Okay, I'll admit, I'm a bit hard-nosed when it comes to receiving "oops e-mails." When received, I find the unsubscribe link, take care of business and move on.
My opinion, is if I've subscribed to a list, I expect the owner of the list to take great care to not only send me the information I've opted-in to receive, as they've explained they would... but in addition, I expect them to show they appreciate my valuable time by first making sure the information they're sending to their list of subscribers is accurate, and of course, helpful/useful.
An "oops - Sorry everyone, I made a mistake in my last e-mail, (my bad,) the link wasn't entered incorrectly... here's the REAL link to this ultra fab, limited time offer..." e-mail, is the best way for a list owner to convince me they don't respect or appreciate my time.
Worse yet, an oops e-mail is a very good way for a list owner to show me they think I'm an idiot. Someone who believes their mistake was an honest one -- leading me to jump all over their new link, as if I don't have anything better to do with my time than to follow corrected bad links. HELLO?
Yes, mistakes occur. (We're all human.) And yes, sometimes the mistakes are legitimate. But with so many list owners utilizing the "oops e-mail" tactic these days, I can't help but think; "there must be a way to weed out the real mistakes from the not-so-legit.
Being the type of person who consistently looks for solutions to problems, (I do think oops e-mails are a problem on many fronts,) I am suggesting a solution for those, who on rare occasion do make an honest mistake.
You know how some of the big-brand retailers will offer a product for free -- IF you find they've incorrectly priced an item in their check-out system?
I was at one time the Manager for a big-brand retailer, and my Retail Price Coordinator (bless her heart,) had what I considered to be one of the most important, and at times, frustrating jobs in the store. Part of her job was entering thousands of retail prices into the store check-out computer system -- and getting it right. No small feat when you're dealing with numbers all day long.
As her fingers flittered around on the keypad, she did, on occasion, enter incorrect retail prices. Her mistakes were sometimes in the stores favor - sometimes in the consumers. Either way though, her mistakes always created a problem for one or the other. (The store or the consumer.)
The solution for her honest mistakes, was really an easy one. The store would give a consumer whatever the incorrectly priced item was - for free, if they were the one who brought the error to the attention of a store staff member. (Staff members knew who to go to with any pricing errors.)
The solution was actually an incentive for consumers. If they found a pricing error, regardless of whether or not the price was in their favor, by letting us know there was a mistake at all, they got the item they were intending to buy, for free. Handling errors in this way not only saved the store money -- it also saved staff time and frustration in general.
Instead of sending an "oops e-mail" when there has been a legitimate human error/mistake, why not confront the possibility if mistakes occurring, cuz it happens, by openly admitting it might happen -- but because you do appreciate your subscribers time, if they're willing to take the time to let you know there was a mistake made, the first one who brings the mistake/error to your attention will get the advertised product/service for free? (Or at an attractive discounted price?)
At that point you could send out a revised e-mail, explaining the mistake/ error, crediting one of your subscribers for bringing the error to your attention. Yes, handling your mistakes this way might cost you (if you're honest,) but the cost won't ever be as huge as it potentially can be, if your subscribers become fed-up with oops e-mails, as I and many others have.
Food for thought...