Products · Broad category
Marketing emails
Raised as a usability problem by 37 people on Hacker News over 16 years (2011–2026), in 33 threads.
This is a broad category rather than one product, so its issues aren't ranked on the home page.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
- 1
- 2
Every issue, all time, most people first
Unsubscribing doesn't stick; users are re-opted in a year laterUnreviewed
20112026- Unsubscribing from one promotional list still leaves the person enrolled in several others2026-06-04
- Unchecking the signup box doesn't stop emails; people get signed up by default2024-08-12
- Unsubscribing doesn't stick; users get re-opted in to marketing emails a year later2024-01-10
Confusing checkboxes opt users into marketing emails after signupUnreviewed
20112026- Unclear whether checking the label enables or opts out of marketing emails2023-12-02
- Marketing consent checkbox is pre-checked by default, so users opt in without noticing2022-11-20
- Confusing registration checkboxes silently subscribe people to marketing newsletters2020-05-30
Unsubscribe link forces a login before opting outUnreviewed
20112026- Unsubscribe link is hidden in tiny small print at the bottom2025-07-09
- Unsubscribe requires logging in, explaining reasons, and uses dark-pattern button colours2024-01-10
- Unsubscribe button is hard to find, so users block or report instead2023-12-17
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 37 complaints
- Unsubscribing from one promotional list still leaves the person enrolled in several others2026-06-04
- Unsubscribe link is hidden in tiny small print at the bottom2025-07-09
- Unchecking the signup box doesn't stop emails; people get signed up by default2024-08-12
- Marketing uses dark patterns to sign people up for unwanted emails2024-03-05
- Unsubscribing doesn't stick; users get re-opted in to marketing emails a year later2024-01-10
- Unsubscribe requires logging in, explaining reasons, and uses dark-pattern button colours2024-01-10
- Unsubscribe button is hard to find, so users block or report instead2023-12-17
- Unclear whether checking the label enables or opts out of marketing emails2023-12-02
- Consent checkbox wording is a dark pattern pushing people into partner marketing2023-12-02
- Unsubscribe requires re-entering email, a captcha, and then a page that never loads2023-08-15
- Marketing consent checkbox is pre-checked by default, so users opt in without noticing2022-11-20
- Gmail clips long marketing emails, hiding the unsubscribe link behind 'show full message'2022-03-22
- Signup forms don't let you opt out of marketing emails, so you must unsubscribe later2022-03-07
- Opt-out options are written confusingly, so people easily opt in to data sharing by mistake2021-05-29
- Clicking a product in emails leads to storefront, not the product2021-05-11
- Text embedded in images stays hidden until the reader manually enables pictures, then waits seconds2021-04-01
- Pre-ticked newsletter checkbox re-enabled after validation errors, forcing users to hunt for unsubscribe2021-02-17
- Unsubscribe links are tiny, hidden, or missing, so people can't find them2020-11-07
- Unsubscribing from one newsletter leads to a different newsletter arriving next day2020-11-07
- Confusing registration checkboxes silently subscribe people to marketing newsletters2020-05-30
- Unsubscribing from one list doesn't stop emails, which return under a new category2020-05-20
- Unsubscribe link is harder to find in marketing emails2019-05-29
- Marketing emails lack an opt-out link, or require changing email preferences to stop them2018-06-16
- Signing up to apps floods users with unwanted onboarding, upsell, and chat popup messages2018-06-04
- Unsubscribe flows auto-enable mailing lists or use misleading toggles, tricking people into subscribing2017-12-02
- Dark pattern hid that emails would continue after the user acted2016-03-28
- Pre-ticked or confusingly worded boxes trick people into unwanted marketing email2015-10-02
- Signing up sends weekly marketing emails and unsubscribing is frustrating2015-03-12
- Can only unsubscribe from one mailing at a time, can't keep up2014-02-23
- Confusing checkboxes still opt users into marketing emails after signup2013-12-29
- Unsubscribe link forces a login, adding an extra obstacle to opting out2013-09-06
- Marketing emails flood the inbox and users must filter, unsubscribe or bulk delete them repeatedly2013-08-29
- Must log into the site to unsubscribe from newly invented opt-out mailing lists2013-08-28
- Email marketing opt-in is pre-checked by default, so people get subscribed without noticing2013-05-14
- Emails for accounts they never signed up for offer no way to unsubscribe2012-12-17
- Emails lack unsubscribe links, forcing extra effort to stop receiving them2012-12-02
- Turning off notifications requires finding settings and unchecking many boxes2011-09-15