What is the Fishbowl privacy policy? Is a business card opting in?
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I was surprised to get an email from Potbelly. I’ve occasionally gotten a sandwich there, and I had once dropped a card into the fishbowl they have there to win lunch. I didn’t think I’d ever opt’d in to receive email. The email I received appeared to conform to the CAN SPAM requirements, providing a physical email address and a way to opt out. Out of curiosity, I checked out the Potbelly privacy policy. This sentence seems to cover it: We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. Out of curiosity, I went back to the store to see if the promotional piece had said anything about email. It was inconclusive today, as there was a fishbowl with literally nothing on it. A clear, transparent fishbowl. People will still happily dropping cards in, undoubtedly assuming there was some reason for doing so 
In general, it seems logical to me that if you drop a card in, you should probably expect to get an email. Why else would a business be doing it? Given the huge number of restaurants near Discovery HQ, an investigation commenced.
McDonalds, Chik-fil-A — no opportunities to win free lunch 
Eggspectations - Win a free lunch for two - no policy
Chipotle - win a lunch - no policy
Lebanese Taverna - win lunch for two, we’ll send you a copy of our menu.
The pho restaurant - everyone wins lunch for them and friends, if you’re willing to sit through an Ameriprise presentation on financial planning. Clearcut policy, but not really a free lunch.
And, the winner for the clearest “Fishbowl privacy policy” is Noodles & Company. They tell you that you’re signing up for “free noodles”, and that you could win lunch for 8. They also tell you on the fishbowl, and via conveniently located entry forms, in case you don’t have a card, that you’re going to receive email, and that their privacy policy is online at the website.
-Josh
Technorati Tags: business cards, privacy, restaurants
Seems to me that there really is no such thing as a free lunch. Yeah you might not have to pay for food, but you will receive an email that may or may not annoy you.
Dropping your card is a big gamble, you might get a free lunch, you might get unwanted email. If you don’t want the latter, seems you shouldn’t put yourself out there by giving your card.