Bill Moyers talks with Daniel Katz, “Dr Phil of Catalog Clutter, maven of overstuffed mailbox”.
Click here to see Bill’s interview with Daniel.
Daniel and Bill have a frank conversation about the issues that drove us to create Catalog Choice.
Bill hones in on the frustration. Order something for your grandchild and next thing you know you are getting numerous other catalogs in the mail. It used to be hard to get of the mailing list. In fact it was so hard that Americans would just recycle or throw the catalog away. Those days are over. Now it is just takes a couple clicks to choose what catalogs you want.
PS. Headline attributed to quote from Bill Moyers.
Indeed, this is what brought your organization to my attention.
I promptly went to my computer at the end and set up my account, browsed through the entire list of catalogs, and added all but 2 I desire to continue receiving.
And today I went in and added MORE that came in the mail and I missed the first round!
Thank you so very much for existing, and for doing the interview that let me know about you.
Why didn’t I think of this? Mucho Kudos Daniel Katz. I belong to a local environmental action group and have informed all of them. I saw you with Bill Moyers (my favorite) and was really excited. Your web site is easily to navigate and fast. I don’t know what DB backend you using, but good choice!!! We live in Bubbaville (Kernersville, NC) where no one believes in cradle to cradle ideology and that we are the arbiters of this environmental tragedy. Ideas like yours are revolutionary and fundamental for the new industrial model that we have to comply with for our own survival. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! -bob
Yep, this show is where I found out about you too. I hope your service works better than some of the others out there who charge for the service. I’ve even called the catalog companies to get my name taken off their mailing lists, but it did no good.
I have to say, I miss the count of members and total declined catalogs that used to greet us on the welcome page. It was a kick to check the ever-increasing numbers when I’d come back to the site with my new customer numbers.
LCK: The member and opt-out count is coming back. It caused the site to run slowly today so we removed it temporarily.
Chuck
I created a Catalog Choice account about a month ago. About once a week I go through the stack of catalogs that has come in the mail and opt out. Up to about 50 so far – they keep coming but I’m hoping the flow will diminish over the next 3 – 6 weeks. It’s like a plague of locusts – but I’m hoping Catalog Choice will be be the pesticide (in environmentally friendly form of cours3).
JBU: Your opt-out requests have been delivered to the merchants and our Merchant Services team is busy contacting merchants on a daily basis to help them fulfill your requests. As you can imagine, this is a busy time for retailers as the fulfill the holiday rush. Look for the flow of catalogs to ebb in early 2008.
Catalog Choice is not only about forests, it’s about fuel. Fuel prices are going through the roof. Our economy is starting to feel it. Merchants are wringing their hands and crying over loss of revenue to high fuel costs on the customer. Meanwhile I’m getting 20 pounds a week in junk mail. If the merchants were educated to the fact that their catalogs are part of the high demand for fuel that drives the prices, maybe they would cut back? Stop? No, that’s a perfect world.
Am I opting out sufficiently with just my name and address but no customer number? I hope so, because it’s a lengthy process to add each catalog but well worth it. Thanks for the great idea!
I NOW LOOK FORWARD TO THE MAIL EACH DAY SO I CAN DECLINE ANOTHER CATALOG OR TWO OR FIVE! SINCE JOINING YOUR GREAT SERVICE I HAVE DECLINED 60 CATALOGS. CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THE AVALANCHE DIMINISHES. DO YOU HAVE ANY CURE FOR THE UNSOLICITED CREDIT CARD OFFERS? WE GET AT LEAST FIVE EACH WEEK.
Hey Rick,
You can call 888-5-Opt-Out, or visit the website: OptOutPreScreen.com
That will help you to Opt Out of credit card offers for 5 years. You can also request to opt-out forever.
You can also email ABACUS, a direct-marketer company at optoutabacus@epsilon.com as well as doing optoutprescreen.com’s permanent removal option. If you email Abacus be sure to include EVERY variation of your name and address as it appears on the catalogs and state that you need to be removed from their lists immediately and that they no longer have your permission to trade your personal information. Also write to DMA (direct marketing association) and state the same thing. Removing your address listing from the phone book (the phone company usually has no problem complying with this) will make it harder for people to compile a list.
A tip I figurd out for filling out those supermarket cards and other offers where you can get benefits without having to give your actual information is to fudge it. Most supermarkets give you the card the minute you fill the thing out anyways so you can make up a driver license number and address, they dont check it. At least it doesnt give them the means to send a bunch of unwanted crap to your house or pass along your address without your permission.
ABACUS EMAIL IS ABACUSOPTOUT@EPSILON.COM
SORRY!
ANOTHER MASS-MARKETER EMAIL IS
OPTOUTUS@ACXIOM.COM
BE SURE TO PUT EVERY VARIATION OF YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AS IT APPEARS ON THE CATALOGS AND STATE THAT YOU WANT YOUR INFORMATION REMOVED AND THEY DO NOT HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO KEEP TRADING/SELLING IT. YOU CAN “SIGN” YOUR EMAILS BY DOING:
/S/ JANE DOE