AVOIDING
UNWANTED MAIL
You’ve won the lottery!
The words that many people dream of hearing. And one Carryduff woman
was thrilled when she got a phone call telling her she’d won
second prize in the Australian lottery. However she’s £400
the poorer for the experience.
An Enniskillen listener rang
to say - I’ve been receiving these letters for the last three
months and they are so convincing. Nothing I’ve tried seems
to stop them coming. But this time I’ve sent in an order but
marked it "cash on delivery" and I haven’t put a
stamp on it!!
Many listeners rang to ask
how these scamsters get their names and addresses.
Landmark ruling The chances of receiving junk
mail in the post diminished after a retired accountant
won a landmark ruling in the High Court that declared the supply
of electoral register details to firms was a breach of his human
rights.
He refused to enter his name
on the electoral register because his council sold the information
to companies who used it for mailshots to households.
It was found that the Government
had breached the European Convention on Human Rights in that
the interference to your private life was disproportionate and
not justified and it had restricted his right to vote.
The case will affect every
person of voting age, every local authority and a number of government
departments.
Trading Standards tell us that
the information is passed round on mailing lists. If you want to
avoid unwanted mail you should contact the Mailing Preference Service
MAILING PREFERENCE
SERVICE
The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is a non-profit making body.
Set up in 1983, it aims to foster good relations between direct
mail users and the general public.
Although a great many people
enjoy receiving information about products and services by post,
it is also true to say that not everyone welcomes such mailings.
Putting your mind at
rest
Many people are concerned that private information about them is
being kept on file by organisations they have never dealt with.
In fact, the only data normally held is your name, address and maybe
the fact that you have bought a certain type of product before.
Nevertheless, the MPS respects your right to choose whether you
want this information to remain on the mailing list.
As a member of the Committee
of Advertising Practice, with the backing of the Data Protection
Registrar, we can give you the opportunity to have your name removed
from – or indeed added to – mailing lists.
Acting in everyone’s
best interests
Unwanted, unread direct mail serves no purpose – neither to
you nor the advertisers who send it. As responsible professionals,
direct mailers are keen to ensure that their message reaches the
people who will respond to it. The last thing they want is to waste
their valuable resources by mailing people who simply are not interested.
That is one of the reasons why the direct mailing industry itself
funds the work of the Mailing Preference Service – by paying
a levy whenever they use Mailsort, the Royal Mail service for volume
mailings.
The industry also realises
how upsetting it can be for a bereaved person to continue to receive
mail to a deceased member of their family –and this service
can help in these circumstances.
Before you make your
decision
Last year, consumers purchased £8bn pounds worth of products
and services offered by post. As many people would agree, receiving
information by post has many advantages. It offers you the chance
to make unpressured decisions in your own home – particularly
helpful if you are considering financial services.
Shopping from home is certainly
convenient – and can often bring better value, too. Direct
mail can also give you the chance to take advantage of special value
offers or details of new products.
And of course many charities
could not hope to remain as active as they are without donations
raised through the post.
Contact Details:-
Mailing Preference Service
Freepost
29 LON20771
London
W1E 0ZT
Tel: 020
7291 3310
Fax: 020 7976 1886
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