Capucelli - a PSA

[Indylady]

Hi everyone,

Rarely do I have to write two PSA’s in the span of a week, but I want to warn you guys against Capucelli - they make affordable mass scale tennis necklaces and bracelets. I was on their website and put a few necklaces into my cart, and today they CALLED ME ON MY CELL PHONE to follow up on the fact that I had necklaces in my cart. I do not have an account with them, I have not purchased anything from them, and I have not contacted them in anyway besides to browse the website and put something in my cart. I have no idea how they got my cell phone number, and I think it’s bizarrely creepy that they would call me. I don’t believe in doing business with companies that violate your privacy, and frankly your work day - so proceed with this info how you will.

 

[Lookinagain]

Hi everyone,

Rarely do I have to write two PSA’s in the span of a week, but I want to warn you guys against Capucelli - they make affordable mass scale tennis necklaces and bracelets. I was on their website and put a few necklaces into my cart, and today they CALLED ME ON MY CELL PHONE to follow up on the fact that I had necklaces in my cart. I do not have an account with them, I have not purchased anything from them, and I have not contacted them in anyway besides to browse the website and put something in my cart. I have no idea how they got my cell phone number, and I think it’s bizarrely creepy that they would call me. I don’t believe in doing business with companies that violate your privacy, and frankly your work day - so proceed with this info how you will.

Wow, that's strange. I was thinking maybe you were browsing on Ebay and somehow they got the info from there but I see that you were on their website and not Ebay. That is very big brotherish, to think they could figure out who you were. I'm not a tech person but perhaps someone who is can explain how this happens.

 

[musicloveranthony]

Gross. That's super creepy

 

[Indylady]

Wow, that's strange. I was thinking maybe you were browsing on Ebay and somehow they got the info from there but I see that you were on their website and not Ebay. That is very big brotherish, to think they could figure out who you were. I'm not a tech person but perhaps someone who is can explain how this happens.

Yes - direct on their website! I think they might just buy the info - your IP address + internet service provider is instantly available info to any website you visit unless you use a VPN or masking tool (like a phone number/caller ID). My guess is that there are services to match IP address to a shopper’s additional personal info and profile, including phone number and home address. Besides that - I’m sure most of the major retailers already have that combo of information (ie. I shop at Target, Lowes, etc.) - it just takes one company to have a line in their terms saying ‘we may share your info with our affiliates’ to kick off a phone campaign to your cell, in a perfectly legal fashion. Uck!

 

[TooPatient]

The recent posts don't make me feel any better.... Thanks for the warning.

 

[Karl_K]

Email me about an abandoned cart, no biggie, it has reminded me to go back and complete the purchase or I found it cheaper elsewhere and just delete the email.
However if someone called me on the phone about it then I would raise 7 shades of hell all over the net about the company.
That crosses a very very very creepy and annoyance level line.

 

[TooPatient]

Email me about an abandoned cart, no biggie, it has reminded me to go back and complete the purchase or I found it cheaper elsewhere and just delete the email.
However if someone called me on the phone about it then I would raise 7 shades of hell all over the net about the company.
That crosses a very very very creepy and annoyance level line.

Exactly. Email reminder is great. I appreciate one of those. Phone is very not cool. Leave me alone unless I ask a question and say to contact me! (Although that same pestering sales tactic is probably why I shop online whenever possible. Don't miss the big local store where three sales people were all over you before you could even get to the department you were shopping in!)

 

[TooPatient]

We actually see it as a service to dedicate a professional customer service to help making a decision and help answering all the question customer might have before completing the order. nothing creepy. No one never complained and a lot of our lovely customer loved this service and helped them making the final decision.

As one of the members of this forum likes to say, people vary. I am glad your customers enjoy the call. You might learn from this discussion that there are others who don't and consider if it is worth looking at alternatives. Maybe not. That is your choice as you know your customers. For those of us who don't like it, we can also make the choice to shop at a store that won't invade our privacy (as that is how some of us see this).

 

[bludiva]

We actually see it as a service to dedicate a professional customer service to help making a decision and help answering all the question customer might have before completing the order. nothing creepy. No one never complained and a lot of our lovely customer loved this service and helped them making the final decision.

As a seller, being defensive towards your customers is not a good look. Several people here are giving you information - that they view a phone call after an abandoned cart as an intrusion. Do with that info what you will, but please stop insisting that customers should view this as okay.

 

[MollyMalone]

Hi, how are you? We are so sorry you felt that way.

We didn't mean to violate your privacy; we didn't buy your info neither your IP address. We are truly sorry if one of our professional sales reps. called you during working hour.

We simply used a Free service provided by Shopify called " Abandoned cart Recovery "

What is abandoned cart recovery on Shopify?​

Abandoned checkouts. When a potential customer provides their contact information but doesn't complete the order, their cart is stored as an abandoned checkout. Abandoned checkout recovery is available only for the Online Store sales channel. Abandoned checkouts on Shopify POS or third party sales channels will not receive a checkout recovery email.

Hopefully this article can change your vision of our Family-owned business and give the trust all our customers have for Capucelli.

Regards
Capucelli

No, this does not explain how you got her cell phone number. In fact, the complete Shopify page re Abandoned Checkouts makes it clear that the only "recovery service" they offer is emails:

Recovering abandoned checkouts

Retrieve orders that customers abandoned before completion.

help.shopify.com

I don't know of any online shopping cart where you have to enter a phone number to continue shopping. And you could not have accessed @Indylady's cell phone order via a previous order:

Hi everyone,

* * * I do not have an account with them, I have not purchased anything from them, and I have not contacted them in anyway besides to browse the website and put something in my cart. I have no idea how they got my cell phone number, and I think it’s bizarrely creepy that they would call me. I don’t believe in doing business with companies that violate your privacy, and frankly your work day - so proceed with this info how you will.

 

[MollyMalone]

Trust me, we didn't buy any phone number. A phone number is required since we ship with UPS Insured Signature required service and a lot of times the Driver needs to have the phone number for the signatures.

This response ignores the facts that

1. Your initial replies claimed the cell phone number was obtained via Shopify
2. @Indylady has never been a customer of yours.

 

[Indylady]

I only put the items in my cart…I was not in the process of buying them and did not provide my phone number as a part of the checkout process since I was not checking out.

Capucelli reps have continued to call, leave voicemails, and text me. When I asked a rep to take me off their call list, she simply hung up on me, and the calls continued.

Anyways, the takeaway is simple - just don’t call anyone who hasn’t asked you to call them.

 

[bludiva]

No no no no no , please don't say that!! we said that :

1. The abandoned checkout recovery is a service provided by Shopify ( We simply used a Free service provided by Shopify called " Abandoned cart Recovery " ) and not the phone number. We can obtain the phone number only if the customer put in in the checkout as per picture we sent you.

2. The abandoned checkout recovery is used for users that get to checkout putting all the infos and then abandoned the page.

Hopefully we answer all your questions.

Have a wonderful week.

This response ignores the facts that

1. Your initial replies claimed the cell phone number was obtained via Shopify
2. @Indylady has never been a customer of yours.

Also being ignored imho: just because the ability to find the phone number exists doesn't mean it's appropriate to use it.

 

[telephone89]

So the company still hasn’t answered how they got OPs phone number? If she didn’t enter it in check out (as she didn’t even GET to the checkout page) how the F did this company get her #?

 

[lovedogs]

I still dont understand how the company got her phone number. If @Indylady didnt enter her number, then they didnt get it the way they claim. Yuck.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I've used Shopify before so I could get expedited shipping. That meant I had to set up and sign into my Shopify account. In those cases, the most I've gotten from the vendor when I didn't go through with a purchase was an email saying "Hey you left some stuff in your cart!" I've never had a vendor use my personal info to harass me like this. I'm so sorry, OP.

 

[lovedogs]

The only way we can have the number is if the customer put their number.

She claims she never entered it since she only put items in her cart, so It appears as though you are lying

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I get that we'll probably never know who's telling the truth about how the vendor obtained @Indylady's phone number.

But what I do know is if I ever consider shopping with this vendor, I can expect a barrage of calls, voicemails, and texts to my personal phone. And the only apology I'll get is that the vendor is sorry to have called me during work hours.

Got it.

 

[Lookinagain]

I will say that sometime after the OP's intial post (to which I responded) I was looking at their site and put something in my cart, but did no more than that. I also got a call on my cell, much to my surprise. It was just one call. Nothing after. So the number is coming from somewhere, but I still have no idea how. I've never had another vendor call me when it has been the same situation (in my cart, but nothing more).

 

[lovedogs]

I will say that sometime after the OP's intial post (to which I responded) I was looking at their site and put something in my cart, but did no more than that. I also got a call on my cell, much to my surprise. It was just one call. Nothing after. So the number is coming from somewhere, but I still have no idea how. I've never had another vendor call me when it has been the same situation (in my cart, but nothing more).

Oh look, proof of them being dishonest! I am SHOCKED

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

@capucelli: Ok, in all fairness, I do hope that you're both telling the trust. That you genuinely thought the customers' info wouldn't be shared if they hadn't inputted it themselves. Maybe it's a flaw with Shopify or something. Look forward to hearing what you find.

 

[lovedogs]

@capucelli: Ok, in all fairness, I do hope that you're both telling the trust. That you genuinely thought the customers' info wouldn't be shared if they hadn't inputted it themselves. Maybe it's a flaw with Shopify or something. Look forward to hearing what you find.

Fair point. If there was an issue with Shopify then it's not their fault. However, doubling down and being defensive isn't a good look for them.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Fair point. If there was an issue with Shopify then it's not their fault. However, doubling down and being defensive isn't a good look for them.

Oh absolutely. And sounding like a bot doesn't help their case either.

 

[TooPatient]

We are not defensive. We were just giving the information to resolve the issue we had with the customer

You do come across as defensive, but that could easily be the usual online difficulty in text only communication. That or a regional thing. (I always feel rushed or like people are irritated when I talk with east coast people. You can really see a difference if you get off the phone with a business in Louisiana then call a place in NYC )

 

[LemonMoonLex]

To me, as someone who makes 98% of all of my purchases online, irregardless of how the number was taken or found, I find a phone call to be absolutely intrusive. It comes off as not only creepy but a very aggressive sales tactic & one I've never even come across.

The idea that a company or vendor would call someone over left items in a cart is bizzare to me; I cannot understand this line of thinking. I'm not sure who would enjoy a phone call for items left in a cart unless you were already great friends or close with the vendor somehow, and even then, it's still odd.

It's a complete and utter violation of privacy & I'm saddened to see this shops response as they come off as defensive of this practice instead of truly hearing people out.

The members of this forum are major buyers of the online gem and jewelry market, I wouldn't take the opinions about this gross practice with a grain of salt but truly try to listen so that you can improve. To me that's what a great company would do, they would apologize for the inconvenience and really listen to those sharing their experience, whether they found it favorable or not.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Thank you very much for this. We did apologize for the inconvenience of calling her not the right time. The forum was about getting her information without her putting them in. We were talking about this issue and that it cannot be if the customer is not putting them in

It's not about the timing of the call. It's that your company called your clients at all before a purchase was made, regardless of where they were in the shopping process.

 

[telephone89]

Edited.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Thank you very much for this. We did apologize for the inconvenience of calling her not the right time. The forum was about getting her information without her putting them in. We were talking about this issue and that it cannot be if the customer is not putting them in

How you get your potential customers phone numbers is a whole other disturbing ordeal that definitely needs answers, but irregardless it's your company that then decides to call them.

It's not just the time of day that people have issue with, it's the call itself. It is disturbing and much too aggressive for many. For me personally, just as others have shared before me, it would turn me off from buying from the company as a whole, as it feels like an invasion of privacy.

 

[Garnetgirl]

Capucelli = "The Lady Doth Protest Too Much"

 

[Garnetgirl]

Sorry @capucelli , you misunderstood my meaning. I have now edited my post, after you "liked " it.