Word of Advice

19 May 2008

Ditch the direct mail?

Unsolicited advertising material, more commonly referred to as circulars or junk mail, are the flyers, brochures and special offers that appear in our letterboxes. It’s a medium used by marketers to alert us to sales and offers, and while some people enjoy receiving this information, there are others who would prefer not to.

Below, we take a look at what you can do if you decide you don’t want to receive as many circulars.

“No junk mail” signs

You’ll have noticed that some people have “No Junk Mail” or “No Circulars” signs on their letterboxes. This can be an effective way of limiting the amount of unaddressed mail you receive. In a study carried out for North Shore City Council, 67% of households using a sign felt that it discouraged junk mail.

In addition, the Marketing Association has set up a Mailbox Helpline (0800 111 081) for consumers to be able to report deliveries into mailboxes displaying the "No Junk Mail" or “No Circulars” signs. All complaints are recorded and these are accessed by distribution companies to follow up on the complaints.

Industry code of practice

The unaddressed mail distribution industry, represented by the Marketing Association, has developed a voluntary Code of Practice to minimise the abuse of unaddressed mail and to ensure that its integrity as a marketing tool is maintained. All marketers are expected to comply with the principles set out in the Code.

The Marketing Association concentrates on making their members aware of the environmental benefits of reducing waste and of the customer relationship value of honouring "No Junk Mail" requests.

Name Removal Service

By entering a competition or ordering something from a catalogue you have more than likely joined a mailing list recently. These lists are used by companies to build relationships with customers and offer their products or services to potential customers by sending direct mail which is personally addressed.

If you don’t want to receive these mailers which are addressed to you, you can contact the Name Removal Service, which is run by the Marketing Association. This free service has been set up to decrease the number of unwanted unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and faxes consumers receive from organisations.

By being listed on the Service, consumers should notice a decrease in the volume of unsolicited calls or mail. To be put on the list write to: Name Removal Register, Marketing Association, P O Box 47681, Ponsonby, Auckland.