How do they do it?

[HazardO]

Did you pay by credit card?

 

[Moothead2]

I was handed a printed out email today that had a Durex ad on it. Thought it was best not to make a joke with his wife being with him .

 

[theMilitant]

I once had a whatsapp conversation with a friend where one of us mentioned some clothing brand I think and I almost immediately started getting Facebook ads about them. I figured that since Facebook owns whatsapp though, they probably scan through your messages to glean information for advertising, but I find that unethical. Cookies I can handle because you can delete them, but looking through your messages is a whole different level.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Amazon has a nasty habit for emailing me adverts for products... that I have already purchased or wish-listed... off Amazon

 

[Troezar]

Best way is to do a test. Search for something you'd never buy normally by various methods and see what adverts areeved up

 

[adolf hamster]

do you have a wife/partner?

Nobody who'd be searching for cappuchino's on amazon. Red bush tea maybe (but again i doubt it highly)

Maybe you just clicked a link to something coffee related you forgot about.

I'm not that into coffee, thats the funny thing, it's not something you ever find yourself googling or clicking links to.

at some point somewhere, you or someone else using a browser you're signed into has typed 'coffee' or 'cappuccino pod' or similar into google or amazon.

They're not tapping into your texts.

Id definately wasn't me, and we don't do shared computers in this house (hell i've got enough for a full family just for myself), so it wasnt someone using my account/browser.

Android or iPhone?

Do you have the Amazon app installed?

Android, and yes i do, but i don't do phone based payments.

Apps can 'read' your Texts/Emails, Apps can 'use' your Microphone/Camera and listen for key words, Smart chips in Bank/Credit cards can be tracked, you have zero privacy if you have a 'Smart' phone on you and use Cards to pay for things.

Leave the phone at home and buy things only with cash, see how well they track you after a few weeks then

This seems a bit too tin foil hat to me, i doubt thats legal, same as i doubt asda passing it on is legal.

I don't use contactless at all, and none of my card have it, so it's only chip and pin or cash.

Edit, i dont use my credit card for normal shopping, it'll have been debit or cash only

 

[helpimcrap]

Did you pay by credit card?

My first thought. Financial records wouldn't be allowed but they could allow what you bought to be used for marketing?

 

[Zogger]

Have you considered that maybe it's just a coincidence?
I just looked at amazon and it's recommending Women's jeans to me. I haven't been looking at women's jeans. Maybe the profile of other things you buy or look at suggests you might be a cappuccino drinker based on other people who look at the same things also looking at cappuccino, nothing to do with your actual cappuccino purchases.
Maybe they've been recommending it to you for ages but you've only just noticed.
Maybe you've subconsciously decided to start drinking cappuccino because they've been recommending it to you.
I think these are all more likely than they've found out you've bought some cappuccino or you've been drinking it at work lately.

edit: I don't know why I pulled this thread up from 2 days ago... must have been on an old page

 

[thep02]

Always on phone mics, cameras and location.

 

[Firestar_3x]

Someone is following you around, i'd keep looking behind if i was you.

 

[csrogue]

So thats how it knew to offer me those manacles

 

[Mynight]

Has the Amazon app started requesting mic access like Facebook did? If so you have your answer. cappuccino Is probably quite as easy word for computers to recognise.