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Paper Diet Targets Unwanted Advertising Mail

Chuck — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:28:13 +0000

Catalog Choice and Environmental Paper Network join the national campaign to help Americans save 1 million pounds of paper by April 22

NEW YORK — Jan. 17, 2012 — Manilla, a free service that offers the best way for consumers to manage their bills and accounts online and via mobile applications, has added unwanted advertising mail to its list of restrictions for the 2012 Paper Diet, a campaign to help consumers and businesses reduce their use of paper. Catalog Choice, the leading service to stop unwanted mail, and the Environmental Paper Network, the leading voice in the environmentally responsible use of paper, have joined the effort. Manilla has set goal for Americans to “lose” more than 1 million pounds and 5 million inches of paper, while saving 13,000 trees.

“We are thrilled to work with the Environmental Paper Network and Catalog Choice to support Americans as they go on the 2012 Paper Diet,” said Jessica Insalaco, the chief marketing officer of Manilla.

In order to achieve their paper weight loss goals, consumers and businesses can take the 2012 Paper Diet Pledge by posting a digital badge on Facebook and by suppressing unwanted paper mail. By simply opting out of getting unwanted catalogs and other advertising mail, Americans can lose half of their paper weight. They can lose the other half by electing to go paperless with direct mail, bills and account statements.

Because account information is available online through Manilla — which provides expedited digital mail delivery — it has never been easier to lose paper weight. With Manilla, users have all of their important account information in one place online, giving paper dieters a free, secure digital alternative to receiving paper mail.

To make the paper weight loss as easy as possible, consumers can use a variety of resources that are committed to the Paper Diet, such as Catalog Choice, the nation’s most comprehensive service that helps people suppress unwanted catalogs, direct mail and phonebooks. “CatalogChoice.org is an easy way to shed pounds of unwanted paper,” said Chuck Teller, the company’s executive director. “More than 1.5 million Americans use our service to opt out of unwanted mail. Everyone wins — cut clutter at home, reduce costs for companies, and save natural resources. Dieting has never been so easy.”

Using services like Manilla and Catalog Choice will not only make consumers’ lives easier, but it will also help the environment, an effort that the Environmental Paper Network is proud to support.

“The Environmental Paper Network has a common vision to improve paper-use efficiency and eliminate excessive and unnecessary paper consumption. Our online Paper Calculator is the perfect scale for the paper diet,” said Joshua Martin, executive director of EPN. “Eliminating 1 million pounds of virgin paper will save 13,000 trees, the energy to power 180 homes per year, the greenhouse gas emissions equal to 273 cars per year and the solid waste of 34 garbage trucks.”

The dieter who loses the most paper weight will receive a Paperless Toolbox, which will include an iPad, an iPad pen, a Kindle, Paperless Post stamps and a shredder. For more information on the Paper Diet and how you can take the pledge, please visit ThePaperDiet.com.

Zumbox and Catalog Choice Partner to Digitize Consumer Postal Mailboxes

Chuck — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:01 +0000

Consumers win by receiving postal and marketing mail online

Los Angeles, CA and Berkeley, CA - Jan 12, 2012 – Zumbox, the leader in digital postal mail services, today announced an agreement with Catalog Choice, the nation’s leading mail preference service. In Q1 2012, Zumbox digital mail users will be able to opt out of catalogs, donation requests, circulars and other printed brochures through their Zumbox account. As a result of the partnership, which is the first of its kind in the industry, Catalog Choice members will be able to claim their Zumbox, a digital postal mailbox tied to an individual’s verified street address, from within their Catalog Choice account.

Zumbox is a safe, highly secure, private service for every household to receive, manage and store postal mail online instead of on paper. Catalog Choice offers an easy and free way to stop unwanted postal marketing mail or indicate a preference to continue to receive it, but digitally in an online postal mailbox. Catalog Choice has made 20 million suppressions to individual titles through its 1.5 million members. By integrating the two services, users on either website can easily and effectively stop unwanted physical mail and start digital delivery of the mail they want.

“Digital postal mail holds great promise, particularly if in the switch to digital, the clutter of physical mail disappears. Zumbox is the first company to embed our service, achieving a strategic objective to continue to provide customers with ways to switch from paper to digital,” said Chuck Teller, Executive Director of Catalog Choice. “We are pleased to work with Zumbox to enable their users to stop postal advertising mail via their Zumbox and accelerate our members’ paperless mission by claiming their Zumbox using Catalog Choice.”

Catalog Choice and Zumbox will also work with leading retail brands to deliver digital catalogs directly to the Digital Postal Mailbox of interested users. Zumbox delivers richer content and is better organized and more secure than email solutions, without the cost and clutter of postal mail.

“The time for moving from paper to digital postal mail has come and advertising mail is one critical component of that transition,” said John Payne, CEO of Zumbox. “While I might prefer to see little marketing mail in my digital mailbox, my wife would think her mailbox was broken if it didn’t contain the important catalogues, coupons and offers she uses all the time. With Catalog Choice we can express preferences that make both of us happy, by delivering that critical marketing mail digitally and eliminating the costs, clutter and environmental issues tied to paper mail.”

MailStop Mobile App is Live

Chuck — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:26:56 +0000

You want to stop junk mail? Now there is an app for that.

MailStop™ Mobile turns your iPhone into a tool that declutters your mailbox in seconds, protects your privacy, saves trees and eliminates waste.

Today, we launched the nation’s first mobile app to stem the flow of unwanted mail in to American homes and offices.

Click the image below to download our free app and get started. We give you 5 opt-outs for free. To cover the cost of processing, additional MailStop Mobile opt-outs are priced at 5 for $1.99, 20 for $6.99 and 50 for $14.99.

Introducing the MailStop Envelope

Michelle — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:00:53 +0000

At Catalog Choice, we are constantly working to make opting out of unwanted mail as easy as possible for our members. That’s why we are so excited to announce the launch of MailStop Envelopes – a new and easy way to opt-out. Simply tear off the mailing labels from up to 15 unwanted mailings, drop them in to your postage paid MailStop Envelope, send it back to us, and we’ll take care of the rest. It’s that simple. MailStop Envelopes are available for purchase on our site, and cost $6.75 per envelope.

Here’s some more information about the MailStop Envelope:

Catalog Choice Launches New Service to

Combat Increasing USPS Junk Mail

As the U.S. Postal Service aggressively seeks to increase direct advertising mailings, Catalog Choice—the leader in mail efficiency—is working to help consumers combat the impending tidal wave of junk mail. The Berkeley-based non-profit today launched MailStop™ Envelopes—the first in a line of premium services set to roll out this fall.

Users can purchase MailStop™ Envelopes for $6.75 each, fill them with up to 15 mailing labels from unwanted mail and send the envelopes back to Catalog Choice. Their staff will then scan the labels, fulfill the opt-out requests and record the transaction in customers’ secure accounts. Companies have 90 days to honor requests before formal complaints are filed and then submitted to the FTC. Customers can use the envelopes to opt-out of any unwanted mail including catalogs, donation requests, circulars and coupon mailers, as well as phone books. The envelopes are available for purchase at www.catalogchoice.org and can also be gifted to friends and family.

Catalog Choice has been testing the MailStop™ Envelopes with customers for the past several months. Brad Barrish, one such customer, said, “Catalog Choice is a no-brainer for anyone who is tired of receiving so many catalogs in their mailbox and just doesn’t have the time to write letters and follow up with the companies sending them. At $6.75 an envelope, it’s hard to find an excuse not to participate. Thanks so much for such a compelling and easy way for people to opt out of junk mail.”

“MailStop™ Envelopes enable individuals to stop unwanted mail seconds after they pull it out of the mailbox,” said Chuck Teller, Executive Director, Catalog Choice. “Since the beginning, Catalog Choice has empowered people to take control of their mailboxes. MailStop™ Envelopes offers another way to improve the relevance of mail for consumers, reduce mailing costs for businesses and garbage disposal costs for cities and counties. It’s a win for everyone involved.”

MailStop™ Envelopes is the offline version of Catalog Choice’s online service, which allows consumers to control who can send them unsolicited mail. In recent months, Catalog Choice has also partnered with communities across the country including Chicago, Ill.; Seattle, Wash; San Jose, Calif. and Kansas City, Mo.-Kan to provide localized mail preference programs for their residents.

Mail Strike in Canada – Do people care?

Chuck — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:03:40 +0000

Canadian letter carriers were on strike for the better part of June.

According to this article, there was not an overwhelming volume of complaints from citizens.

In fact, this editorial from the Globe and Mail states:

An increasing number of Canadians will find the mail service is one they can live without.

And

The drop in mail business is attributable to the increase in online banking, text messaging and Facebook. Today, consumers e-mail money, pay bills by telephone or electronically, chat and write to friends instantly – without the fuss of stamps, envelopes and long waits.

Many find mail in paper form to be quaint; it no longer plays a central role in society. The strike will only accelerate that trend by making online converts of those who have hitherto been reluctant. More of the public will discover the faster, less costly alternatives.

Catalog Choice and StrikeIron Team Up

Chuck — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:14:51 +0000

StrikeIron is a great company we’re now working with to cleanse addresses. Cleansed addresses (that meets USPS standards) will mean that more opt-out requests are honored. We are currently cleansing over 2.3 million addresses in our system and will be enhancing the New Address form to cleanse the address in real time. This is good for the consumer, company, community and the environment. The press release below describes how we are working together.

Cary, NC and Berkeley, CA (PRWEB) June 21, 2011

StrikeIron, the market and technology leader for cloud-based contact data verification solutions, has teamed up with Catalog Choice, the industry pioneer in mail efficiency and privacy control, to streamline its services.

Catalog Choice has integrated StrikeIron’s data quality solution to improve the quality and accuracy of Catalog Choice’s more than 2.3 million mailing addresses. As Catalog Choice members select their mail preferences, the StrikeIron Address Verification cloud service will cleanse existing data and verify incoming entries in the Cloud, eliminating the need for ongoing data updates. The vetted and incorrect data will be presented to users in real time for verification. The cleansed address data is then sent to specified marketers when opt-out requests are made through the Catalog Choice Mail Preference Service.

“Mail sent to erroneous addresses is a waste for companies, consumers, communities and the environment. Clean and accurate suppression lists are an industry best practice, ensuring that direct mail only reaches its intended recipient,” said Chuck Teller, Executive Director, Catalog Choice. “StrikeIron provides a great infrastructure to help us more quickly and accurately verify the opt-out data we are providing to marketers.”

Through StrikeIron’s Address Verification service, customers have seen reductions in returned mail as well as more successful first-time delivery of the mail and packages they send. In addition, Address Verification can help solve address data quality issues across multiple departments in almost any organization, allowing companies to save money, conserve resources and market responsibly.

“It is my pleasure to announce that StrikeIron’s solutions will now be available throughout the catalog and mailing industry,” said Sean O’Leary, President and CEO, StrikeIron, Inc. “The use of the StrikeIron application will enhance the Catalog Choice service, and help companies improve their list quality.”

Founded in 2003, StrikeIron is the first company with a cloud based, on-demand, data delivery platform, cleansing millions of customer records monthly for major retailers and marketing companies. Since launching its free service in 2007, Catalog Choice has connected more than 1.4 million consumer members and 4,100 direct marketing companies to provide individuals greater control over the materials they receive, in turn reducing unwanted mail, saving natural resources and protecting their privacy.

About StrikeIron
StrikeIron™ provides innovative Data-as-a-Service solutions enabling accurate business data and communication functionality. The cloud-based data quality solutions allow business users, enterprise IT professionals, and application developers access to customized, real-time functionality within enterprise, Web, and cloud-based applications.

About Catalog Choice
Founded in 2007 to provide consumers greater control over the marketing materials that enter their mailboxes, Catalog Choice is the world’s largest preference and privacy portal with more than 1.4 million consumer members and 4,100 direct marketing companies. By reducing unnecessary mail and phone books, Catalog Choice’s free and low-cost services reduce deforestation, greenhouse gases, solid waste and water consumption. Catalog Choice, a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, Calif., is supported by grants from the Overbrook Foundation, Kendeda Fund, Merck Family Fund and Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, as well as donations from members.

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Katie Couric talks Junk Mail

Chuck — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:56:23 +0000

Before Katie left the CBS News, she recorded this 1 minute “Journal” entry about Catalog Choice and her thoughts on unwanted mail. Click the image to go to the video and see what she has to say.

USPS 2.0?

Chuck — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:03:17 +0000

Delivery of first-class mail is falling at a staggering rate. Facing insolvency, can the USPS reinvent itself like European services have—or will it implode? Bloomberg Businessweek

This cover story from Bloomberg Businessweek describes the problems facing the USPS and how other countries are changing their postal services.

It is time for USPS 2.0. It includes secure online delivery of mail, choice over the physical mail you get and practical changes like 5-day delivery. We don’t believe we are seeing the end of the mail, but we do believe that it is time to make some big changes.

Click the image below to watch the interview with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Josh Tyrangiel.

Filter Bubble – we want control

Chuck — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:23:58 +0000

“We need to be in control.” Eli Pariser says in his TED Talk about the Filter Bubble.

What is the Filter Bubble? It is personalization gone awry. It is the search engines and news sites deciding what we see through our web browser.

We know a thing or two about putting the individual in control. Watch this to learn something about control and the Internet.

Wall Street Journal Covers Direct Mail Privacy Issues

Chuck — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:04:44 +0000

With Catalogs, Opt-Out Policies Vary

By JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES

Merchants send Americans 20 billion catalogs a year, and more than 1,100 brands offer to share their mailing lists.

That amounts to a lot of name sharing, which can turn into a headache for people who want to get off lists.

There is no law requiring all companies to let consumers remove themselves from mailing lists, or to block the sharing of personal information. The Federal Trade Commission regulates “deceptive” practices, which can include offering an opt-out but not honoring requests. But it has no guidelines on how quickly companies must respond.

More than 95% of catalog-removal requests are honored, says Chuck Teller, a former software executive who founded Catalog Choice, a Berkeley, Calif., nonprofit group that helps consumers get removed from mailing lists. But he also says many direct-mailers drag their feet on removals or don’t offer clear policies on information-sharing.

The Direct Marketing Association said it encourages its 2,600 corporate members to comply with customers’ requests to be removed from mailing lists. The group says roughly four million consumers participate in its DMA Choice service, which lets people indicate they don’t want to be added to new lists. But people who have purchased from a merchant must contact that company directly.

Catalog Choice says that based on its data, the industry has fallen short in regulating itself.

Catalog Choice, which is funded by donors and foundations, including some with an environmental focus, says that in its three years in operation it has helped more than one million people remove themselves from a collective 18 million lists. Its website streamlines the opt-out process so users don’t have to contact all companies themselves.

The proliferation of lists irks many people not only because of junk mail but because of privacy issues. Some marketers and data brokers combine shopping habits and other off-line information with Web-surfing behavior to create dossiers about people’s finances, politics and religion, among other subjects.

On Tuesday, Sens. John Kerry (D., Mass.) and John McCain (R., Ariz.) introduced legislation that would establish a “privacy bill of rights” to protect people from intrusive data-gathering online and offline.

Representatives of the direct-mail industry say new rules aren’t needed. “Catalogers have always been on top of this,” the American Catalog Mailers Association wrote in comments to the FTC in February.

The catalog-mailers association says that sharing lists is the lifeblood of its business, adding that the practice is “a harmless exercise when it comes to protecting consumers’ privacy.”

A name on a list can spread like wildfire. Cande Iveson’s 92-year-old mother, Dorothy, has dementia and ordered thousands of dollars of products from several dozen catalogs. As those merchants shared their lists, Ms. Iveson’s mother wound up on more than 400 mailing lists, for everything from pet care to gifts for stock brokers.

“I cannot conceive of how she became a recipient of some of these things,” Ms. Iveson says. “There’s some sort of insidious name sharing that goes on here.”

Last June, Ms. Iveson took her mother’s credit cards, redirected the mail to her own home, and began opting out of more than 440 brands. But four or five catalogs are still mailed to her mother each week, prompting Ms. Iveson to complain to Catalog Choice about several merchants, including Harriet Carter Gifts Inc.

Its mailing list is one of the nation’s 20 largest, with nearly 1.6 million purchasers in the past year, according to market researcher Paradysz. Ms. Iveson said she followed the opt-out instructions on the company’s website, sending at least four emails over six months, with no reply.

Catalog Choice later forwarded Ms. Iveson’s complaint to the FTC, one of 75 complaints it has lodged about Harriet Carter since October.

Harriet Carter says it follows the DMA’s guidelines, which say companies should honor consumer requests within 90 days. “We do not want to intentionally mail catalogs to individuals who do not wish to receive them,” company executive William Garbose said.

Catalog Choice said it also has received repeated complaints that clothing retailer Talbots Inc. and baby-product specialist One Step Ahead don’t honor opt-out requests within 120 days.

One Step Ahead said it found no record of the requests and said it deleted names from its mailing list shortly after being contacted by Catalog Choice’s attorney in January, but a representative said it can take another 60 days to stop mailings.

A Talbots spokeswoman said any recipient that doesn’t want its catalog “will be removed from our mailing list immediately.”

Some merchants delete consumers from the mailing list yet still send marketing materials to the same people via email, Catalog Choice says. Catalog Choice says the special email addresses it uses to send opt-out requests on behalf of customers have received hundreds of thousands of marketing emails.

General Nutrition Centers Inc. sent hundreds of messages to Catalog Choice email addresses that were entered into an Internet opt-out form.

A GNC spokeswoman says the email addresses were entered voluntarily and aren’t required when opting out of a catalog.

Catalog companies that sell their mailing lists typically charge about $110 per 1,000 names per mailing. For additional fees, many lists can be sorted by factors such as age, income, ethnicity, gender and size of purchases.

The Wall Street Journal sells its print-subscriber list to marketers for $170 per 1,000 subscribers for each mailing, according to NextMark Inc., which tracks such lists. To opt out of mailings and name-sharing, customers must contact the Journal’s customer-service department.

One company that works closely with Catalog Choice is L.L. Bean Inc. “If someone really doesn’t want our catalog, why send it to them?” said Steve Fuller, the company’s chief marketing officer.