Gidday,
Since yesterday I have been to the newly launched DMA’s MPS opt out website and note that you can now opt out of individual direct mail companies. Funnily enough you can also Opt In to them on the same page! Is this a ploy to collect yet more names for marketing purposes? Hmmm, another day.
As I myself have used the MPS to stop unwanted catalogs and direct mail in the past along with www.stopthejunkmail.com I was curious to see if any of our top stopped catalogs are members of the DMA. When I asked the DMA in the past to put me on their mail suppression list I had no idea which direct mail companies I would be stopping.
The following is a list of the top 20 stopped catalogs from our members last week:
1. Herrington
2. Brookstone *
3. Frontgate
4. Harry & David *
5. Wine Country Gift Baskets
6. Bits and Pieces
7. Hammacher Schlemmer
8. RedEnvelope *
9. Eddie Bauer *
10. Garnet Hill
11. Calyx Flowers
12. PajamaGram
13. Plow & Hearth
14. The Danbury Mint
15. Williams-Sonoma *
16. FAO Schwarz
17. Lands End
18. Pottery Barn Kids
19. Godiva *
20. The Sharper Image *
From these top 20 stopped catalogs there were only 7 (or 35%) on the DMA member list. So if you want to stop any of the other catalogs on the list you have to call or contact them yourself and ask to be removed from their mailing lists which is what the DMA advises. Also just remember by being members of the DMA these companies use the other services the DMA offer such as how to best market to consumers!
As a note, LL Bean was on the list but hey, I actually like to get that one! Also, notably some of the big department stores like Macy’s , Bloomingdale’s, Target were on the list but I couldn’t find AOL, Qwest, Dell, Apple, Bank of America or Comcast.
Cheerio,
Margot
As an occasional catalog customer, I’ve found it difficult to determine who’s in the DMA and who’s not. I believe it’s possible there are more DMA members on that list than you’ve indicated, though. Garnet Hill, for example, mentions their DMA membership right on their privacy page:
http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=2344
As many as five companies on your list are not in compliance with DMA guidelines with respect to honoring MPS opt-outs, in my opinion.
Yes, it is possible that there is a higher percentage of catalogs on the list. This is an estimate taken from our top 20 most stopped catalogs, of which only 7(or 35%) were on the DMA’s list. Also remember that they do not just have catalog mailers as members, they also have non-profits, book clubs, computer resellers, department stores, major direct marketers like Abacus and many more.
Margot