XPOST from TAO: I'm bummed, Mothering sells our names...

[freethinkingmom]

I'm bummed, Mothering sells our names...
I've been getting a TON of catalogs lately and I do not request catalogs. I'm lucky to have a fast connection and can look online at items. This way I feel like I'm helping save trees and energy.

It also helps me have less clutter and less recycling/reusing to do.

I emailed Mothering and they do indeed "rent" their list of subscribers out to many people/companies.

I'm really disappointed. I have been calling/emailing the companies of the catalogs I've been getting asking them to take me off their list, I've found once your on a few different lists, then others sell your name and well...snowball effect...then I have 2 tons of catalogs coming!!!

Calling all these companies is like a part time job...you get put on hold, then have to give all your information, so it eats up my precious time to spend with my dd.

What do you think? Disappointed...enjoy getting the catalogs...don't mind folks selling your information...don't care?

I'm curious as to what others think.

[Artisan]

For the most part, enjoy getting the catalogs and realize that if Mothering is not financially solvent it won't continue to exist. That to me is far worse than getting some natural toy catalogs. All you need to do to get off the list is contact [e-mail] and ask for your name to be removed.

[Knittin' in the Shade]

seems pretty ironic that a mag known for wholeheartedly supporting downsizing, anti-materialism, treading lightly on the Earth mentalities would do anything that would support the wasting of trees and resources, but then again, I guess it's just more proof that the $ runs the world.

[Artisan]

Yep, you need money to buy all the paper and ink to print your magazine on, you need money to advertise so people will buy your magazine, you need money to keep this internet site up, you need money to pay writers to do high-quality pieces, you need money to pay graphic designers, business managers, etc.

[magnoliablue]

It does not bother me that I receive these cats...only because they also support my ap lifestyle.. occasionally one may come through that does not fit my personal ideals.. and in that case it makes great lining for my bird's cage. Mothering is not about commercialism or materialism...but they do have bills to pay just like everyone else does..and renting our names out is just another way to pay those bills... guess it would be better to charge an even higher price for the mag.. or start charging a subscriber fee to this website?? remove your name if you do not want the catalogs.. an easy solution.

[grumo]

From The Center For A New American Dream, info on how to stop junk mail.
http://www.newdream.org/junkmail/optout.html
Their info on stopping catalogs pretty much says you have to contact each catalog individually to request to be removed, though they do suggest emailing or sending a post card with your mailing label from the catalog taped to it.

Also you can:
Sign Up For The Mail Preference Service to Reduce Junkmail, Telephone Solicitations and Email Spam
One effective way to remove your name from national mailing lists is to write the Direct Marketing Association and register with their Mail Preference Service - an indication that you do not want to be contacted by solicitors. (This actually works. Even marketers do not want to waste their efforts on people who have explicitly stated they are not interested.)

Postal mail

The free service is good for five years. One caveat: it works only for national mail, not local mail, and only for residential addresses, not businesses. Simply write to:

Mail Preference Service
c/o Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

In the letter or 3 1/2 x 5" postcard, include the date, your name, address and signature, and write "Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service." (The term "Mail Preference Service" may sound confusing, but rest assured, registration with MPS is what you do to get you off the mailing lists.)

Finally, the center has a campaign to introduce legislation similar to the do not call list for junk mail. Send you congresspeople the word. http://www.capwiz.com/newdream/issue...271331&type=CO

[Cynthia Mosher]

Just a bit of information to make sure there's no misunderstanding.

We do rent the list – the distinction between that and selling the list should be made. It is not true that once catalog companies get your name they can resell them to someone else and the snowball effect takes place. If we were to sell our list, that would be true. In renting the list, the names are used once and it is illegal for those companies to resell or reuse the names they rent from us. If they want to reuse the names on the list – they must rent from us again.

If subscribers want their names to not be part of the rental list they can e-mail [e-mail] [e-mail], [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Or they can call 800/984-8116. Once their name is off of the list – the catalogs should stop coming within 6 weeks.

We only rent to like-minded companies and John approves each company each time.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and understanding on this.

[Sasha_girl]

I agree with Magnoliablue. The catalogues I receive generally reflect my interests, so I don't mind getting them. If my name was mass sold to Nestle, Emfamil, and Pampers I would be offended, but I don't mind receiving natural toy catalogues.

[Delilah]

I'd rather receive a few catalogues

than pay two or three times more for Mothering Magazine. I guess I shouldn't feel that way, but I don't think I could justify paying $40+ dollars a year for the sub. I'd end up dropping.

I don't know if that how much it would go up in price. I'm just saying there is a point of price elasticity where I would say, "No thank you. Not this year."