@Anonymous wrote:I'm brand new to AMEX, and that line BOTHERED me the first time I saw it. The word " Not " really jumped out as I glanced at it for the first time in the subject title of the email. For a very brief moment, that word("Not") in my mind triggered memories of a transaction or 2 that did "not" go through, and the feeling controlled by the unconscious that went along with it. Yeah, I was relatively quickly over it, but it still was not necessary, and far from optimal, in my opinion.
"Not" is the 2nd word, whereas "Approved" is the 5th and last. I think it still bothered me the 2nd time, though not as much. I also imagine I can change my alert settings, but that is not the point. I think the choice of words is very poor, regardless if anyone here agrees with me or not. I may even contact American Express and express(not sure if I intended that pun) my feelings on the matter. Words are very important, and I just wanted to see if anyone else had a similar reaction the first time they saw this. Subconscious reactions often are more powerful tham conscious ones, and for me this is an example of such.
Myself, I have not had a single other card use wording like that. I know what it means, but I feel whomever chose that wording did a far less than optimal job. If you disagree, I am interested in your thoughts as well. It's possible some folks like or are neutral to seeing that everytime they make an online purchase, or even the first time or 2 before they mess around with the alert options. I havent done so, but think I will due to the wording, even though the alert itself is useful. especially since I had my AMEX envelope with the card opened, as detailed in my semi-epic approval thread, but the wording just gnaws at me for whatever reason(s).
If you have similar stories with anything, the thread is open to that as well.
EDIT: this is an industry that mints money, someone with a large salary is responsible for the wording, and folks familiar with psychology and marketing can do a better job than this. Regardless of the replies here, there are large amounts of people out in the real world, so that a minoruty can still be a sizeable group. I'm not angry or bitter, just making a point with what I've learned on my own that apparently does not resonate with whatever individual came up with that email subject/title.
I have that alert set up on my Charge Cards. I use it on those and they pop whenever I have online purchases. I have it on those two because those cards are ones I have to pay the full balance on upon statement cut date. I will say is didn't do me much good when my PRG was cloned and someone went on a little shopping spree without my knowledge. Since they had a physical card, they could swipe the card at the terminal and no alert was sent. AMEX did catch the charges and notified me. They canceled the charges and the card and sent me a new one in 2 days. AMEX took real good care of me during that experience.
I will agree that they could have come up with a better alert title, because, even when I'm expecting the alert, it still bothers me a little.