Today, we launched Catalog Choice 2.0. We have freshened up the user interface and enhanced the service with a variety of key features.
The site navigation has moved from the left-hand side of the site to tabs and a login strip. The tabs are the key elements of the site – Dashboard, Find Catalogs, My Choices, Cool Catalogs, Invite Friends and Donation.
Other key elements of the navigation have been moved to the Login strip, located at the top of the page. In the lefthand portion of the Login strip, you will find About Us, Blog, Privacy, FAQ and Contact us. On the right side of the Login strip, there is a log out link and a link to My Profile. The screen shot below shows you where each element of the original UI has been moved.
This change will make it straight forward for us to add in other forms of mail (beyond catalogs) to the site. Look for this upgrade in the near future.
Still Receiving is back. For a week, we removed the Still Receiving link from My Choices. We heard from alot of members that they wanted it back. We have put it back in My Choices. It works slightly different than before. When you select Still Receiving, you will be taken to the catalog’s mail preference page where you will need to fill out the request form again. This will allow us to use the most up to date contact method for the catalog and capture the relevant name and address information.
You can now add a new mailbox on the mail preference form. We have made it easier to add new addresses while you are filling out the mail preference request. The new mailbox link is right on the form so you can add a new address without leaving the page.
We have added a new mail preference delivery method that we refer to as “Form pop-up”. While over 525 catalog titles use our secure merchant account to obtain your requests, many catalog mailers continue to ignore your request provided through our free merchant service. We have been emailing your requests to hundreds of merchants using our anonymous email system – we never release your email address for a mail preference request.
The new method is designed for companies that use “contact us” forms on their site instead of email addresses. When you go to set a mail preference request for one of these companies, we will open their contact us form within our site so that you can fill out the form. If you want to keep your email private and have the company’s email response stored in your Catalog Choice account, use the anonymous email address shown on the top of the page. When you are done filling out the form, select the “Save and Go Back” button and we will record the request in your account. We recognize that the user experience of the form pop-up is a little jarring since a new website will suddenly show up on the page. However, this feature is necessary to make the service work for a number of merchants.
We hope you like the site upgrades and continue to pass the word about Catalog Choice. Together, we are making a difference in the world of direct marketing for the good of the consumer, the enviroment and the mailer. As always, we welcome your comments below.
I say this in the context of thinking that what you do is GREAT, and of being grateful for the much much reduced volume of catalogs I receive, but … what you call a dashboard is not something that ANYONE else in the world would call a dashboard.
I have a situation with my elderly mother receiving catalogs at her assisted living facility. She loves to order from them but is not able to control her spending for mental abilities and finances. I would like to give you more information so that the volume of catalogs is reduced. Please contact me as soon as possible. Thank you
Cindy Fry
Continued aggravation. After doing a good job of eliminating 80% of my catalogs, we have topped out. Catalogs that committed to you to send no more are back at it and companies I have never heard of are now filling my mailbox. The paper and energy involved in this industry is a HUGE waste! I have gone back to calling catalogers directly.
S Perry – if you report continued receipt of a catalog and record it in your account, the merchant will be contacted again. Of the 88 titles you opt-ed out of, you only reported that you are still receiving 2. If we work together, we can make it work for you and all the other members.
I would really like to get an explanation as to why Catalogue Choice lists companies that totally abuse the process, like Cuddledown, as “cool companies” Many of these so called cool companies do not really comply, they just change the customer numbers. I’m now at the 18month point with very little discernable impact on the number of catalogues I receive. Some have stopped, which is great, thanks, but I’m getting more and more that I never heard of.
Nancy, take it from me, I am now the dethroned queen of catalogs… thanks mostly to CC.org. I joined Jan08 and now I only get …..3 catalogs a month vs 100 per week. There are many factors involved in why you still continue to get these catalogs. One piece of advice, if you contact the catalog company, make sure you clearly indicate that you do not want your mailing info sold/share or exchanged to others in any form. I still miss some of the catalogs I used to get. But now hubby and I have time to be retirees and grandparents. Please give CC.org time to work with those companies and schmooz them over. Hi Chuck – still getting used to the new look! Some day I hope to be able to say I Tweet.
Hi Nancy:
Thanks for speaking up. We will talk to Cuddledown about your complaint. We list the companies on the cool catalogs page who have committed to honor mail preference requests. Please send us a note at Team(at)catalogchoice.org about the others you continue to receive catalogs from and we will look into these issues too.
If you want to have your name removed from all “prospect” mail – catalogs you have never purchased from, you need to register at DMAChoice.org and indicated that you don’t want to receive offers from the Catalog category. I will write a blog post that clearly explains this process.
Hi Yvonne -
Nice to hear from you. Hope you like the new look and as always, I appreciate your support. While I know the system is not perfect, we are now up to over 500 catalog titles formally working with us. This time last year it was <100. Yes, there has been a lot schmoozing, meetings, phone calls and software development to make this work. And, thanks for your donation!
Best, Chuck