Comments on: What’s New at Catalog Choice

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:53:28 +0000

Kerry and Marlene:
Perfectly stated! This is exactly what we need to do. We have one million members and if we all dedicate ourselves to only shop with participating merchants at http://catalogchoice.org/cool_catalogs , then our money will support our values.

We can also help by telling those who are not participating that you want them to honor your request entered here.

Together we can make a difference. Alone nothing will change.

Chuck

By: Kerry

Kerry — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:20:42 +0000

Honestly, I find it puzzling that people get mad at CC.org, or use language like “you failed me.” Maybe I’m special, but I didn’t pay for this service. What I’m seeing here is a grassroots effort of people to make a difference–and even if it’s imperfect, it’s hard to be disappointed in people who are obviously trying.

The fact is that, like any grassroots effort, CC.org will only be as powerful as the size of its customer base. If they have 50,000 people sign up (out of a population of 300 million in the U.S.), that’s something the catalog companies can ignore. When they have 30 million people sign up, well, suddenly these merchants will HAVE to listen. That’s just how commerce works. If enough customers take the time to complain, things change.

If you’re disappointed with your CC.org results so far, it seems to me that the best thing you can do is to get everyone you know to sign up. There’s always strength in numbers.

By: Marlene

Marlene — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:43:59 +0000

Let’s not get upset with CC folks. As one person implied, we are all in this together and must persevere. Frustration will be a given. Place that energy into the repeated requests to opt out via CC, email, phone or whatever socially responsible route it takes to end this paper waste.
And, it isn’t only paper waste. Think of the delivery process and gasoline consmption required to get this unwanted paper to our mailboxes. Don’t give up and don’t blame a group who is trying to help us.

By: Catalog Choice - Paperless Blog » Blog Archive » Frustrated?

Catalog Choice - Paperless Blog » Blog Archive » Frustrated? — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:34:20 +0000

[...] example of fellow Catalog Choice members like Julie who only shops with Participating Merchants, or Yvonne and Tracy who have both been long-time supporters of our service and work continuously to stop [...]

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:58:55 +0000

Sandra: Thanks for the support.

By no means are the additional catalogs you or anyone else is receiving a result of our service. We have gone to extensive efforts to insure that the merchants we deliver your requests to are obligated to not rent or sell your name.

Our team works tirelessly on your behalf to let you choose the catalogs you do not want.

Chuck

By: Sandra Brow

Sandra Brow — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:14:24 +0000

I don’t know if it’s the start of the Christmas rush, data-mining the site, the endless invention of new catalog titles and sending to new customer numbers, or what. I’m receiving a LOT of catalogs I never saw before (and why they think I want stuff about horses, or jewelry, or a “Mr. Santa” free gift, I can’t imagine). A lot of catalogs seem to come once and go away — whether because of an opt-out through Catalog Choice or not, I can’t tell. I’m staying the course, though. Now I have a clear record of which catalogs I’ve tried to cancel, and when, and I only call those that refuse to stop. The “families” of catalogs that trace an unfamiliar name to a single source is valuable, too.

This problem won’t go away until society adopts an “opt-in” policy. Say, a single source can send a single catalog from their family once a year, maybe giving a list of other catalogs they publish, and they may not send more unless the recipient opts IN to their “service”. And then probably we’ll have to find jobs for all the post office employees who will be out of a job. But until that day comes, Catalog Choice is working to improve the way mail marketing works, and it’s a great place to record which catalogs I’ve received and know exactly what the facts are when I call the ones who won’t quit sending them.

By: Gail

Gail — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:17:34 +0000

At the risk of repeating myself, I’m going to include my comments on more than one thread. First, can we be sure that no one is actually mining your site for contact info?? I seem to have gotten MANY MORE catalogs since I started using this site – from places I had never heard of or received catalogs before! Secondly, many places that confirmed my opt-out are continuing to send catalogs, only now they include “or current resident”. So now I have to report that catalog, then endure 10-12 weeks of that same catalog before I can complain again.. When does it end? Is anyone having better luck with contacting companies directly? Because this way isn’t actually saving as much time as I thought it would.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:14:02 +0000

Why not make a list of companies who choose not to participate and make the list available on your site so the search engines can pick it up. Do it in a way where the search engines would result in listing the company name and the fact that they have refused to, or will not participate in CC and how this goes against rational corporate policy and is not in the best interests of the stockholders of the company, and is not going green and resulting in more CO2 in the world. This would be a way to give those companies some unwanted bad publicity that they are better off without. And if they decide to participate, they come off the list. When companies experience bad publicity in the public domain, often the decision makers will do the right thing just to stop it.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:23:52 +0000

CCC- I know that there are alot of unlisted catalogs that have been submitted that we have not added to the system. Please understand that our small staff is doing everything in our power to get the current set of merchants listed on the site to honor requests. Since this effort has proven to be slower than we had hoped, we have not added many of the requested catalogs to the system at this time.

We have a record of the titles you have suggested and we will get to them in time.

Thanks for your patience and support.

Chuck

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:20:28 +0000

Julie:

You rock! This is the kind of member support that really helps. I wish all of the merchants would honor our members’ choices, but unfortunately many have taken the position that they want you to contact them directly. The facts are by entering your request in YOUR Catalog Choice Account, you are authorizing us to contact the merchant on your behalf. This is what we do every day, on behalf of our one million members.

If more Catalog Choice members would adopt your approach, I am confident that more and more merchants would activate their account. And ultimately, we would have a very effective system. As it stands, it is working but adoption is slower than we all wish.

To make the customer search down the contact information for each and every company and then call customer service, wait on hold, just to request that they no longer mail you a catalog is not a customer friendly, efficient system. Working with a mission-based non-profit, who is providing a free, online, secure service for consumers AND merchants makes the most sense to us.

I am pleased to let you and others who read this blog know that over 300 merchants agree with Julie and our approach. And more are joining every day.

Your comment is so right-on that I am going to use it as the topic of the next blog post.

Thanks,

Chuck