MPS and TPS are the Mailing Preference
Service and Telephone Preference Services operated by the Direct
Marketing Association in the UK. In a nutshell, they allow you to
reduce your junk mail considerably, and virtually eliminate unsolicited
phone calls. Best of all its FREE to register and only takes a few
minutes online.
TPS is by far and away the most powerful and
effective of these services, as UK legislation has made
it unlawful for direct marketing companies to contact people
who have opted out via the TPS. The benefits of registering are felt
within a matter of weeks, and within a couple of months such calls
will reduce significantly. Don't just register yourself, register
any elderly relatives who get plagued by such callers too! The
same legislation covers junk faxes too so you can register your fax
number with the Facsimile Preference Service to get rid of these.
TPS has its limitations though:
1. It doesn't stop companies
you are already a customer of calling you to flog more products, unless
you specifically tell them not to (which I always do when I fill out
forms and contracts).
2. Survey companies such as MORI etc.
calling you are not telemarketing calls so the legislation would
not apply. For an explanation click here.
3. A minority of UK
companies might still ignore it but I take a hard line with
any who do and file a web complaint on the TPS site.
4.
It won't stop the irritating new trend for callers from outside the
UK taking advantage of being able to route voice over the Internet
at little cost UNLESS they represent a company with a UK presence
where it might still be possible to take action.
Hint - if you're
not sure who keeps calling you when you're out, there's a good site
http://whocallsme.com where you can lookup and find others
who have had problems with particular offenders and/or have established
who the real companies are behind them.
MPS takes longer to
reduce your junk mail, but reduce it it does. However, it has
its limitations as it doesn't stop mail addressed to the occupier
(which you wouldn't really want to do anyway), existing companies
you do business with (you'll have to write to those individually if
you them to stop sending to you as their mail is not unsolicited !)
and Royal Mail's "Door to Door" service.
"Door to door" is a
direct marketing service offered by the Royal Mail, and carries
a printed logo like this one:
To
stop this material email optout@royalmail.co.uk and a form
will automatically be sent back to you explaining the opt-out
process. Post your completed/signed form to:
Royal Mail Door
to Door Opt Out,
Room 130
Wheatstone House
Faraday Rd
Swindon, SN3 5JW
Room 130
Wheatstone House
Faraday Rd
Swindon, SN3 5JW
Tel: 0845 7905 950
There is a further preference service
operating as an extension to the MPS which removes you from the list
of companies who may send baby product material to you which may be
distressing in (for example) the case of the death of a baby. Click
here for the Baby Mailing Preference Service.
On a related
subject, there is a bereavement register to reduce unsolicited mail
stll arriving for deceased relatives.
The REaD Group (UK) Ltd,
Freepost SEA8240, Sevenoaks TN13 1YR
Tel 01732 460000 - ask for The Bereavement Register Helpline.
http://www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk
Freepost SEA8240, Sevenoaks TN13 1YR
Tel 01732 460000 - ask for The Bereavement Register Helpline.
http://www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk
