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Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Do Not Mail States

During WhatTheyThink.com's Postal Rates and Reform - the Experts Offer Solutions, a listener asked which states have proposed Do Not Mail legislation under consideration.

Ben Cooper of the Print Council pointed to a new coalition called Mail Moves America as a source to get this information. I could not find a web presence for them (it looks like they might be working on it) to provide this information. So in the mean time, here are is the list of the 14 states (with links to the bills) with Do Not Mail legislation under consideration:

Thanks to the New American Dream group (the folks pushing for Do Not Mail laws) for the data.

A Bad Idea?

Joe Webb, Director of WhatTheyThink.com's Economics and Research Center recently pointed out in one of his recent columns (Subscription required) that a a "Do Not Mail" list would be bad for printers and consumers:

(Update via IM: Joe passed this link to a free article he wrote on the subject at WTT). Another update: Randy Davidson passes along a link to a free version of Joe Webb's analysis of the Do Not Mail movement.

"Do not mail" would be bad for the printing business and direct marketers; but most of all, it would be bad for consumers. Small and microbusinesses would no longer be able to announce their capabilities by mail. This is paradoxical, because most new businesses in recent years are home-based, saving energy and resources because their owners no longer commute back and forth to work, and many heavily use the Internet for tasks that would have required some form of greater energy consumption pre-Internet.

Most of all, print is an economical way for small businesses to seek customers, especially when they are already legally limited in the kinds of other solicitations they can do by phone—or even in person because of time and logistical concerns. Consumers always benefit when they have multiple businesses competing for their dollars. Limiting that competition by making it more difficult for small and microbusinesses to reach potential customers could ultimately cause market prices for goods to rise, and more importantly, serve as a barrier to entry for those new businesses.

Another point brought up by Webb is that there are already mechanisms in place to reduce the volume of unsolicited mail you receive. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) provides resources on removing your name from marketing, phone, and mailing lists. Its Mail Preference Service provides a Web-based method to remove your name from mailing lists. The credit card industry runs OptOutPrescreen.com, a Web-based service that lets you remove your name from credit card offer mailing list. 41pounds.org, a community of people working to eliminate a big personal nuisance and environmental hazard – junk mail, promises to eliminate 80 to 95% of bulk mail you receive by purchasing (it's $41) their unsubscribe service.

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2 Comments

  1. Isn't it a shame that no one on the call had the list of states proposing "do not mail" either at their fingertips or in their head? The legislation is doomed for failure, but politics can be very strange, and you have to act as if every threat, no matter how unlikely, can gain steam and become law or a regulation.

    We are not being served well at all in this regard.

    Comment by Dr Joe Webb - Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 06:15 AM

  2. May I be the first, then, to remind everyone of the Seinfeld episode featuring Kramer's crusade to rid himself of unwanted mail. The specter of being interrogated by PostMaster General Wilford Brimley should give anyone pause.

    Comment by Thomas D. Greer - Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 03:34 PM