bad_service, but I thought this would be the best community to come to for opinions.A few days ago I came home from work, picked up my mail from it's designated spot on the table, and started leafing through the contents. One of the items was one of those reminder post cards that many dentists and specialist send out to remind you it's time to come in for a check up. Since I don't have a need for any doctors outside of my general practitioner I assumed it was from my dentist and threw it on my desk to make an appointment later.
Today I found my way back to it under the pile of "stuff I need to do something with at some point", only to discover that it was from an eye care place. This wouldn't be that odd... excepting the fact that I can't even remember the last time I had my eyes checked, and I certianly have never had them examined in my adult life, becasue despite being born to a family of blind people, I have PERFECT VISION! I even called my mom to see if she or my father had ever been there to eliminate any reasonable cause for me receiving this. They hadn't, which I knew, because they both get there eyes examined at Lens Crafters or some other such chain of eyeware stores. Which leads me to believe that this was sent to me from some sort of mailing list.
This bothers me for many reasons. It does not state that it is an advertisement or solicitation anywhere, nor does it even allude to it. Now, I'm definitely a scatterbrain, and the only reason I was positive I've never had my eyes checked there is because I have no need to get my eyes checked at all. What if I didn't have perfect vision? I very well would have called them to make an appointment assuming it was the same place I had been the last time I had my eyes checked.
I really think this is a shady way to "advertise", and I hate to think that this place might be luring in business by people who, like me, don't always remember the health care professionals or their locations that they don't have to see on a semi-regular basis. I couldn't tell you where I had physical therapy, or who my nose, ear, and throat guy is if my life depended on it. Their cards and information are somewhere in a file or a stack, and I'll dig them out when and if I need them again.
I was thinking about not only writing them a letter, but contacting the BBB as well. This really bothers me, especially considering people who might be on fixed incomes or have special insurance needs that could possibly have services rendered and not be covered. Am I overreacting? Should I just put it in the rectangular file with the rest of the junk mail and forget it?
Editing for clarification:
It was addressed TO ME. It said:
"Our records indicate that it is time for your next checkup." "Please call to schedule your appointment"
Then at the bottom there was two lines for appointment time and date and a line that said something like "retain this card to keep your appointment information".
It didn't look like junk. They claim "their records", which they don't have, say it's time for me to have a check-up. IMO that goes beyond junk mail or solicitation that's made to look like something it's not (the fake checks, sweepstakes thingies, and others)because at least on those types of things in small print somewhere it is stated that it's an advertisement, or is at least obvious to anyone with half a brain that it is one. I'm not trying to be overly anal or anything I just think some of you don't get that this in no way shape or form looked like junk, and I could easily see how people might end up getting screwed by that fact.
Oh, and a little good_service:
Thank you a million times over to the people at Nasser Tire. I had a flat last night, and I could't for the life of me find the paperwork today that states I have the road hazard coverage on my tires, and being that this is a locally owned family business they don't keep anything on file as to who has it and who doesn't.
They took my word for the fact that I had purchaced it, took care of me even though I was a walk-in this morning and they were short a man, and had me in and out in 30 minutes with a complementary tire rotation and alignment. I paid 50% of the new tire (if the flat is ruined, which mine was, the road hazard covers half) gladly, and they will have my business as long as I live somewhere remotely close to the area.