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Cut Junk Mail
Private Citizen, Inc.
National
Cut Junk Mail Month
April 1 - May 1
 
The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA)
Mail Preference Service (MPS)
Its primary purpose is to prevent effective privacy legislation.

When citizens complain about junk mail, and legislators consider limiting junk mail, the DMA points to its MPS.  The DMA won't say how many firms buy it (yep, they sell it) nor identify which firms do.  So, consumer organizations cannot track its use.  Note: The DMA admitted to this writer that, due to the many variations of a name and address on junk mail lists, it is common that folks on the MPS will not be purged from mailing lists.

Let's look the situation of an imaginary Chicago resident who is listed on the MPS as;
Richard William Smith Jr.
5 South Sixth Street Apartment B-3
 
Richard
William
Smith Jr

5
South
Sixth
Street 
Apartment 
B-3
Rich
Will
Smith

Five
So.
6th
St.
Apt.
B3
Rick
Wm.



S.

(omitted)
#
R.
W.



(omitted)




Dick
Bill








D.
B.









(omitted)








 6x
 7x
 2 =

2x
4x
2x
3x
3x
2 =
84 Name variations 
 X
288 Address variations =
24,192 variations of Mr. Smith's name & address.
Since the MPS file puts each listee's data in a single record, Richard (and you) may have to submit thousands of name / address variatons to the DMA. Worse yet, list brokers/compilers (including DMA member firms) may sell the names and addresses of folks on the MPS, to junk mailers. The Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service was created to prevent legislation against junk mailers - not to stop junk mailers from sending you trash. (See below.)
 
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Direct marketers are honest ...
- at least when they talk to each other -
Here are some appauling admissions from an industry that invades your privacy.
 
Event:
 Discussion panel comprized of large direct marketing firms
Topic/Date: Stopping legislation through claims of self-regulation / March 31, 1987
Statement:
  "It's merely window dressing. It's providing a method to deal with these legislators to say we can regulate our own industry, but as a policing method, we have to recognize it, ... for what it is."
 
Event:
 Ray Schultz - Editorial Director: Direct Magazine, concerning survey of consumer attitudes about direct marketing.
Topic/Date:
 Observation concerning consumer complaints about direct marketing practices - June 2002
Statement:
 "Direct marketers are barraged every day with meaningless opinions about what consumers think."
 
Event: DMA president - letter to the editor of a direct marketing trade journal
Topic/Date:
 Use of self-regulatory posturing to prevent legislation / January 1986
Statement:
  "The DMA'S Legislative activities are unique, both in breadth of scope and in strength of commitment or recources. They have also been extremely successful."
 
Event:
 DMA president - government affairs conference interview published in a direct marketing trade journal
Topic/Date:
 Lobbying against restrictive legisation / circa 1990
Statement:
  "The protection of direct marketing's freedom has always been a major commitment and priority. We place a great emphasis on avoiding or minimizing  the impact of legislative or regulatory threats that would be harmful to this business."
 
Event:
 Richard Barton: DMA Sr. V.P. for government affairs - trade journal interview
Topic/Date: Consumer privacy concerns challenge direct marketing - February 1990
Statement:
 "And technology is providing us with ever more ingenious ways to reach into the lifes of every American. It is little wonder that Americans are getting nervous."
 
Event: Comments concerning the database marketing industry - published in DM News: a trade journal
Topic/Date:
 Observation of participant in 'List Day' discussion group published in DM News - 1987
Statement:
  "Our DMA government affairs mandate is to oppose any kind of restriction on the access to information, on the state and federal level."
 
 
  
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