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Working to Reduce Unwanted Catalogs in Your Mailbox

This morning we sent the following message to all Catalog Choice members.

In just six months, Catalog Choice has become a significant consumer
voice in the direct mail industry. We could not have done it without
you and the other 730,000 people who use our service. On our blog, the
voices of several Catalog Choice members, Tracy, Yvonne, and Mary to
name a few, is also loud and clear:

“Give us the power to decide what gets in our mailbox.”

We work hard every day to achieve this goal. But we know that when you
receive an unwanted catalog in the mail, you may wonder: Is Catalog
Choice working? We confidently report that yes, Catalog Choice is
working. Our approach is showing results, for you, merchants and the
environment.

Here are some important updates and thoughts we want to share with
you:

* Nearly 200 catalog mailers are participating in Catalog Choice, and
this number grows every day. Check out our new “Bravo Merchants”
page, which gives you a convenient way to shop online by catalog
brand. In the months ahead you’ll see more mailers post their
electronic catalogs.

* We are engaged with the catalog industry at the executive level,
working with key decision-makers, the US Postal Service, and
industry associations to ensure that merchants honor your mail
preferences.

* Please use Catalog Choice for those unwanted catalogs you receive in
the mail. We established our service to be title-specific. To
decrease the chances of your name being rented, sold, or exchanged
by catalog companies, consider the Direct Marketing Association’s
Mail Preference Service at www.DMAChoice.org. This service will
remove you from DMA member prospect lists. In response to Catalog
Choice, DMA recently dropped the credit card verification and fee
requirements. Please avoid using Catalog Choice for catalogs you’ve
never received.

These are challenging financial times for merchants. There is no legal
imperative for merchants to honor your opt-out requests; we depend on
the merchant’s good faith to respect consumers’ mail preferences. Some
mailers are reluctant to remove valuable customer names from their
mailing lists without a confirmation directly from the customer. If
you are a catalog customer, some mailers may reach out to you with a
phone call, an email, or a post card. Others may send you a catalog to
see how you respond. If you buy from that catalog, it is unlikely that
the mailer will remove you from their mailing list.

We stand by our mission to reduce the mailing of unwanted catalogs.
Our approach is to continue working collaboratively with the catalog
industry to embrace voluntary measures to reduce unwanted mail by
honoring your mail preferences. This requires a relationship of trust
between Catalog Choice and mailers - and this takes time. We ask for
your continued patience and support. So stick with us and tell a
friend. The larger our voice, the more progress we can make together.

Sincerely,
The Catalog Choice Team

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 12:33 pm and is filed under Catalog Choice, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

33 Responses to “Working to Reduce Unwanted Catalogs in Your Mailbox”

  1. Bless You! Catalogchoice will be heard. And maybe the little ladies and tot will carry on with GO GREEN as I talk to them often about my catalog “journey” especially when I feed them. “CC” Today you brought me to tears because hubby and I have been going through what the many others out there are experiencing -two fold. Please ask the catalog people to stop printing “or current resident”. Go!

    Yvonne Camesi on April 22nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm

  2. ever since signing up and deleting catalogs that were unwanted, i have been receiving more than ever! it definitely has had the opposite effect for me!

    theresa on April 22nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm

  3. Wow. I haven’t been to the Bravo Merchants page in some time. It’s just great… beautifully laid out, easy to use. What a terrific (free!) additional service this is on your website. If I were a catalog merchant, I’d join up for the (free!) exposure. It’s really heartening to see how many there are. The catalog marketing industry talks a lot about multichannel marketing… well, here’s a channel that can’t be beat.

    Mary on April 22nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm

  4. Excellent work Catalog Choice Team
    I have never thought this in my life, this shows that still there are people who care about nature. After reading your blog i have ordered all my staff to implement this from the same day.
    I appreciate your efforts and 100% sure that one day you will achieve what you think.
    Regards
    Selena

    Bluetooth on April 23rd, 2008 at 2:04 am

  5. You guys are doing a wonderful thing keeping the merchants at bay. Now you have to tackle the NON profit side of the mailbox clutter. Charity mailing lists, anyone? I throw more non profit paper into my recycling box than catalogues - six times a year from some charities, and ever more of them every minute, whether I give or not. I don’t WANT any more address labels, free notecards, endless letters of solitication, or fancy packets and kits to lobby congresspeople. Even for causes that matter to me, I can’t be bothered with all that PAPER!! Can we get nonprofits on board with this? Reduce mailings to twice a year? Reduce soliticitations to small slips of paper with directions to a website for further information?
    Any other ideas for how to keep benefactors of humanity from pulping the planet?

    Elizabeth Hollander on April 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 am

  6. I’ve opted out of 312 catalogs (many dups) since December. Some merchants who don’t confirm with you do stop sending. MAny do not. I am now sending an email when I get a catalog that I’ve asked to be removed and express my diassapointment that they did not honor my request through Catalog Choice and my hope that they will re-consider. WHen I gat a calalog that is not on your list, I tell them about you when I send an email to be removed and ask them to consider joining. We will prevail!!
    LydiaJean

    Lydia Villa-Komaroff on April 23rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm

  7. I look forward to reduce the amount of catalogs I receive each month and my way of saving money and trees.

    mary anne stolz on April 24th, 2008 at 5:03 am

  8. I love the “Bravo Merchants” page, it’s great to see these companies actively participating! I admit I loved catalogs when I was younger, back in the pre-internet days, but now they seem so antiquated and wasteful. I knew I had to join Catalog Choice when on a single day we received 4 copies of the Title Nine catalog, 1 for my husband, and unbelievably, 3 for me, all with different customer numbers. Annoyingly, they appear to refuse to take our names off their list via CatalogChoice and will only do so if we contact them directly. Even more annoyingly, I had done that several times in the past and they said they would (if only not to bombard the new occupants with our mail). Since we moved in December, I haven’t gotten a single catalog at the new address, and I’m almost afraid to order from them, lest the onslaught begin again.

    Veronika R. on April 24th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

  9. I too seem to be getting all of my catalogs. I will not do business on line with merchants that do not honor my requests to stop the catalogs. Oh, and I call the customer service line to tell them. Maybe they will get the idea if we all stop ordering.

    Pat A on April 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

  10. I tried last night to get this blog in but it timed me out. Several times. Lesson in CATAGOMICS:

    It’s Dolly Parton’s “Here We Go Again”. DMA is not the only major supplier. Once a mail list supplier sells your name to catalogs, they “Occasionally” exchange your mailing info. Not only DMA or other mail suppliers should have the responsibility but the actual catalog company that bought the supplier’s list that has 1-(you guess) other catalogs. The catalog companies obtain listings from:

    -Other major catalog suppliers “Informational resources” you go to their websites and they brag about the numerous consumers they can attract! It’s all about $$$$$$
    -Credit Bureaus, banks. Merchants your local department and specialty stores.
    -Miscellaneous resources (the unknown)

    The infractions of ignoring the consumer’s request for deletion are nothing (a spanking will not help) and it’s up to us the consumer to bring it to light. I have been writing letters to DMA, other suppliers and catalog companies. DMA has never replied to any of my letters.

    What is so disappointing about DMA to me are the following:

    Charging for requests in writing to their Carmel N.Y. address for “processing” written requests even though they created part of the mess and paper waste.

    Requesting credit card verification for some of their services. Why, they gathered and profited from the info they certainly don’t need us to give it out again. Email is not for everyone. Will not join that way.

    Not aggressively persuing the infractions of their customer merchants that ignore consumer’s requests. Also, improving the time frame to get the job done to remove consumer’s mailing info off.

    I called their Washington DC number in Feb 08 and it took over six weeks to get their forms because only one person does that. It took three phone calls for me to receive those few forms. Does that really gain public trust? Timeliness is a big factor right now for us consumers.

    I wrote to DMA’s Farmingdale or Farmington address four times (one was an address printed in a few catalogs and some customer service reps provided the other). Never got a reply but they came back UTF=Unable to forward. I want to pay them for deletion??? the got it in my postage.

    I really don’t feel comfortable sitting in the hen house with the fox guarding it. Have I made my point?

    For the credit card, bank, charities, I send them a letter in their postage paid envelopes and I keep track of them as well as the catalogs companies. Date the receipt of the label - it comes in handy later.

    Alot of my previous blogs have indicated it’s what you as a consumer may have to do. I truly do not like having to call or write after the fifth or sixth call to get the same promise for each name variation for two addresses or for my inlaws that are deceased and never lived at either address. And then, they start all over.

    Catalog companies: Delete by address and not by name. Remove the “or current resident by the actual name” I don’t want the next resident to have access to the customer service # or even my name.

    Catalogchoice, you’re still genuine in my book. 74 confirmed. Thank you, only 20 unwanted catalogs this month! (so far).

    Yvonne Camesi on April 25th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

  11. The Bravo merchants page is wonderful! I’ve never heard of some of these merchants, and its great to know that there is a central location for browsing, AND that they are willing to comply with the no-mail requests. I’ll browse and buy!

    Darby on April 26th, 2008 at 7:34 am

  12. i’m going to send this to my mother - finally!

    sarah mccrary on April 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am

  13. So far I’ve cancelled 139 catalogs. I’m afraid to find out how many more I’ll need to add to the list! I have found that when my name is taken off, sometimes I’ll receive the same catalog in my husbands name - I then cancel that one. The merchants NEED to switch to address rather than name. (or is this deliberate?)

    eloise lanum on April 27th, 2008 at 12:18 am

  14. This morning in the Parade section of the newspaper, pg 8 “consumer alert” there is hope. A non profit group “ForestEthics is in support of a Do Not Mail List.

    Went into Google and they have a site with a sign the petition for this issue!

    Yvonne Camesi on April 27th, 2008 at 8:31 am

  15. I have written to some of my catalog suppliers myself in the past and they said it would take at least 3 months to remove my address off their mailing list. So far The 3 months are not up and I seem to be getting catalogs from their other companies that I did not know existed. I hope signing up at this site helps eleminate the catalogs from my mailbox.

    Glory Jones on April 27th, 2008 at 10:21 am

  16. Catalogchoice: you are still my first bet. Have about 30 unwanted catalogs this month. The “Delivered” numbers still are missing in action. “Unconfirmed” are AWOL. Am only inputting those we’ve received. The catalogs companies still keep changing our names and customer service numbers (or not printing #s) to protect their innocence. We still keep the labels and date them and identify them as evidence.

    The consumer needs to go the distance with letting our powers that be design a safer consumer environment so that you can ensure “We can choose what we want to let in”. No more 1-2 mailings and a concrete promise to delete by address and keep it so it don’t go on and on…… If the consumer hear’s what I am saying, make the decison and take more action than griping about it.

    Hey, hubby and I are the average blokes getting stuff over stuff we do not want. We’re overwhelmed with catalogs, charity, insurance and credit card offerings etc too. Sounds like our local rummage sale.

    Think that the “We occasionally exchange” and “Or Current Resident” has gone too far that is being printed? It’s already happened ten fold. Think identity theft .

    We should not have to pay $ to recycle waste that what we don’t want. “Recycle Please” clauses are nice only if you have a choice to decline or opt out up front. Not going to buy just because of mailing after mailing. That’s like kissing someone with bad breath.

    I hope catalogchoice will have the final say. Your numbers in membership and catalog opt outs are really going up.

    After over nine months, now have a degree in catagomics as well as accounting and hard knocks.

    Last week, at our old address, we had 5 out of seven days without mail. Some how, somewhere there is something going on. Must be consumer push and catalogchoice.

    Yvonne Camesi on April 27th, 2008 at 8:17 pm

  17. I wish I could be as happy about CatalogChoice.org as some others. I am still receiving catalogs after signing up with catalog choice in January of 08. I have resorted to calling catalog companies and requesting that my name be removed from their mailing list and their renting/selling list. I have been told by some companies that it takes up to 6 months to become effective because of advanced printing.

    I receive a total of 127 different catalogs.

    Something must be done to stop unwanted mailings.

    I AM NOT HAPPY.

    Spreitzer on April 29th, 2008 at 6:56 am

  18. Although I am receiving somewhat fewer catalogs, I am getting some from companies I never got them from before. Between that and getting catalogs I had opted out of, and that companies just gave me new customer numbers, I don’t know just how well this is working.

    Joan Makurat on April 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am

  19. I have had the same experience (receiving more catalogs) since signing up for Catalog Choice 2 months ago. Today, I received 5 NEW catalogs I’ve never heard of. I have opted out of 110 catalogs in 2 months and the torrent continues. Why would this be? I really want your service to succeed, but this is a mystery.

    Julie Cason on April 29th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

  20. Joan, That’s the “we occasionally exchange to other companies” clause they print and have already done so 10-100 fold and… before you know it! Look at the below:

    Got our 30+catalog from the Potpourri Group in Chelmsford MA since I called in Oct 07 for removal. Made about alot of calls and sent several letters to 12 of the catalogs they send out. The nice Cust Svc Rep that I last spoke with in March 08 said “something was missing from my last request for total removal” and now they sent me another with a new name variation. Promises!

    Senator’s Kennedy and Kerry will be hearing from me. 30+ catalogs at 50-80 pages of wasted paper. I admire the city of Chelmsford that is supporting reducing unwanted catalogs through catalogchoice. I went into their site in Mar08.

    Join catalogchoice but do what you have to because you as a consumer has to voice out to your home state and those where the catalog roam. No I’m not a politician just fed up like the rest of y’all.

    I need a new T-Shirt! So I can start new holes. CC, are you sellling any on your site?

    By the way CC, go for the 1 million membership, you’ll even look greener! I love emeralds.

    Yvonne Camesi on April 29th, 2008 at 5:18 pm

  21. Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs (same company) are the two worst merchants for sending unwanted catalogs… I’ve called them repeatedly to be removed and the catalogs keep coming… CC, please keep the pressure on them

    james on April 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm

  22. James, hate to break it to you, Ballard Designs is one of a few that belong to Cornerstone which send out others….. pull up on Google.

    Pottery Barn did not come up when I researched Ballard Designs. Must’ve missed that one.

    CC: do I get a T shirt - embroidered with your Logo? I lost one confirmed but gained a couple. Those major ones just don’t quit. Do they think we’ll be bullied to buy?

    Still don’t understand the reasoning for sending catalogs out so they get the lesser price of postage and consumer pays and pays more for a stamp. Got a shoe box full of promised 1-2 mailings and the additional 3-6 more because the catalog marketing departments forgot to honor Mail Preference Service clauses either by phone or by letter. They also went overboard on the “We occasionally exchange” and “Or Current Resident”. Not nice to consumer.

    As a consumer, catalogchoice is not to blame for increased mailings they’re the guys in white hats and advocating for us but you do have a responsibility to contact the guys that make the laws.

    Yvonne Camesi on April 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

  23. Yvonne–

    Pottery Barn is NOT affiliated with Ballard Design; PB is a Williams-Sonoma company. I’ve never had any problem getting PB to stop sending catalogs–they are quite responsive to telephone requests; indeed WS has stopped sending us catalogs a couple times, even tho it’s one that we like to receive.

    Chris on April 30th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

  24. I agree with Elizabeth in that we need one for non profits. I have collected all their envelopes for 6 months and sent them back with a letter, sent letters and called saying send me only 1 request a year or I will remove you from my list. THis weekend I am going to make a finally stab by sending letters address to the president and sent to the headquarters address rather than the one on the send money envelopes as I think we are just a clearing house.

    I told them what they are doing is plain harassment and shows they are a poorly managed organization.

    Jane on April 30th, 2008 at 9:20 pm

  25. I also have received more new catalogs since joining CatalogChoice. Maybe coincidence, maybe just a sign of the hard times. I, too, find that when I decline using one name, they send to another version of my name or my husband’s. I am up to about 7 declines of one single catalog. Praise the merchants who actually follow my wishes! I can still buy online from them.

    Lena McCubbin on May 1st, 2008 at 7:33 am

  26. It’s working! The amount of unwanted mail has dropped dramatically.
    Thanks

    Ray Perez on May 1st, 2008 at 12:02 pm

  27. I have opted out of 125 catalogs through your site and have seen a significant change in the number of catalogs I receive. I follow up with a phone call to those that “refuse” and those that just continue to send them. There have been a few new arrivals but I am very pleased with the results so far!!
    Thank you, thank you for your service!

    Nadine Peters on May 1st, 2008 at 3:59 pm

  28. Thank you for doing something about this prooblem.

    Joyce Kidd on May 1st, 2008 at 4:56 pm

  29. ForestEthics has started a campaign for creation of a Do Not Mail registry like the Do Not Call registry that has stopped most of the annoying calls from telemarketers. They are asking people to sign a petition at http://www.DoNotMail.org.

    Every year, Americans get 100 billion pieces of junk mail made form 100 million trees. This has got to stop.

    Frances Whittelsey on May 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 am

  30. Chris, I was truly only being nice to James. I did my research and found Ballard Designs to be under Cornerstone which houses Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Smith & Noble, The Territory Ahead and Travel Smith. They continue the “shell game with us in changing our name variations to send us more catalogs. Do agree PB did honor their opt out. W/S is another story because I called them in Nov07 and still got one in Mar08. More than 1-2 mailings on this one.

    FYI, Went to the post office today and was given a consumer guide that had old MPS/ DMA’s mailing address with the Farmington NY address vs the Carmel NY address. Booklet was printed in March 1998. No mention of fees charged if in writing back then. Postal guy is going to look into this one. Yeah!

    Point of interest: look at the postage paid box on the mailing label of catalogs, it sometimes offers alot of info as to the major players paying the postage.

    508 requests for opt outs, 16 refused and 77 confirmed. April’s received catalogs: 33. Not bad CC for two addresses! Cudos for you.

    Yvonne Camesi on May 3rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm

  31. You might want to clarify your statement about the DMA fee. You covered the credit card requirement on a later blog entry, but I didn’t see anything about the fee. I just checked and DMA *is still* charging that $1 if you choose to mail in your opt-out from DMS prospect lists.

    Sue Mosher on May 16th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

  32. I agree with those who would like to see non-profits (charities) included in some “choice” procedure. It bothers me that charities spend the money I send them to publish so much “junk mail.”

    Liz Cooksey on June 21st, 2008 at 3:14 am

  33. I’m new to CC, but I am truly hopeful. I agree with Liz that we need to discourage non-profits from sending unwanted mailings. They truly could use the money they spend on mailings to do more for their charity. If I want to send $$ to a charity I’ll do it on my own.

    Arlene Satriano on June 25th, 2008 at 7:17 am
 

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