O2 hits button on location-based ads

O2 is to start pushing out SMS and MMS advertising, based on where you are and without requiring smartphones or apps - though the operator promises it will be an opt-in service. From today O2 customers who have signed up to O2 More will receive messages pushed from Starbucks and L'Oreal, regardless of their handset or contract …

[Anonymous Coward]

Okay, I'll bite...

"they've been criminally slow to take advantage of it"

Err, no. I'm already paying them for their services and as long as I pay duly pay for it I expect them to leave me the f*ck alone. I do not care about anything they THINK that I want, I KNOW what I want... I am not there to be monetized any further. DO NOT try and profile me, DO NOT try and pigeon-hole me, just take my money, provide the service, disappear into the background and NEVER, EVER bother me ever again.

However, top marks to O2 for making this opt-in and not automatically bothering me with offers of hair products I'm not going to buy and coffee I don't want to drink.

"It seems likely there will come a time when failing to opt in to such a system leads to a more expensive tariff"

Thats fine, I'll opt-in for a cheaper tariff, but don't be surprised to find I never, ever read them or even know I've got them... Apart from the first one of course. After that software for my smartphone allows me to automatically ignore and delete messages from sources of my choosing, without even getting a notification that they ever arrived in the first place.

[Anonymous Coward]

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[David Perry 2]

Location based vouchers

Are they going to dish out vouchers maybe, e.g. get fiver off bill at this restaurant that's within walking distance of your current location by waving this text at the waiter/waitress when you ask for the bill? That would encourage me to sign up, if it was at minimum a clean hygeinic place to eat.

[Fred 5]

Out out? Yeah right.

I've been trying to opt out of O2's regular text spam for months. Customer Services always tell me that this time I'm opted out but still the texts keep coming. Not all that often, but irritating.

Actually, not had one for a few weeks now. Maybe they finally managed it. Just before it all starts again.

[Wize]

Took a while to get Vodafone to do the same

Tried to explain to them I didn't want their junk to be repeatedly told that some companies send spam and pretend to be from Vodafone. Phone companies don't seem to grasp the idea that their adverts are unwanted.

It took several calls and eventually a word with a manager who fully understood English to turn the junk off.

[Paul Kennedy]

Thanks for the heads up

Pops over to O2 to ensure 'More' is not enabled....

[thefutureboy]

That's working well then...

...as I received my Starbucks ad when I was 3 miles from the nearest town that has said establishment. Obviously I did seriously consider the offer so tempting that maybe I should rush to the nearest Starbucks but managed to talk myself down.

[Anonymous Coward]

I got one in my kitchen

I'm at least 5 miles from the nearest Starbucks. Perhaps it picked up that I was walking past my kettle?

[Derichleau]

Not happy with the ads, then it's easy to make them stop

If you're not happy with O2 bombarding you with adverts just send them a Section 11 (DPA) notice requesting them to cease processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. An organisation has a legal obligation to respond to such a request and no more adverts - ever, from O2. www.mindmydata.co.uk.

[Tigra 07]

no title required

I never opted in but continually get stupid messages from them since i bought my new phone

[dephormation.org.uk]

Note FAQ15

https://www.o2more.co.uk/faqs

15. What information about me will you use for this?

Only things we've learnt about you since you've been on O2.

For example, if we know you download music to your phone,

we'll send you details of a music offer.

Pardon? What are O2 playing at, examining the content of user communications? That is rather Phorm like if so. With location thrown in as an afterthought.

Another good reason to avoid Telefonica/O2 like the plague. I pay my telco to provide a private/confidential telecommunications service, not bug/stalk/spy on/spam me.

[Graham Anderson]

O2 More says nothing about constant location snooping

The Placecast technology uses cell tower triangulation at the carrier network level. So Placecast will have a stream of your movements AT ALL TIMES.

People are used to location apps being about checking-in - the O2 More faqs make no mention of the fact that a 3rd party will constantly be following them around to see if they go anywhere near a Starbucks.

[RobE]

This will seriously annoy people

Just as the metro and evening standard are free and saturated with adverts, and facebook is free but saturated with adverts and youtube is free but now saturated with adverts .. The only sure way for telcos to win is to follow suit.

As a paying customer I do *not* want to receive a single advert direct to my phone (unless there is some sort of compensation that goes with it - eg 25% off at a certain restaurant could be attractive).