Why is it so difficult to unsubscribe from SAP emails?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Marketing Land describes that some companies prioritize subscriber retention over user experience, leading to intentionally cumbersome unsubscribe processes to discourage users from opting out.
Marketer from Email Geeks, who works for an SAP group company, points out that SAP does have an unsubscribe page but acknowledges the issue of being redirected to a preference center.
Email marketer from Super User explains that SAP, like many large enterprises, may suffer from legacy systems and complex data management, where unsubscribe requests aren't consistently propagated across all their marketing databases. Meaning you might be unsubscribed from one list but still get emails from a different team.
Marketer from Email Geeks raises CAN-SPAM compliance concerns regarding SAP's unsubscribe process, particularly the requirement for someone else's permission to unsubscribe.
Email marketer from EmailGeek shares that many large companies struggle with fragmented marketing systems and data silos, leading to inconsistent unsubscribe experiences. Users might be subscribed to multiple lists across different departments.
Email marketer from Medium article shares that the complex nature of SAP's business and diverse product lines might result in various email marketing campaigns operating independently, making it difficult to consolidate unsubscribe preferences.
Email marketer from Quora shares the issue of large organizations maintaining multiple email lists managed by different departments, which leads to a fragmented unsubscribe experience for users. Unsubscribing from one list may not unsubscribe you from all.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that difficult unsubscribe processes might be a deliberate tactic by SAP to keep users engaged, despite their preferences. They speculate this could be driven by marketing goals.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that some companies intentionally make unsubscribing difficult to retain subscribers, using tactics such as hidden unsubscribe links or requiring multiple steps.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares a frustrating experience with SAP's unsubscribe process, which involves opening a support ticket and providing personal data, making it unnecessarily complicated.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that difficulty in unsubscribing from SAP emails often stems from their complex system where different departments or product lines operate independently, managing their email lists separately. This lack of a unified system can lead to a fragmented and frustrating unsubscribe experience for users.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from GDPR.EU explains that under GDPR, users have the right to withdraw consent to processing their personal data, which includes email subscriptions. Companies must make it as easy to withdraw consent as it was to give it.
Documentation from CAN-SPAM Act details the legal requirements for commercial emails, including providing a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of receiving future emails. Senders must honor opt-out requests promptly.
Documentation from SAP Help Portal states that SAP systems should provide clear and accessible mechanisms for managing email subscriptions and unsubscribes, but acknowledges that configurations and user roles can impact the ease of this process.