Unwanted spam

[Tzael]

I have started receiving unsolicited emails from EI Interactive advertising their services through a newsletter. Ok first of all I do have accounts on the NA shards, so you might expect that I would receive Horizons newsletters sent to the email address associated with those accounts.

Unfortunately for EI it is not the email address associated with my North American accounts that I am receiving this 'Game Intruder Official Newsletter #3' through. It is the email address used for my European Horizons account.

I hope EI understand the implications of EU law and specifically the data protection act. There is a very good reason why GN could not give EI personal customer data without a customer's prior consent. I do believe the law was broken when GN gave this data to Tulga, and I get the impression that GN had their wrists slapped and are keen to avoid further legal wrangling. Nevertheless it is important for EI to understand where they are breaking the law.

I am not simply going to say "this is the email address that I am receiving unsolicited emails through, please remove it from your mailing lists". That gives EI an easy option and does absolutely nothing to benefit others who may be affected. It is also not how the law works in the EU regarding unsolicited mailings.

Please verify your mailing lists EI. I will let a single wrong-doing slide, don't let it happen again.

[Peaches]

Legal issues, accusations, such as this, do NOT belong on the boards.

[Tzael]

I disagree Peaches, these forums are a means for us to communicate amongst ourselves and with EI. Contacting EI directly will do little to resolve the problem since it has been demonstrated that public outcry is the only means of demonstrating the need for a resolution.

Regardless of my viewpoint, this is not an accusation. This is a matter of fact. EI has used information for marketing purposes that they do not have permission to use in this manner.

I'm all for resolving this amicably Peaches. Please don't turn this into something bigger than it needs to be by blowing it out of proportion.

[Phillip]

You couldn't PM Nagafen for this? It seems he's been good at answering your questions and it also appear that you appreciated his replies.

[IndyMan]

will you pm him with any good ideas you have for anything ?

[Phillip]

Prob not since he's the marketing guy. I pm the other guys with my kick butt ideas.

[Ankua Daru]

Hmm, *checks email* nope figures no news letter. Are you sure EI is sending this junk to you? I have never received a newsletter from Horizons, but then again my isp may be catching them.
As for PM Nag about this sounds reasonable that you do send him a message so he knows. I bet you already did but probably have heard nothing back, so in that case I fully agree with making this public if private means are not working.

[Tzael]

Yeah Phillip I could've PM'd Nagafen about this. Then again how long would it be before someone else posts about it ? I'm guessing most people who have received this email thus far have paid no heed on the grounds that it tallies with their Horizons account email. In my case it was sent to an email address that EI have no permission to retain or use, it was not sent to the email address used for my existing NA accounts. I've said what needs to be said on the matter and I've said it publicly instead of trying to get somewhere with PMs, so I guess it's up to others to state their opinions now.

Hi Ankua, yeah I'm sure it's from EI, here's the header from the email :

From: "Nicholas Dobbins" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Game Intruder Official Newsletter Issue #3
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 15:41:20 -0700

[Phillip]

Yeah Phillip I could've PM'd Nagafen about this. Then again how long would it be before someone else posts about it?

So that's why you post this, because someone else may post it sometimes in...time?

I see. My apologies I must have misunderstood you.

[Varangaard]

Popping in to mention that I have received such an email as well. Now if EII is not aware of this already - I doubt they aren't - they have a bunch of European accounts in their customer database as per one-time transfer between TG and GN. When you send mail to your NA customers, it will also reach certain EU players. Perhaps you could add a simple opt-out checkbox to HZ login site (I can log in just fine to check the box since your database has my EU login). As I am no longer a HZ player, and consequently not a customer of EII, I'm not really interested in newsletters. And, once you get the customer and subscription database working, it should be a simple matter to add some code so letters are not sent to inactive subscriptions.

[Ankua Daru]

Ack game intruder!! lol I was looking at that site earlier laughing to myself about how the forums were down saying to myself "It figures". I also had a good laugh at the 14 day trial ad for HZ thinking now how are you supposed to play with no character creation. I say let the world know of such events.

Free Nelson Mand.. oh ya he is free um.. buy peeps they are tasty!

[Theros Ironfeld]

Australian players are recieving this as well ( edit cancelled h.z account email addys i might add)
email is labeled as [email protected] from a nick dobbins
not saying anything else bout this.

[snickel]

Received this as well -- and cannot remember agreeing to do so when I created the account.

I would like to see an official statement on this matter, therefore I think Tzael is right to post this here.

[Tzael]

Thankyou for the information Luca. I feel better knowing that GN did not deliberately hand over any of our personal information.

EI needs to understand that the majority of EU countries only support opt-in policies for mailing lists, not an opt-out policy. There are still a number of countries around the world where opt-out mailings are perfectly legitimate so the best advice I can offer is for EI to utilise rules when sending mailings out, ie considering country; also provide a clear indication of where people can opt in and out of the mailings.

[Rhialto]

I also received it!

I hope this issue can be dealt with maturely and consequently these mails are stopped immediately or a way to remove yourself from this list is made possible so everyone can decide for himself if they want these mails.

[Tsarevna]

I'm thinking a good solution would be to have "opt-out" options (like checked/unchecked boxes) in your account page once you login.

As soon as you uncheck the box that says "I want special offers and newsletters!" you stop getting the offers and newsletters. Unchecking the box would instantly take you off the mailing list.

[Peaches]

But they provide two choices

1 to opt out or recieve emails from their company only
2. to opt out or recieve email from other sources

I always choose to recieve on the first one, but opt out on the second one. I don't like missing important announcements.

[Fratricide]

I checked my Email and noticed I also had this mailing. I noticed there was a review made by one calling himself "Willow" about Horizons. I dont know when the review was written, but it states that he created a Dragon character and played it.

Now... I may just be me, but with all the character creation issues as of late, If this review was written recently, it can be quite obvious that the review was put there just mearly to boost recognition of the game from in-house. What bothers me is they would post a review that says try the 14 day trial of a game you cannot currently create a character on.

Sorry if I sound quite Pessimistic, but thats how I see it. And yes.. I just tried to create a new character and still nothing happens.

K... Ill keep looking here and there for some real news, perhaps Danu will return my PM with some answers to the questions he asked me for... who knows... It might have been just another flash of the mirror and disillutionment of smoke

[Tympest]

I got this thing as well. I don't play Horizons anymore, I haven't subscribed in ages. I don't want spam. Please take me off your list.

[Xante]

I have received this mail also in my private mailbox. And this is very suprising there i do not play hz for nearly 2 years on Unity and I have never given permission for transfer of my personal information which was held by GN.

But they provide two choices

1 to opt out or recieve emails from their company only
2. to opt out or recieve email from other sources

I always choose to recieve on the first one, but opt out on the second one. I don't like missing important announcements.

Hz Unity is run by GN and as Luca pointed out, they are obliged to the Data protection act under the European law which prevent/forbids them to tranfser personal data without the personal consent of the person in question.

With the fact that i just mentioned (for current and ex unity players ) is hte 2 choices that you mention irrelevant, peaches. it is not if you want it or not that is the issue, it is the "getting hold of personal information" by EI from (ex)players without consent that is the issue.

therefore i request a clear public statement from EI where/how they have "found/received" my (and any possible other (ex)players) email adress without their personal consent. At the same time I request that EI gives the people affected by this a clear process of how they will destroy this personal information they possess and a garantuee that EI has destroyed the iunformation and that furhter breaches of the European Data protection act will not happen.

I look forward hearing from you,

Xante