Email Marketing and Auto-Responders: The Day I Got Dumped By An Auto-Responder

I am really depressed today. An old e-newsletter flame that dumped me many months ago sent me an email out of the blue. I hadn't received any emails from this old flame in months. I did not even think I was still on the list. Receiving that e-newsletter conjured up feelings of betrayal and hurt that I thought I had resolved after dozens of sessions with my therapist. And to make matters worse, the email newsletter was trying to get me to buy some product, from another company, that my old flame was 'recommending.' My flame did not even have the decency to send me an email newsletter about how things were going in his neck of the woods. I still can't believe any of this is happening. My therapist says that journaling about my problems will bring clarity and understanding. I hope she's right. I guess the best place for me to start is to outline how this sordid affair ever began in the first place. If I get emotional, please forgive me. I really cared for my old flame and my heart is still a little tender. I just don't understand how any of this happened. I never signed up for the pain and tears my old flame left me with. I never signed up for being dumped by an auto-responder email newsletter. But let's go back eight months so I can tell you how this auto-responder and I first met. Back in May, a friend of mine told me about a great self-development book she was reading. She couldn't stop talking about it; every time I saw my friend she talked and talked about the book. She kept on telling me I would really like it. After days and days of hearing about the book I went online and bought it. What do you know, my friend was right! I really liked the book. Within the first few chapters I was putting the methods into practice and seeing great results. After reading about a quarter of the book I wanted to know more about the author and his company so I followed the URL on the back of the book to the author's website. There was a ton of information about the book as well as highlights of courses and seminars that were being offered at different locations around the world. It seemed that the company was offering seminar versions of what was covered in the book for those who either had ADD or were short on time and where unable to read the 400-plus-page book. I didn't really pay much attention to all the information about the courses and seminars since I already had the book and didn't mind the lengthy read. I did notice an e-newsletter signup box on the homepage, though. "Why not?" I thought. Maybe I would find out more ways to apply the principles in the book. Soon I was receiving e-newsletters every Wednesday. I was right! Each email newsletter outlined different methods from the book. There were lots of real life application examples and testimonials from people who had also applied the principles. Oh sure, there were ads mentioning the courses and seminars, but I didn't mind. Within a few weeks I was looking forward to getting my weekly e-zine. It was official. This e-newsletter and I were going steady. A few weeks later, Wednesday came and I didn't get an email newsletter from my flame. I was perplexed. Those weekly e-zines were really helping me as I studied the book. I did not want to miss any of the valuable information so I went back to the website and signed up again. Just like when I signed up the first time, the signup form asked me for my name. I was already signed up under the name Joan and wanted to see if my original signup was still out there. I knew the only way I could track my signups was to choose another name. I picked an alternate name, went ahead and signed up, and eagerly awaited the next e-newsletter. Soon I was back on track and receiving the weekly e-zine. I could tell my second signup had worked because my alternate name was being used. It was kind of funny and I wondered if anyone ever looked at the names on that email newsletter list. I guess I will never know, but at least it gave me a bit of a giggle every time I open my weekly e-newsletters and read the opening salutation of 'Dear Squidlips.' A few weeks after my Squidlips signup, I started to get strange feelings of d