It is the purpose of this post to report on how we’re doing, to address a fundamental misconception pertaining the service, and to give a sneak peak at the exciting things ahead.
Looking back: Prior relationships
In the comments of a recent Catalog Choice blog post, some people have critically argued that Catalog Choice did not have relationships with merchants prior to launching our service, and therefore misled our consumer members. We’d like to set the record straight.
It is most certainly a fact that Catalog Choice did not have a relationship with the majority of merchants when we launched. The misconception, however, is that the existence of such relationships at the time of launch was intended or even necessary. It was neither. Catalog Choice was designed to work *regardless* of the existence of a relationship with any particular merchant.
1. It works with a relationship. For merchants who want to establish a relationship with Catalog Choice, by signing up for a free account, we offer the ability to download their customer opt-out data in a computer-friendly CSV format. In addition, such merchants can look forward to a roadmap of additional services planned to add value and enhance the consumer/merchant relationship.
2. And it works without a relationship. Some merchants, for any number of reasons, will chose not to have a relationship with Catalog Choice. That is fine. For these merchants, we forward our member’s opt-out requests to them by email or by delivering a password protected file on a CD. In that way, Catalog Choice simply acts as a delivery agent.
We would never criticize a merchant for choosing not to work with Catalog Choice in the sense of signing up for a merchant account. That’s completely up to them.
On the other hand, we do expect all merchants to honor opt-out requests made by our members. Merchants may not refuse opt-out requests delivered by the United States Postal Service (a delivery agent), or called/faxed in via the phone company (a delivery agent), and therefore they should not refuse opt-out requests delivered by Catalog Choice on behalf of consumers.
(As a side note, the DMA argue that, by not requiring a credit card number like them, we’re not sufficiently validating the identity of our members. Well, we use industry standard security measures and email validation; the same used by the US Do Not Call service.)
Where we stand today: It’s working (despite the best efforts of the
DMA)!
We can assuredly report to you that CATALOG CHOICE IS WORKING. Over 160 merchants have signed up, and that number is growing daily. Presently, over 675,000 consumers have confirmed the need for a service like Catalog Choice, as well as their frustration with existing services. We have received thousands of emails from members reporting that after years of ineffective attempts to use the DMA and other services, their mailboxes are finally becoming uncluttered.
At the same time, there are strong forces at work against Catalog Choice, namely the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Shortly after launch, the DMA sent a vicious letter, full of false accusations, to all member merchants urging them to, “Just Say No!” to Catalog Choice. Our organization, along with an entire nation of consumers, was
shocked and left wondering why the DMA, who proclaim to be “committed to the advancement of consumer choice”, would take such a stance.
On reflection, however, it’s not really a surprise. The DMA sits squarely in the center of an industrial operational model that has ineffectively serviced both merchants and consumers for the past 35 years; a model which Catalog Choice is now positioned to change.
(It must be said, however, that Catalog Choice has even had a positive effect on the DMA. They’ve recently launched a service with a name coincidentally fashioned after our own, and have found a way to live without that dollar they’ve been charging you all these years. But they do still want your credit card number.)
Looking forward: A better world for consumers, merchants and the
environment.
We have a vision of eliminating waste by fundamentally improving the way an industry works, by:
* Putting choice and control in the hands of the consumer.
* Facilitating a merchant/consumer relationship that was never before possible.
We’ve accomplished the first step: Over 675,000 consumers are enjoying the ease-of-use and convenience of centralized mail preference management, having registered over eight million requests.
And now we begin the second step. Consumers have said they want more choice, and a finer level of control. They have made it clear that catalogs and commerce are not the problem; waste is. Merchants have just as much desire to eliminate waste as consumers. But they don’t want to be excluded from the relationship and conversation with the
consumer, as that relationship has often been earned over the years through good faith and delivered value.
In support of these compatible interests, here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store:
1. Just last week, we launched the first of a series of relationship- enhancing features, by allowing merchants to upload a photo of their catalogs, and customize some text that is shown on the opt-out screen, thereby allowing them to participate in the “conversation” during the opt-out process. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
2. Very soon, consumers will be able to manage what they *do* receive, in addition to what they *don’t* receive, as we introduce the ability to opt-in to catalogs, and ultimately manage the frequency with which you receive catalogs. Since launch, this has been the number one requested feature from both consumers and merchants, and we’re excited to let you know it’s going to happen!
3. In the famous last words of Steve Jobs, there’s “Just one more thing!”. That service, however, is just a little too important to risk unveiling at this time.
And all of these future enhancements will be delivered in a way that supports the fundamental objectives of our service; improving our lives, while eliminating waste.
So, there really is a win-win-win scenario — for the consumer, merchant and the environment — and Catalog Choice is dedicated and committed to delivering it. Thanks for your participation, and, as always, please keep the feedback coming.
I think will be great if Catalog Choice will add links to existing merchant’s opt-out pages for unconfirmed and refused companies (for example: RedcatsUSA brands (metrostyle, Chadwick’s, La Redoute, etc); Valpak, Valassis, etc).
Definitely it’s no so convenient as use Catalog Choice but much more convenient then calling customer service departments.
Would love the ability to scale back the frequency that certain catalogs are sent. There are some catalogs I enjoy receiving…just not every month (e.g. Horchow). Why not have the ability to request for certain catalogs to be sent quarterly or biannually?
This post cheers me up. Thanks.
I’m not planning to opt into anything myself. But that’s a great feature for everyone who wants it, and I’m all in favor of it. The opt-in concept is a lot more palatable when it’s administered by a nonprofit organization. Good for you, for taking the lead!
Can we fine the companies that still send their catalogs in spite of opting out requests? Newport News refused to honor my request through your service. I called them several times asking to stop sending the catalog and I still receive the catalog.
For those who like me have spent the time to opt out of catalog companies that continue to maintain you on their mailing lists, contaact the applicable State Attorney General’s Office and inform them that the company in question is not honoring their mail preference clause and ignoring their assurance to not share, sell or rent your name. Go Catalogchoice.org. You’re helping!
I have been using catalog choice since November. So far, I have not seen any results. I’m still receiving the same number of catalogs. In fact, I have picked up a few more. Once you enter a catalog, it takes 10 weeks before you can enter an infraction. Then it takes another 10 weeks before you can enter another infraction. Meanwhile, you have received at least two to four more of the magazines. It’s frustrating.
I like this site and I’m hopeful for good results.
I’d prefer that my government recognize my right to privacy and aggressively enforce that right. Business would not be allowed to impose without my explicit permission.
Of course, business would not be allowed to participate in the political system in any way, especially with money.
One word — AWESOME!!! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for all of the important and inspiring work that you are doing. The volume of mail that I received has been reduced dramatically and last week I only received one catalog – down from perhaps 20 per week pre-catalogchoice.org I hope that lots of articles, letters to the editor and TV shows promote your site around Earth Day.
As you gear up to add new initiatives to your site, have you considered branching out to enable people to reduce the non-catalog junk mail that they receive? It would be wonderful to be able to do that by checking another box on your page.
I appreciate the efforts made to date and plans for the future.
To date, my wife and I have opted out of 38 catalogs. Of those, two were refused, seven confirmed, and 29 unconfirmed. I still receive those seven catalogs marked as confirmed.
I am hopeful future plans will result in better response from vendors.
As a new “customer” I have hopes that your efforts will turn the catalogue world upside down.
Two things that aggravate me a great deal are: 1) the frequency companies mail out supposedly redone catalogues and 2) the various “themed” catalogues (home, outdoor etc.). I have hopes that this can be resolved in the future.
And, I have hopes that someday merchants will pay more attention to the requests of the consumers!
I’ve been using your service since Nov.2007 and have opted out of over 90 catalogs. Many are still “unconfirmed” and still sending. Some have changed my name or customer number. I’ve called some of the refused or emailed them to opt out. While I think this is a great service it takes a lot of time to monitor – meanwhile I’m still getting bucketloads of catalogs. Merchants should be made aware that customers are not opting out of all catalogs (there are still 20 or so that I like to receive). I’m opting out of the ones I’ve never ordered from and never will and I’d like to help the environment. Do merchants think we actually browse these unwanted catalogs before they go into the recycle bin?
I applaud your efforts in the direction of “opt-in.” I would love a way to communicate to merchants that I want a catalog at a “catalog mailing address” which might be different from the billing address on my credit card and/or the shipping address on my order. I certainly do not want 3 catalogs (which is occasionally what happens now) Better yet, how about a >post card< (with a pointer to a web site) to advertise that sale? That takes even less paper!
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE HERE, BUT I AM NOW GETTING MORE CATALOGS THEN EVER. WOODWORKING MEN’S FITNESS, MEN’S BOOKS!
I AM FEMALE AND CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHERE ALL THESE CATALOGS ARE COMING FROM. ANYONE HERE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM?
I was pleased to find out about Catalog Choice in Nov 2007, & being optimistic, recommended it to several friends. As of today (late Mar 2008) I’m still getting all the catalogs I did before, including some that are supposedly confirmed : p . This is a great idea, but I’m not impressed so far. I don’t have the time to contact all these companies directly, so my recycle bin is still full.
Melissa,I love you’re idea ,but I live in Uruguay and usually send me the ASTM Standars from USA and Sweden,and I don’t know how to do to avoid this.i was looking your site but…. is only for american people???? Thanx.
Like many of the previous posters, I applaud CatalogChoice.org’s efforts, and believe strongly in its mission.
It would be great to know more about the process that’s followed. In the above blog posting you mention that CatalogChoice will mail, email, fax, or electronically forward its members requests. After nearly 2+ months here are our stats:
* Confirmed (2)
* Unconfirmed (22)
* Refused (2)
* Processing (0)
* Show all (26)
The two confirmed catalogs happened very quickly, so I would guess that those merchants are part of your merchant program.
For all the other requests, 22/26 = 75% of them, I have absolutely no idea what CatalogChoice is doing.
Were the requests passed on by mail? Email, fax?
I am willing to write each one of these companies, but chose to use your service because of the incredible convenience that it offers.
I’d like to believe that you all are doing the best you can with an industry that lives by the law of large numbers (mail more, sell more). However, I echo some of the sentiments that your marketing seems to be a bit better than the operational results. (Mainly the news article that stated you had only signed up 100 merchants who were agreeing to honor opt-out requests).
Perhaps some additional information could close the gap (for example adding a field to show when/how requests were conveyed to the merchants, [mail, email, CD, etc.]).
I wish you well with your efforts.
Best,
Chris
I agree with other posters who have been using this service for many months and seen NO reduction in catalogs. I am one of them. I have with relish informed the companies that have refused to accept catalog choice that I would never consider purchasing anything from them. But in the meantime my mailbox keeps filling up.
It’s extremely easy with the new changes to the website to update information and report infractions but I’m feeling the need to do something more. I would like you to provide more information on reporting these continuing infractions to our State Attorneys General. If that’s all we have left then some of us will happily use it.
We used to shop extensively via catalog for many years, and like most people have shifted to online shopping. Our USPS letter carrier is a little guy, and I felt so guilty watching him stagger up our driveway with a big handful of catalogs every day – especially when so many of them went straight from the mailbox into the recycle without ever making it into the house. Since Oct 2007 we’ve declined 129 catalogs (some more than once for different name/customer#/address combinations), with 26 confirmed, 100 unconfirmed and 3 refused (2 of whom we’ve contacted directly). As many here have already noted, it will likely take months of data entry on your part before you will notice any decrease in catalogs, but eventually it does start happening. Our decrease in volume took 5 months to become noticeable. I appreciate that CatalogChoice seems committed to adding new features/functionality to the site; my wishlist for new features would include a way to display infraction history, and a way to show catalog relations, e.g., my wife gets bombarded with catalogs from Woman Within and Roamans, which are the same company, same return address, and same customer #. We also are having issues with several catalogs that confirm removal under one customer #, and then continue sending to the same name/address under a new customer #. They need to be flagged as “egregious violators”, or something!
This is my 2nd blog msg in a week! I am with those who have made serveral attempts directly to the cust services of catalog companies. I have called(since September 2007 and written (300 letters since January 2008) only to get the assurances of 1-2 mailings. Then it starts all over again with a variation of my name or my husbands name. Catalog companies need to have the ability to delete addresses no matter what the name is if the consumer requests permanent deletion. So far, we have gone from over 100 mailings a week at two addresses to almost 40 in a month since September for both. When I started researching DMA and other suppliers of my name and there are others, DMA wants to charge you if you mail in your requests- on website requests, they want your credit card #. Why should we have to pay for deletion when they are the ones making a profit selling consumer info? Since late January, I have input over 493 opt outs, 56 confirmed, 21 refused. I do applaud Catalogchoice because they are helping and need those in my position to support them. Here’s what I have done: Save the back mailing label off catalogs and annotate when you received it and called or written the companies. Keep track of your mailings. When you call specifically state that they not Share, Rent or Sell your name. Do the same when you write. The center inside of the catalog sometimes has their “MAIL PREFERENCE” (small print) policy that they may “Occasionally exchange your mailing info but not your email address” I save this clause and attach it to the label. Try to research if there are “parent companies” such as Redcats that have several different catalogs. It’s been a nightmare to find out there are several major catalogs derived from one main company – especially when the catalogs come from the same city and either the address is the same or a PO box is slightly off. If you contact the applicable State Attorney General’s Office with a consumer complaint, you’ll be ready! This action was really my last resort when there were several assurances from one company that our names were removed and they hung up on me four times and I felt they were not honoring their “Mail Preference” policies. To get State Attorney General (SAG) info, go to Google, type in the state name and government and go from there to get the SAGs contact info. Consumers should not have to have their requests for privacy ignored and put up with a blatant waste of paper. I’ll kindly get off my soapbox for now.
I HAVE JUST SPOKEN TO THE CATOLOG “AS WE CHANGE”. I HAD TO CALL THEM TO OPT OUT. THE REPRESENTIVE SAID THEY DON’T HAVE BUSINESS WITH YOU. NO!
THEY HAVE BUSINESS WITH ‘ME’!
I ASKED THEM TO NOTIFY THEIR COMPANY TO WORK WITH YOU.
THE SAME RESPONSE, “THEY DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR ONLINE OPT OUT. THAT’S MY SOAPBOX FOR TODAY.
WHEN WILL THEY GET A CLUE?
After lots and lots of work to enter over 100 different catalogues, there has been no observable change in the number of catalogues that come to my house. Few pay attention and catalogue choice is a great idea that is not working. Just as there is a national don’t call registration which does work, there should be a similar organization that the catalogue senders would be compelled to comply with. Catalogue Choice is just not effective
Although I think that being able to opt in to some catalogs and choose frequency of delivery sounds good. However, because of the poor response to stopping delivery of those I don’t want, I’d be afraid of showing any interest whatsoever!!
I am all for the opt in if it gets merchants to cooperate. I am frustrated that I have entered 64 catalogs, only have 16 confirmed, and not that spring is here I am buried under more catalogs than ever, including from merchants who ‘Confirmed’ months ago (LANDS END).
I’ll keep banging catalogs into this thing in the hope that it starts to work, but it hasn’t yet.
Thanks for those tips, Yvonne. I am now documenting everything.
Two of the “refusers” at my Catalog Choice account are part of the Cornerstone/IAC family of brands. They have both sent me dozens of catalogs over the years, failing to acknowledge my opt-out requests through the DMA mail preference service, Catalog Choice, and now direct e-mail contact with their customer service departments. Their actions, in my opinion, are inconsistent with the privacy statements at their own websites and with several of the statements listed below.
For anyone who’s curious, here’s the precise wording of the Direct Marketing Association’s Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice. This text comes straight from pages 14 and 15 of a pdf I downloaded from the DMA website. This is the October 2007 edition.
the-dma.org/guidelines/EthicsGuidelines.pdf
COLLECTION, USE, AND TRANSFER OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA Article #31
This article is applicable to all media, and includes special requirements for mailers.
• A marketer should provide existing and prospective customers with notice of an opportunity to modify or eliminate direct marketing communications to be received from that company. This guideline applies to senders of marketing offers.
• The notice should:
> appear in every marketing offer and
> be easy for the consumer to find, read, understand, and act upon
• A consumer’s request should be honored:
> within 30 days or as required by law, whichever is the shorter time period
> for a period of at least three years from the date of receipt of the request
• A marketer should periodically provide existing customers with notice of its policy concerning the rental, sale, or exchange of data about them and of the opportunity to opt out of the marketing process. All such opt-out requests should be honored promptly.
• An in-house suppression request from a consumer should be interpreted as meaning that the consumer also wants to opt out of the transfer of his or her personal information.
• Where an affiliate, division, or subsidiary markets under a different company or brand name, and is perceived as separate by the consumer, each corporate entity or brand should separately honor requests received by it.
• A marketer should establish internal policies and practices that assure accountability for honoring requests, in compliance with this guideline, and at no cost to consumers. Should those policies substantially change, the marketer has an obligation to inform consumers of that change prior to the rental, sale, or exchange of data, and to offer consumers an opportunity to opt out of the marketing process at that time.
• For each prospecting list that is rented, sold, or exchanged, the applicable DMA Preference Service name-removal list (e.g., Mail Preference Service, Telephone Preference Service, E-Mail Preference Service, and Deceased Do Not Contact list) should be employed prior to use. A member should use the most recent monthly release of the MPS file before contacting prospective customers.
• In addition to adhering to these guidelines, a marketer should cooperate with DMA when requested in demonstrating compliance with the Commitment to Consumer Choice.
• Upon request by a consumer, a marketer should disclose the source from which it obtained personally identifiable data about that consumer.
“by allowing merchants to…customize some text that is shown on the opt-out screen, thereby allowing them to participate in the “conversation” during the opt-out process”
Conversation? CONVERSATION? The only conversation that should be taking place is as follows:
Customer: Don’t send me your catalog.
Merchant: OK.
Anything more is disingenuous.
To Bill:
You could try to opt-out from Roamans (for example: http://www.roamans.com/catalog/cat_unsub_not_loggedin.aspx) and Woman Within catalogs on their web sites: link to unsubscribe buried in “email/catalog request”.
I hope that people will stick with this process because it is a change that is needed, and like all change, these things take time. I’m going to keep after it, since every piece of data I generate strengthens CC’s case and position. I also am making it clear to any merchant I contact for noncompliance that my dollars will be spent elsewhere and furthermore will dissuade friends from shopping there as well if they do not act accordingly.
Joined today and I hope this works, but there is only one real way to stop this barrage of junk mail; raise the price of their mailings to the same postal rates we individuals pay, 41 cents for the first ounce plus extra weight. I know it will never happen, but the truth is our tax dollars support the cheap postal rates the catalog companies enjoy.
I agree with Josh -it will take some time and one day it will sink in with the merchants. I.e. the 2 catalogs that I went SAG with, had immediately refused my Catalog Choice requests. One morning after three weeks of writing to the Pennsylvania SAG, I noticed my requests were processing and later became confirmed. I also got a letter from PA with an apology letter from the company a couple of days later. Thanks Tracy for your info. I pulled off DMA’s Merchant complaint form a couple of weeks ago and am sitting on it-I still am waiting for the rest of those catalogs from parent companies to arrive. Anyway, Merchants will start getting the point that many consumers have awoken especially with catalogchoice advocating with us!
Since early Nov 2007 I have been opting out of many catalogs. About 260 to date. Also have suggested over 50 catalogs that are not on Catalogchoice’s list. I have written to them several times that I have never received a single email to tell me that they have added a catalog. Twice they said that they were snowed under with requests. The last itme they didn’t answer. Many of these suggestions go back to Nov and Dec of 2007. Something is not working!
Only about 40 of the opt out requests have been “honored”, but even some of these still send me catalogs. I still get lots of new catalogs and keep opting out. But, I no longer recommend Catalogchoice to friends as I don’t see it working. I wonder if catalog people are selling my name to these new catalogs as they are seeing that I am a live item. I buy almost exclusively on line and wish most of the catalog people would go away.
Dave,
Like you I am still getting lots of new catalogs and wondering the same thing – are they selling my name because I have opted out on Catalogchoice? Maybe I’m paranoid but there does seem to be some cause and effect going on here.
To Eugene,
Regarding your suggestion to Bill to opt out of Roaman’s directly through their website, I did that very thing about 4-6 weeks, and I’m afraid that it may have generated more mailings. I did the same thing with Woman Within (which is under the same ownership as Roaman’s) & experienced the same result. I don’t recommend trying it unless you’re prepared to be bombarded with more catalogs.
[...] and read some comments on the Catalog Success blog. Here’s a link, I’ll wait until you’re [...]
Personally, I’ve had very good results through CatalogChoice in spite of the fact that all but one of the merchants has confirmed my opt-out. (That was Lillian Vernon, btw.) I receive far less catalogs than I used to.
CatalogChoice hasn’t been around *that* long, so why don’t we give them a chance before giving up on them, okay? ;-) It’s going to take a little while, but I think they are definitely making a difference. :-)
Oops! what I meant to say was that all but one of the merchants has NOT confirmed my opt-out. Lillian Vernon confirmed, but all my other opt-outs are unconfirmed. Sorry for the miscommunication.
I’ve commented elsewhere in the blogs about this, but I became so disgusted by the continuing bulk in my mailbox that I just manually went from merchant to merchant, requesting (via email or weblink) to be removed from all catalog mailings. Almost to a one, I received a message within minutes or hours confirming my removal and directing me to the DMA if I wanted more action in withholding my name from mailing lists. All were pretty darned cheerful about it, too.
I signed up with Catalog Choice when it was featured on the Today show, but the lack of response from the majority of the 50+ catalogs I entered into this system really has me doubtful about CC’s ability to make a difference. It’s a good idea, but as long as DMA has a stranglehold on the business, I doubt that it alone is going to stop the onslaught in our mailboxes.
I’ll leave my info up here on the site, but if the catalogs stop, I’ll know it’s because of my own efforts (and considerable time spent) that they did.
To Karen:
I had received some of the RedcatsUSA brands catalogs (metrostyle, Chadwick’s, La Redoute, Roamans) in past and opted out both on Catalog Choice and their web sites. There are not new catalogs yet (for ~ 1.5 months). I crossed a fingers :-)…
FYI: DMA is not the only supplier of mailing info. Through my “journey” to get off catalogs and other mailings, I have spoken with several informative cust svc reps and oh brother, consumers beware. Banks, credit bureaus, large department stores and businesses love to share mailing info. Recently one cust svc rep informed me of credit bureaus and told me to write to the 3 major ones for a credit report and request they not share my name. One sent me a cr rpt and many of the catalogs that I kept getting were on there. I’ve written them and indicated immediate removal. Most of them were also on my refused list. As I’ve said previously, consumers need to firmly request that catalogs not share info and they need to remove addresses vs names off their mailings. Suggestion to those who might want to try this, ask the catalog companies who is the supplier of their mailing lists, many will respond they don’t know and few will explain their process. Many companies use several mailing list suppliers other than DMA. Truly, one of the main problems is the Mail Preferance policies that catalogs maintain that is hurting us consumers and preventing the mailings to stop. Lastly, whenever you receive a request for credit card, insurance and magazine offers, write them a nice little request to delete your name and notify the supplier of your mailing info and mail it back to them in their postage paid self addressed envelope! With the members of catalogchoice growing and there have been over 9 million opt outs I do beleive, catalog companies will be forced to drastically change their system to accomdate the consumer – eventually.
Adding to what Yvonne wrote…
Any time you purchase an item with a credit card at a bricks-and-mortar store, it’s possible that your data will be added to mailing lists. The magnetic strip on credit cards contains multiple lines of information, typically the card holder’s name and address, at the bare minimum. If you’re shopping at the retail location of a multichannel merchant, you may suddenly find you’re receiving catalogs, as well.
The type of information which may be collected varies according to state law and the card issuers’ policies. Wherever legal, however, the store can use third party information services like Experian to append your name/address with additional data such as your annual income and shopping preferences.
I wish I had known that when I first began using a credit card in 1990. I now try to pay cash everywhere I go.
This is for Bill – Roaman’s & Woman Within are just a couple of the many Redcatsusa are under. Does your wife get Brylane, Chadwicks, Metro Style, King Size, La Redoute, CO Boutlet, One Stop Plus and Jessica London? I’m still quite green but I’m learning. Please make sure when calling catalog companies that you inquire if that catalog is the only one they issue. They don’t like to mention the others……
On many websites (such as for losing weight) you can track your own progress in a very detailed way. Can you set your site up so that when a catalog is delivered one can track each catalog and the day it was received as well as the various numbers printed on the label? There is a source code number and other numbers that I can’t identify what they are for, but no customer number. That way, a list could be generated and printed from home to send to the SAG’s office with the details, like Yvonne mentioned in her post earlier. I think combining your advocacy with consumer rage could speed up the change all of us want who sign up for your service. I think there has to be legal and financial ramifications for change to happen and the more data that can be generated, the better. I would also like ideas for creative ways to innundate the DMA with collected catalogs sent back to them at their cost. Since catalogs are harrassing me, I’d like to do the same to them.
I’m encouraged by the comments that Catalog Choice is working. It’s not always so apparent. Even merchants that have confirmed acceptance of my opt-out are still sending me catalogs after 4 or 5 month. On a positive note, although I haven’t been keeping empirical data, it does seem like I’m getting less catalogs than 5 months ago when I started using Catalog Choice.
Karen, I started doing my own tracking with those catalogs that keep changing the variation of my name by setting up a spreadsheet with info so if it comes down to going SAG, I can cut and paste all the info to support my consumer complaint. This month has been great, I’ve received about 50 catalogs compared to 400 in late 2007 – but it’s not pre-holiday season. I think it would be quite interesting for the Today Show to see the other side of the coin in the results of consumers using catalogchoice. I’m going to continue with them because before I found out about them in late January 2008, I thought that I was in a minority that did not want the mountain of catalogs coming in. Now I know I’m not alone.
I signed up with Catalog Choice in October 2007 and have seen some reduction in the catalogs that come to the house. The glitch in the system, from what I can see, is coming from merchants themselves and the DMA. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of us signed up at Catalog Choice, we represent a very small percentage of what merchants and the DMA see as customers or potential customers. Even though many merchants and the DMA talk a big game of “customer first,” their real motivator is “dollars first.” They must be getting a good return on their direct marketing efforts, and they are unlikely to change until there is a substantial effect on their bottom line. That’s just my opinion, based on watching the lack of cooperation from merchants and the DMA.
I think the actual number of humans very disatisfied with the catalog dump into our mailboxes, and the sharing of our information, is much much greater than the membership of Catalog Choice. I’m guessing that what led to the Do Not Call Registry is exactly what is now happening with direct marketing.
It’s frustrating to see merchants ignoring us, but I think they will come around eventually, probably more to avoid legislation regulating or stopping their efforts than any other reason. The work of Catalog Choice and individuals is all having an effect… let’s just hang in.
Well, it was with high hopes that I signed on to Catalog Choice, but must admit that I am more than a little anxious after reading all of the above blogs.
However, as a few pointed out, this group is relatively brand new and needs time to get things moving. We all know how this catalog game works, so it should come as no surprise that it is going to take some doing to get them to ‘listen’ to us.
In any event, what has anyone lost by giving Catalog Choice a chance? I, for one, am pleased to have a one-stop option for placing the no-more-catalog requests.
In addition, this group seems to be growing fast and could end up making a real difference!!! I believe we all should stress the environmental aspect with the merchants every time we have contact with them.
Onward and upward, Catalog Choice!
Ruth
If people are concerned that Catalog Choice isn’t working for them, I would say the following:
(1) Give it time. Just because you contact Company X and opt out, it doesn’t mean you’re off their list tomorrow. They prepare their catalogs weeks in advance, so you’ll probably receive at least one more catalog before they opt you out.
(2) Use the Mail Preference Service (MPS). Most of the big catalog mailers are members, and as such, they are required to check their address lists against the MPS once per month (it used to be once per quarter, but they strengthened this requirement in 2007). For those of you who are signed up with the MPS and still receive catalogs, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the MPS isn’t working. The MPS only applies to “prospect” mail, which is mail the catalog company (or other company) sends you when you haven’t actually bought anything from them or “established a business relationship.” For example, if you purchased something from Company X a few years ago, and then you sign up with the MPS, Company X can still send you catalogs because you’ve established a business relationship with them! You have to contact them DIRECTLY to get off their “consumer” list, which is completely different than their “prospect list.”
(3) Notify the company. DMA members are required to keep “in house suppression lists” which, unlike the MPS, apply to ALL mailing lists (not just the prospect list). The DMA is supposedly making this easier for all of us, because their new privacy guidelines (they call them “guidelines,” but members are required to abide by them) require their members to include an opt-out notice on every single solicitation mailpiece (catalogs, credit card offers, etc). So, if you get a catalog you don’t want to receive, look for the opt-out notice.
(4) Notify DMA. If you KNOW a company is a DMA member and is not complying with your opt-out request and/or registration with the MPS, DMA has a division that receives complaints and will presumably take action to remedy the problem. The DMA does not want a Do Not Mail list, and if you let them know that one of their members isn’t playing by their rules, it’s in their interest to address the problem.
Notwithstanding the previous points, I encourage everybody to keep entering catalogs into the Catalog Choice website. The DMA recently changed the MPS to more closely resemble Catalog Choice, so they are aware of the “competition.” Keep putting the pressure on them…more and more DMA members are bucking their association’s advice and cooperating with Catalog Choice every day.
This is not the time to give up on this website…let’s show a little patience and help Catalog Choice help us regain control of our mailboxes!
I have sent several comments this week. Since last September, I spent a lot of time and expense not only trying to get off unwanted catalogs but trying to help others that I know have less energy and ability to do this. As I’ve said before, catalogchoice is one I applaud. I have looked at their Archives and their mission is right on target. Through my contacting individual catalogs whether in writing or by phone, the 1-2 mailings expanded to changing a variation of names and addresses, a nightmare. Why do consumers have to join DMA pay and release credit card info to an actual source that blantantly share our mailing info to get off repeated unwanted mailings? Is this blackmail? Their changes have been too slow for many consumers and at a cost -especially when many catalogs that are their members state they “occasionally” share your info – without your permission or knowledge! Also these companies print many issues in advance Additionally they don’t delete by address – which is what needs to be done. We need catalogchoice as an advocate to help us because DMA wants money or credit card info to clean up their mess. I’m going forward and not looking back and not joining DMA. This blog is really not a competition between catalogchoice and DMA but a consumer wanting wanting their privacy respected. as kindly requested and catalogs companiew are ignoring.
I have noticed a HUGE difference in the number of catalogs I’ve received. It’s so noticeable because most had my mother-in-law’s name on them. I was still receiving them 3 years after she passed away!!! Yes, I could have called each and everyone of them but it would have taken forever. This site was so quick and convenient.
The volume of catalogs we’ve received in spring 2008 has declined compared to spring 2007. I’m quite certain of that, although I can’t precisely quantify the difference because I didn’t try weighing our household waste until autumn of last year.
It does appear that at least one company has even removed me from their 12-month house list, successfully honoring my opt-out through Catalog Choice without any further prodding from me. Bless you for understanding, VivaTerra. I’ll be back to shop with you again. I’ll click through the Bravo Merchants page the next time I visit your website, so your marketing team can attribute my purchase with ease and clarity.
The points articulated by the anon commenter above are technically correct and great in theory. I’d be thrilled if the MPS worked that well in practice. However, the system is broken. I’ve identified a minimum of 26 *prospecting* DMA members who mailed this past holiday season despite my MPS enrollment. To my mind, it is likely that one or both of the following have happened:
(1) Unbeknownst to me, my MPS enrollment could have expired when the DMA switched from a five-year period to a three-year period last autumn. I thought I had signed up only two or so years ago, but it might’ve been as long as three. I admit I didn’t write it down. If that’s the case, then it’s not the merchants’ fault that they were sending me prospecting catalogs, since the DMA could’ve dropped my name from the suppression list. I’m not sure, and that little whiff of doubt is the reason I haven’t filed any complaints yet. (That doubt will be gone by October 2008, when the merchants will have had a full nine months to implement my renewed enrollment, and there will be no more excuses). The DMA made this change so quietly that I can’t find a reference to it at their website. I have read a DM News article from October 2006, though, which confirmed that registration once meant a five-year opt-out. My husband and I joke about this: “Wait, did we say five years? We meant three! No, oops, that was a typo, we need you to enroll every week, please! Have your credit card ready!”
(2) The sheer number of third party mailers/list services/coops/whatnot is probably introducing lots of confusion and errors into the system. That’s why I want I want to know the suppliers of the mailing lists—so I can go take up the issue with them directly. Without that information, it’d be hideously inefficient to contact all of them personally. How many are there? Here’s a copy-and-paste link which provides a clue:
multichannelmerchant.com/crosschannel/lists/listing_forward/index1.html
In any case, I will continue to attempt to manage the catalogs I receive through whichever paths ultimately prove most effective. Sadly, I no longer have to worry about a few of the prospecting businesses, due to attrition. Of the aforementioned 26 companies, three are now already out of business, bankrupt, or reportedly in severe financial distress.