WTF? Evernote is inserting SPAM ADS in my notes!

[Calvin.Powers 9]

This morning I was busy working in Evernote. I have a note for each project I am working on, with checklists, notes, embeds, the whole nine yards. But I noticed some Evernote ***** at the bottom of the note that I could not delete. See the attached screenshot. 

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERNOTE HAS EMBEDDED A SPAM ADVERTISEMENT IN MY NOTE AND I CANNOT DELETE IT.

This is NOT COOL. I will not tolerate Evernote distracting me with spam ads within a note while I am trying to focus on my work. 

I have been a loyal paying customer for years and never once have I considered leaving Evernote for one of the many emerging competitors. But if Evernote does not remove these spammy ads from my notes AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I will start looking for a new place to do my work. Probably One Note. 

Will someone from Evernote please let me know when these spam ads will be removed from my notes? 

Calvin Powers
calvin@calvinpowers.com 

[gazumped 11,661]

Hi.  

1. This is a -mainly- user-supported Forum,  so shouting at us isn't going to get you any further.
2. It's a public forum,  so publishing your email here is an open invitation to spam from everywhere.
3. As a subscriber you can vent directly to Evernote through email support - the link is on Evernote.com.
4. If we're talking about the upgrade to premium nag on your screen,  you must have seen this sort of thing before - it pops up from time to time for all non-premium users.
5. There's a 'hide^' tag to the right which should take it off your screen if you wish.
6. If you're a 'power user' of Evernote it makes sense to upgrade anyway - which removes the 'nags'
7. This sort of thing is common to all software - I get repeated offers from Microsoft and Adobe (amongst many others) for upgrades and add-ins.

[Calvin.Powers 9]

I went through the correct channels on the evernote web site and for general feedback they pointed me to these forums. Their web pages specifically said this was the place to go and it said that Evernote support personnel monitors these forums. So as far as I know, I followed the correct procedure for giving product feedback to Evernote. 

See attached screenshot

[gazumped 11,661]

1 hour ago, Calvin.Powers said:

I followed the correct procedure for giving product feedback to Evernote. 

You did,  but I rather got the impression that you were expecting immediate action,  and all due respect to Evernote;  they do monitor the forums,  but with a lot of posts and responses each day they may not get around to seeing this thread anytime soon.  The support pages - again with all due respect - try to gently avoid all but the most urgent enquiries*,  and what you see is the standard gentle disincentive to go any further.  I don't know specifically how to get around that level,  but if you don't want to try that again there are options with their Facebook Evernote Community,  and Twitter @EvernoteHelps.  The company staffers won't (usually) respond to individual complaints or queries in the Forums,  but they may note your concerns going forward.

Meantime I'm not the only busybody user around here so maybe someone else can come up with a better suggestion if you're still unhappy. 

* the company has hundreds of millions of users - granted only a percentage have access to support,  but the staff are normally more than adequately busy - probably more so currently than ever before...

[DTLow 5,736]

2 hours ago, Calvin.Powers said:

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERNOTE HAS EMBEDDED A SPAM ADVERTISEMENT IN MY NOTE AND I CANNOT DELETE IT.

I doubt this is embedded in your note; it's a display item

Agreed, as a paying user,  I don't want to be subject to nag spam. 

[Calvin.Powers 9]

24 minutes ago, DTLow said:

I doubt this is embedded in your note; it's a display item

Agreed, as a paying user,  I don't want to be subject to nag spam. 

Yeah, it's more like an ad attached to the frame of the window. But nonetheless, It is a distraction while i am trying to focus on my work project. And yeah I can click hide, but it is still a distraction I don't appreciate and Evenote is always saying that they are a productivity tool and they emphasize that they are the best for productivity. 

I can deal with the ads and nagware in the UI of the menu etc. But seeing an ad while I am focused on work in a note is crossing the line for me. 

Calvin 

[gazumped 11,661]

I'm actually confused - I run a couple of Basic accounts alongside this Premium one,  and switching into Basic I don't see anything like the nag display you saw.  Can you confirm what device,  OS and which Evernote version / browser you were using?  The company do have some history of selective campaigns and phased roll-outs,  but I've not seen that particular style of message before.  My basic account offered me an update (and the 40% discount) a couple of time on logging in,  but the app display,  the web version and a shared web page all just show Evernote branding.  Odd.

[Calvin.Powers 9]

It does not show up on every note. Not sure what percentage of notes it shows up on.  I am on the windows client and I have the Evernote Plus account. 

[CalS 5,280]

6 hours ago, Calvin.Powers said:

This morning I was busy working in Evernote. I have a note for each project I am working on, with checklists, notes, embeds, the whole nine yards. But I noticed some Evernote ***** at the bottom of the note that I could not delete. See the attached screenshot. 

 

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERNOTE HAS EMBEDDED A SPAM ADVERTISEMENT IN MY NOTE AND I CANNOT DELETE IT.

What is visible is a marketing message.  Did you try to print the note to see if the text appears in the output?  Did you use the Hide option?  End of the day though, nagware is a PITA.

[PinkElephant 8,091]

It is not in the note, it is just showing up while using the client.

You can like it or not, but this is probably company policy to remind users that are not on a regular paid plan to consider upgrading. It may be regarded as a nuisance by one, a real PITA by others - I personally doubt that this marketing strategy will lead EN anywhere. But anyhow, it is their show when we use any piece of software they provide, so probably the best one can do is plain ignore this type of messages.

[Nick L. 681]

That's the Context feature. You can hide it or turn it off completely.  If you want to turn it off, go to Tools > Options. Select "Show Advanced Settings" and Go to Notes. Next uncheck "Context"

[Calvin.Powers 9]

9 hours ago, Nick L. said:

That's the Context feature. You can hide it or turn it off completely.  If you want to turn it off, go to Tools > Options. Select "Show Advanced Settings" and Go to Notes. Next uncheck "Context"

Show context  is turned off. When will Evernote remove this nagware from my notes? 

[Calvin.Powers 9]

10 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

It is not in the note, it is just showing up while using the client.

You can like it or not, but this is probably company policy to remind users that are not on a regular paid plan to consider upgrading. It may be regarded as a nuisance by one, a real PITA by others - I personally doubt that this marketing strategy will lead EN anywhere. But anyhow, it is their show when we use any piece of software they provide, so probably the best one can do is plain ignore this type of messages.

But I AM on a paid account. I should not have to see nagware if I am on a paying account. And the thing is, I don't mind the nagware when I'm navigating through menus or viewing my account apge. etc etc. But when I am trying to focus on work while working in an evenote, having to see distracting spam is crossing the line. Evernote of all companies should understand that. They were the first to really understand how to create a tool that helps you focus on work. And they are ruining it imho opinion by putting ads in the actual note. 

And what Evernote needs to realize is that while they are the first, and arguably the best  for this type of tool, they are no longer the only viabble players in this market. 

[Joe Pairman 19]

56 minutes ago, Calvin.Powers said:

on a paying account

I see that you, like me, are grandfathered in on the old "Plus" account. That means we get a fantastic feature set at a price that no longer makes commercial sense for Evernote to offer to new users. Premium is even better of course, but for now I am keeping quiet and enjoying what I've got. And I don't mind the odd nag here and there to upgrade; one day I probably will.

[CalS 5,280]

9 hours ago, Joe Pairman said:

I see that you, like me, are grandfathered in on the old "Plus" account. That means we get a fantastic feature set at a price that no longer makes commercial sense for Evernote to offer to new users. Premium is even better of course, but for now I am keeping quiet and enjoying what I've got. And I don't mind the odd nag here and there to upgrade; one day I probably will.

Appreciate adding some perspective, thanks.

[Meatbingo 0]

I'm getting the self-same nag messages, and I am also using a legacy "Plus" account - You can hide the messages, and they pop back after a week or so - I totally expect nag messages on free software, however on a service I'm paying for, not so. I appreciate I'm getting a grandfathered subscription rate, however as a (very) long term subscriber, I'd expect a little grace and respect to not be nagged for something I've paid for since the launch of Evernote - I love Evernote, however these little flaws and regular lapses in quality and features triggers me to search for "Alternatives to Evernote" ever few months or so.

It would be good for Evernote to give us the option, as paying customers to switch these suggested upgrade prompts off, permanently - I know what I'm "missing" from my subscription, and once that killer "add" comes to Premium, as opposed to features I once enjoyed in Plus eroded into the Premium tier, then you will earn my increased revenue stream, and until then, let us kill these annoyances off, once and for all, please & thank you!

 

[Jake3851 0]

Is it a note being emailed/spammed to your Evernote account? If so, you should change your email address. You should probably do this from a PC. Go to your Evernote account online at www.evernote.com and log in, then go to your settings. Click on Account Summary, then way at the bottom is your Evernote address. Hitting "reset" will change that address.

You'll need to change that address in any contact and/or service you've given it to for legitimate emails into your account.

 

QuickPayPortal

[Calvin.Powers 9]

On 5/18/2020 at 5:10 AM, Meatbingo said:

I'm getting the self-same nag messages, and I am also using a legacy "Plus" account - You can hide the messages, and they pop back after a week or so - I totally expect nag messages on free software, however on a service I'm paying for, not so. I appreciate I'm getting a grandfathered subscription rate, however as a (very) long term subscriber, I'd expect a little grace and respect to not be nagged for something I've paid for since the launch of Evernote - I love Evernote, however these little flaws and regular lapses in quality and features triggers me to search for "Alternatives to Evernote" ever few months or so.

It would be good for Evernote to give us the option, as paying customers to switch these suggested upgrade prompts off, permanently - I know what I'm "missing" from my subscription, and once that killer "add" comes to Premium, as opposed to features I once enjoyed in Plus eroded into the Premium tier, then you will earn my increased revenue stream, and until then, let us kill these annoyances off, once and for all, please & thank you!

 

Exactly. And I can even tolerate _some_ amount of nagging in other parts of the app, lik eon the account page. What crosses the line for me is seeing the nagware while I am woring on a note. That's when I am trying to focus on my work and seeing the nagware while I am working on a note interrupts my productivity and takes me out of my flow. Eernote always makes a big deal about understanding work productivity more than other note taking apps like OneNote. But they are not living up to that. 

 

And that's the last I am going to say on this issue. I have downloaded a trial version of One Note. I am skeptical of it from what I see on thei product web site. But at this point I figure I'm going to at least kick the tires on it. But I can't hardly imagine leaving Evernote. I have invested so much time and effort developing my eorkflow around Evernote that it would be tough to imagine leaving. But if OneNote can give me an ad-free experience for the same price. I might have to. 

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,954]

On 5/18/2020 at 5:10 AM, Meatbingo said:

It would be good for Evernote to give us the option, as paying customers to switch these suggested upgrade prompts off, permanently - I know what I'm "missing" from my subscription, and once that killer "add" comes to Premium, as opposed to features I once enjoyed in Plus eroded into the Premium tier, then you will earn my increased revenue stream, and until then, let us kill these annoyances off, once and for all, please & thank you!

Hi, and welcome to the forums. I tend to agree with your position. Just a note, though, that these are basically user-to-user forums, and while Evernote staff may look in, it's not a reliable place to address them directly.

[jenni.winfrey 0]

I'm getting ads playing when I open a note on my android phone.  The ads are audio and are not for evernote, they are for autozone and something else... I have never had this before and don't want it now, especially as a paying subscriber.  Is there a way to turn it off?

[gazumped 11,661]

13 hours ago, jenni.winfrey said:

I'm getting ads playing when I open a note on my android phone.  The ads are audio and are not for evernote, they are for autozone and something else... I have never had this before and don't want it now, especially as a paying subscriber.  Is there a way to turn it off?

Hi.  Not something we've heard here before - plenty of issues with Evernote nagging for upgrades,  but not third party products.  I'm pretty certain that this could be down to another app on your phone,  but there's no harm in raising it with Support since that's what you pay them for...  As noted above,  we're not support:  an Admin will see your post sooner or later,  but if you prefer sooner - contact Evernote direct.

[PinkElephant 8,091]

@jenni.winfreyAndroid ? This could be malware that installed on your phone - these guys get paid per spot they manage to play on your phone.

It is easier to get infected by this pest if you have rooted your device. But even if not, you can get it by installing apps - especially if not from the PlayStore.

Probably you need to look this way. No further assistance from my side - I am on iOS, and there this sort of malware does practically not exist. Still enough apps that deliver their own set of ads (mostly free ones), but not EN. Not on the paid plans, and as well not on Basic.

[Michaelh1234123 10]

Similar concern:

Lately seeing this sort of thing -- this is really not appreciated at all.

I pay for evernote, and it's not free like some cheap antivirus that spams you every hour or so.

 

[PinkElephant 8,091]

This is a user forum.

If you want to talk with EN, issue a support ticket.

Furthermore check in your account settings, personal settings which information you have asked to receive.