From Flattery to the Out Box

The mail came today and once again I've been “validated.” Usually I'm simply “pre-approved” or “pre-registered” or some similar flattering come-on.

Banks most often ply me with a “pre-approved” rating so I can sign up for yet another credit card, even though I already carry one of theirs. If I held shares in these banks I would not be happy at the amount of money they spend on these insistent marketing efforts. If I ignore you once, you could try again. If I ignore you all the time, you should remove me from your mailing list. Doesn't seem to work that way.

Today I was “validated” for an insurance policy. This was because I’ve belonged to an association for a long time and thus earned their “Member Loyalty” benefit. It's a benefit I can do without, thank you.

I love the language in these pitch letters. Some samples for your amusement:

“I'm delighted to include your Validated Summary.” (underscore theirs)
“...you have already met the eligibility requirements...” (again, underscore theirs)

“READY FOR ISSUE—MAIL WITHOUT DELAY” (All caps and red ink their idea)

Etc, Etc. You get the idea. In my heart of cynical hearts I know they do this because to some degree a significant number of people must respond to these hard ball credit card or policy pitches.

In my case they strike out.