honest!).

Just weeks before my due date, which was already a sensitive time for me, I was called by a will writing service in order to prepare for the arrival of our child.

After my due date passed, I received calls and letters from a local photographic studio. Just yesterday they called for the third time and left a message for me regarding a special deal during the first year of my baby's life.

Needless to say, I have contacted Emma's Diary and they have apologised but not promised to change the way they deal with our data. Once the information is passed on they have no way of recontacting the companies and letting them know.

The photographic studio have received calls with me sobbing down the phone begging them to take me off their contact list, but to no avail.

I thought for a while that it was just me, but no! It seems that am by no means an unusual case!

Obviously, I hope that none of you have a miscarriage and go through what I did, but you might want to rethink whether you really want Emma's Diary to give out information not only about how to contact you, but when you are due a baby so that companies can target their information and cold call you. Even when you unsubscribe, your information is still used and there is no way of stopping it.

There, I've warned you and finished my rant. Keep your information safe

 

[Stef]

oh gosh!

I definately wont be joining but I know a girl from College who get all the info from her chemist and was planning on joining, ill also pass this onto her.

Im sorry for what you have gone through and thank you so much for sharing.

xx

 

[oboeverity]

Bounty sell your details too. I know this because they spelt my name wrong on their details, and I keep getting stuff with the same mistake on! Makes my blood boil!

I'm sorry this has upset you.
xxxx

 

[keeks1987]

I've had the same experience with Emma's Diary. Boots have just sent the info bout this one to other companies

 

[petitpas]

Urgh! How can they be so callous?!

 

[hayley x]

I still get post for my son, I even got one informing me of all the things he should be doing now he's approaching 2 years old!!! P**S off, I already know what I have and am missing out on. The companies are so heartless.

Thank you for sharing, I certainly wont be joining Emma's diary to you x

 

[LadyHutch]

Thank you for this information....definitely good to know.

 

[Mrmojo1971]

I also miscarried not long after I'd signed up with Emma's Diary but thankfully I either didn't give them a phone number or gave them a 'spare' mobile number I have for these purposes, and have only had a couple of charity things in the post that I think are down to them.

The worst problem I had with Emma's Diary was that they signed me up for a Next Directory (which involves a credit check). The first I found out was when the Next Directory was delivered to my door (to be billed later). It was a load of hassle getting Next to cancel the accoount.

Mamas & Papas are useless as well - I removed all trace of my December due date from their website around August time but still got an e-mail from them earlier this week - 'Congratulations on your new arrival'.

 

[petitpas]

Really sorry to hear you all had trouble, too!

I try minimizing who gets my details and in two years only gave our home number to ED. I'm actually glad now that I didn't give them my mobile! I would have been so upset having to deal with calls at work. At least this way most calls go unanswered during the day

 

[Rachel_C]

All of the companies that are giving you something for free (even if it's only money off vouchers) want/need to get their money somehow. If they have their own store or brand, they're hoping that you'll buy from them but if they're just a company who will advertise anything, it's inevitable that they will sell your details on too. I'd suggest setting up a separate email account to receive all the baby stuff, not only to protect yourself if the worst happens but also because if you sign up for everything (and why not?!) it can flood your inbox!

 

[emily86]

gosh thats terrible - thanks for the info x

 

[NOMORENUMBERS]

aw hun i am so sorry to hear the trouble you have been having! It is such cold behaviour from what is supposed to be a company understanding of what a horrific time any loss has on a woman!

i signed up with my first pregnancy and was absolutely inundated! like other posters i gave an old number and used a second email address, even now if i dont sign in for a week i literally no exageration have 150 un read email s each week!

I used to go on babycentre, not sign up or anything and you can look up your babies size and development and get loads of info on there, to be honest in comparison emmas diary is not as informative

 

[maybethisit]

Thanks for this, so sorry you've had such a horrible experience. I nearly gave my phone number but suddenly stopped and realised what I was doing so I scribbled it out until it was totally obliterated and just gave address and my special 'junkmail' email that I keep for this sort of thing. But I felt really annoyed at the way it was done - at our scan at the hospital booking in counter, when I handed in my hospital notes and the appointment was confirmed, the woman just handed me the small sample pack and a form and just said, 'fill this in, please and then hand it back to me', like it was an official medical form! I couldn't believe it - went off to our seats muttering to other half 'what's this, compulsory marketing??' but really felt under pressure to fill the thing in. Obviously we could have binned it then and there but I quite fancied the free samples and vouchers so I thought that a bit of extra junk mail and email wouldn't be too much bother, but I am SO glad now reading this that I withheld our phone number. I must admit I never stopped to think what would happen with it all if there was no heartbeat on the scan or something awful... But what was that about - are the hospital getting commission or something???

 

[petitpas]

All of the companies that are giving you something for free (even if it's only money off vouchers) want/need to get their money somehow. If they have their own store or brand, they're hoping that you'll buy from them but if they're just a company who will advertise anything, it's inevitable that they will sell your details on too. I'd suggest setting up a separate email account to receive all the baby stuff, not only to protect yourself if the worst happens but also because if you sign up for everything (and why not?!) it can flood your inbox!

That is an excellent point! I can only join you in recommending a separate email account. I have one and it has been lovely to look in and get weekly updates when I wanted to, but ignore it completely when I had another loss.

 

[petitpas]

Thanks for this, so sorry you've had such a horrible experience. I nearly gave my phone number but suddenly stopped and realised what I was doing so I scribbled it out until it was totally obliterated and just gave address and my special 'junkmail' email that I keep for this sort of thing. But I felt really annoyed at the way it was done - at our scan at the hospital booking in counter, when I handed in my hospital notes and the appointment was confirmed, the woman just handed me the small sample pack and a form and just said, 'fill this in, please and then hand it back to me', like it was an official medical form! I couldn't believe it - went off to our seats muttering to other half 'what's this, compulsory marketing??' but really felt under pressure to fill the thing in. Obviously we could have binned it then and there but I quite fancied the free samples and vouchers so I thought that a bit of extra junk mail and email wouldn't be too much bother, but I am SO glad now reading this that I withheld our phone number. I must admit I never stopped to think what would happen with it all if there was no heartbeat on the scan or something awful... But what was that about - are the hospital getting commission or something???

My midwife recommended signing up and I did it online. That's rather shameless to have people sign up at the hospital!

 

[K4tiemay]

I signed up to pampers for freebies during my last pregnancy. I had a mc and tried to unsubscribe. I called them and emailed repeatedly, but kept getting emails about how far along my pregnancy was and how big my baby now is. They told me that I wasn't registered, but kept sending me things. I was coping fairly well, so found it a mild irritant, but if it happened this time (after one loss already) I really don't know if I'd manage it so well.
Forewarned is forearmed I think, so I will be waiting until my pregnancy is much further along this time. ED sounds even worse!

 

[MiissDior]

I was wondering why i was getting mysterious emails from companies
tell me about the milestones my baby girl would have been at
newborn
6months
crawling
walking
talking
weaning
potty training
starting preschool
when in fact she had died.. my baby never got to experience any of this as she was taken from me at 42wks.. and they have the cheek to sell our details off.. basta*ds
I didnt join emmas diary it was another company similar to Bounty.
and these emails and mails haunted me.. especially the 1st couple of years when my princess would have been doing all the tings they were saying
I felt like writting back to them , sending backing there stupid f**king coupons and vouchers and say ''rather than send me this crap for a baby that died, would you not consider a wreath or flowers more appropiate?''but i didnt cus i was too hurt and afraid of the reply
Thanks for the heads up ..il not join ED xxx​

 

[Dragonfly]

I dont sign up to anything like this any more . I used to and am in emmas diary in my old address and never even recieved the stupid argos vouchers but had junk mail from everywhere none of it useful. My fault for signing up to things i thouht I was going to get cool free stuff for. Its not worth a tube of tiny bapanthen or small thimble of sudo cream to give your details away . Also scammers can use your details to I see a friend who was sent parking fine debt collectors threat letters that threatened court on them and they where scams. I hate my names on the electoral roll so any one can see .

Also I cant begin to comprehend how it feels to have them letters and emails send when your baby didnt make it. I feard when pregnant it would happen to me as i was getting them before and after my son was born.

 

[Lottie86]

My situation is totally different but I too wish I had never signed up for Bounty or to the Tesco/Sainsbury's baby clubs. It upsets me so much when I get emails or magazines through telling me what my 'active toddler' should be doing now he's almost 2 when in fact due to his problems he's only developmentally around the same stage as a 4 month old.
Most of the time I just delete them straight away but at times (like today ) I do read them and then end up that F isn't doing the things he should be for his age and may never be able to do those things.

Needless to say I won't be signing up to anything this time!

 

[Steve 77]

Hi all, Think this is my first ever post on a forum…. Myself and my wife have gone through the same situation as a lot of the posters on this thread. We also lost a baby to miscarriage and have been subject to the constant reminders from faceless companies ever since, even after un-subscribing from their mailing lists. All of the contact we have received was from companies associated with Emma’s Diary, but from reading other forums they are not alone.

My wife and I feel we may have reached an end point in this disgraceful saga, so I like to share our experience so that it may help others. Firstly I sent a very strong worded email to Emma’s diary asking to be put in contact with the Managing Director of the company, this they promptly did. I explained the situation and demanded action. In all fairness the whole situation was dealt with very swiftly and comprehensively, we also provided some suggestions to prevent it happening again. We received a full apology. The MD of Lifecycle Marketing who run Emma’s diary, David Castle handled the whole situation and also provided us with links to the Baby Mailing Preference Service, (as well as other preference services) and the information Commissioner’s Office. The BMPS are set up for situations like this and will remove people’s names from contact and mailing lists. The commissioner’s office is the office to contact if you wish to escalate a complaint further. This site won't allow me to publish links or email addresses, If somebody from 'Baby and Bump' actually read this post then maybe they would make an exception to their 'minimum 10 posts before sharing links and email addresses' rule! If you contact me directly through this site I will provide you with links to the two organisation's mentioned above.

The one area I am still not satisfied with is David Castle’s insistence that our case was, in his words ‘a rare occurrence’ I requested if this was the case then maybe he should reply to a selection of the huge numbers of forum posts disgusted with his companies behaviour with his personal contact details. I received no response. If you are also subject to one of the ‘rare occurrences’ as we were, then I suggest you email him directly. Again. this website won't allow me to share email addresses (others have) I suggest you contact me directly through this web-site if you would require David's contact details.

I encourage you to share a link to this post on other forums to help others in this situation.

Thanks Steve