[LINK] Request to Qantas to Keep Offering Plain Text Email

[Greg Taylor]

There's worse.

There's an identifying tracking image in the message so they can monitor whether you read it, and when, and where.

Greg

On 2012/11/08 11:55 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
> On 07/11/12 19:48, Justin Hyams, Executive Manager, Qantas Frequent
> Flyer emailed me to say:
>
>> Our records show that you are receiving emails from us in text-only
>> format. This means that your emails appear with no formatting,
>> colour or images. ...
> Yes, my preferred email format is plain text, with no formatting, colour
> or images.
>
>> We'd like to advise that on 22 November, 2012 we will automatically
>> update your preferred email format to HTML. ...
> No, please don't change to sending me HTML formatted email, as I find
> them harder to read. Please send simple, short text messages with a link
> to details on the web.
>
> My Spam filter detected the excessive formatting in the email you sent
> me and placed it in the junk mail folder. If you send messages with even
> more images and formatting it is likely the Spam filter will delete them
> without my ever seeing them. Even if I get the messages it will be
> difficult to discern the useful information content from the clutter of
> the images and formatting.
>
>> ... receive from us will look more like a web page ...
> If you send out poor quality messages, in addition to a loss of business
> due to messages not being readable, you may also be in contravening
> Australian law. The Disability Discrimination Act requires you to
> provide services to people with a disability, including those with
> limited eyesight. If your messages rely on colour and images which some
> people can't see, then some people will not be able to read them and you
> will be acting unlawfully: http://www.w3.org/WAI/bcase/socog-case-study
>
> There are well established guidelines for designing web pages to make
> the easily readable and I suggest you apply these to your HTML formatted
> email. However, it would be even better if you were to continue to give
> customers, such as me, who want plain text messages, that option:
> http://humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/standards/www_3/www_3.html
>
> ps: Apart from your email format, there are problems with other Qantas
> communication. I was unable to renew my Qantas club membership as I did
> not know what corporate code to enter. Qantas did not reply to my query.
>
> Unfortunately as the return address on your message was "do not reply" I
> did not know how to contact you and so have posted this to the Internet,
> in the hope someone will pass it on to Qantas.
>
>