Attentive: AI‑led Email &SMS

Attentive’s platform itself is fine, but the contract structure and enforcement approach are extremely restrictive and disappointing.

The agreement includes strict SMS exclusivity with long-term lock-in, limited flexibility, and significant financial penalties (more than reasonable costs) if you need to adapt your tech stack. Even more frustrating, the Attentive team has taken an overly aggressive interpretation of the contract—suggesting that even discussing or planning with other providers would be a breach, despite that not being clearly supported by the language.

For a fast-growing e-commerce business, this makes it very difficult to evolve, evaluate alternatives, or integrate with tools Attentive doesn’t support. When integration gaps arise, the exclusivity still applies, leaving you stuck paying for services that no longer meet your needs.

If you value flexibility, vendor interoperability, or the ability to plan ahead without pressure tactics, read the contract very carefully before signing.

We have used Attentive for many years and have been happy with every aspect. The features and UI are solid, they are always pushing on product development, and are proactive with compliance. I can't speak highly enough about their white glove support and dedicated CSMs. Chelsee is top tier and has felt like an extension of our internal team.

We made the move to Attentive expecting an initial guided walkthrough and hands on support, but that hasn’t been my experience so far.

I was billed for 21,000 messages that I did not send, and despite reaching out multiple times, I haven’t been given a clear explanation of where those messages came from. I keep getting transferred between teams and sent help articles that don’t actually answer my questions. I’m simply looking for clarity and direction.

What was promised for billing has not aligned with what I’m seeing.

I understand transitions can be confusing, but this has been more difficult than expected.

Much of what I thought would be supported, including setting up flows and getting email and SMS working properly, has ended up being something I’ve had to figure out on my own. I’m still confused.

If you have the time to research, troubleshoot, and figure things out independently, this may be a great app for you. However, if you’re like me and made the move based on the promise of hands on support, I would approach with caution.