There are a number of Preference Services in operation within the communication sectors which enable consumers to withdraw their names and addresses from marketing circulation lists – some of these are voluntary and some operate on a statutory basis so failure to respect registration will be against the law.
However, consumers should note that sources of “scam mailings” tend to trade names and addresses with other scam promoters and those mailing lists may never be updated.
To reduce/stop addressed direct marketing mail
Mailing Preference Service
Freepost 29 LON20771
London
W1E 0ZT
Tel: 0845 703 4599
Web: Mailing Preference Service
To reduce/stop unaddressed (i.e to the occupier/householder) mail and leaflets delivered by Royal Mail
Royal Mail Door to Door Opt Out Dept.
Room 130
Wheatstone House
Faraday Rd
Swindon, SN3 5JW
Tel: 01793 483853
Email: optout@royalmail.co.uk or mediacentre.customer.service@royalmail.co.uk
To reduce/stop unsolicited marketing faxes
It is unlawful to send an unsolicited direct marketing fax to an individual, which includes consumers, sole traders and except in Scotland partnerships, without their prior consent. It is also unlawful to send an unsolicited direct marketing fax to anyone, business or individual, who has registered on the fax preference service or previously told the faxer that they do not wish to get fax marketing from them.
Web: Fax Preference Service
Tel: 0845 0700 702
To reduce/stop unsolicited telephone sales calls
It is unlawful for a business to make an unsolicited direct marketing telephone call to an individual, which includes consumers, sole traders and except in Scotland partnerships, if that person has either registered with the Telephone Preference Service or has previously told the caller that they do not wish to hear from them.
Telephone Preference Service
70 Margaret Street
London, W1W 8SS
Web: Telephone Preference Service
Tel: 0845 070 0707
To reduce/stop unsolicited marketing e-mails
New controls on unsolicited commercial e-mails (UCE) came into force in December 2003. The Regulations require that UCE can only be sent to an individual with the prior consent of the addressee, but with an exemption for UCE where the addressee has already given his or her e-mail address direct to the sender in the context of the purchase of a product or service.
This opt-in protection will apply to individual, but not corporate subscribers. The Regulations also state that regardless of who the UCE is sent to, it must contain valid sender and contact details. Complaints about apparent breaches of these regulations should be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who can be contacted as follows:
Tel: 01625 845 700
E-Mail: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
There is also a non-statutory scheme that you can register with to not receive UCE - the EMPS (E-mail Preference Scheme) is operated by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) in the United States. Note that the database is held in the US, and personal data is not, therefore, covered by UK Data Protection legislation.
Web: Email Preference Service
To reduce/stop unsolicited marketing SMS (text) messages
New controls on SMS messages came into force in December 2003. The Regulations require SMS messages to be sent only with the prior consent of the subscriber, but with an exemption where the subscriber has already given his or her mobile telephone number direct to a company in the context of the purchase of a product or service. This opt-in protection will apply to individual, but not corporate subscribers. The Regulations also state that regardless of who the SMS message is sent to, it must contain valid sender and contact details. Complaints about apparent breaches of these regulations should be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who can be contacted as follows:
Tel: 01625 845 700
E-Mail: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
In addition, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) supports It's Your Choice scheme, enabling consumers to register their wish not to receive unsolicited SMS messages. A consumer's guide to SMS text marketing, explaining how to stop receiving messages from a specific company is available from their web site www.its-your-choice.org.uk/
Mobile phone numbers may also be registered free of charge with the Telephone Preference Service.
Web site: Telephone Preference Service
Tel: 0845 070 0707
To reduce/stop unsolicited mail arriving for my late husband, wife or partner.
It can be upsetting to receive mail for a loved one that has passed away. You can register your late husbands details with The Bereavement Register. This is a free service operated by The REaD Group (UK) Ltd, who is a member of the Direct Marketing Association.
Tel: 0870 600 7222
Other direct marketing issues
If you have recently made a purchase by telephone mail order and think your personal details have been passed on from one company to another (without your permission) and as a result, the amount of unsolicited mail you are receiving has increased, then this is an issue covered by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). Under DPA, if personal data is being disclosed to a third party for marketing purposes the individual concerned should have the opportunity to opt out. The Information Commissioner, who is responsible for administering and enforcing the legislation, recommends this as good practice. The Department for Constitutional Affairs has policy responsibility for the DPA.
Department for Constitutional Affairs
Freedom of Information & Data Protection Division
Room 151
Selborne House
London
SW1E 6QW
Tel: 020 7960 6517
E-mail: fidp@dca.gsi.gov.uk
Web: Information Commissioner
If you have registered with the MPS and are still receiving unsolicited mail you should write directly to the organisation concerned requesting that they remove his details from their mailing list. If the mailings continue and the matter cannot be resolved informally, the Information Commissioner can consider whether to take enforcement action against those companies who are in breach of the Data Protection Act.
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AX
Tel: 01625 545745
Web: Information Commissioner |