« new release 20050722 | Main | new pats posted - 20050723 (maintenance pats release) »
July 23, 2005
DMA announces $1 fee for removal of dead people from marketing lists
The Direct Marketing Association recently announced the Deceased Do-Not-Contact list, to which, for a small fee, relatives of the recently departed may ensure that scrupulous marketers do not call and ask for the dead person. The fee is for a credit card verification, to prevent abuse of the system and provide a permanent record of who requested the name be removed.
I'm not sure what to think of this. On the one hand, it sounds like a nice idea. Funeral directors and obituary page editors can help the grieving avoid being bothered by marketers, and reminded of how soulless and evil the practice is in the first place. And hey, it's cheap - no recurring fees, I would assume, death being a sort of final opting out of wanting to receive marketing messages.
On the other hand, though, I must admit I use the name of the long-dead previous owner of my house to rate the competence of the folks who send me solicitations. If they aren't smart enough to buy their lists from companies that are smart enough to cull out the dead, then I'm pretty sure I don't want to know any more about them or their products or services. The DDNC, as implemented, might remove this thin layer of consumer protection.
In any event, it's a comical admission of just how evil such marketing is; how what is already intrusive, invasive, and annoying can also be slow to keep pace with the Reaper. I wonder if they'll set up a similar list so that bereaved pet owners can have their Rover's name removed from the lists used by those offering pre-approved credit cards?
Posted by schampeo at July 23, 2005 2:33 PM