Six Tips for Maintaining Privacy
Marketers Will Invade Your Life If You Let Them
Aug 16, 2007 Leslie C. Halpern
Even though most marketers obtain their information legally, private citizens can feel violated when information is obtained without their signing a release form, when someone else’s carelessness causes inaccurate information to be kept in their file, or when the information is not used judiciously by the person or company who requested it.
Although there’s no way to live within a society and completely avoid the onslaught of marketers, you can reduce the nuisance and increase your privacy by following some simple suggestions.
1. Make Your Privacy Preferences Known
Contact The Direct Marketing Association and register for its Mail Preference Service, which removes names from 80 percent of the national direct-mail advertisers’ lists. A similar service, the Telephone Preference Service, withholds names from telephone marketing agencies. To request either of these free services or to remove your name from email lists, visit the Association’s online consumer assistance. You’ll need to provide your name, address and phone number with area code. Because lists are compiled quarterly, junk mail and unsolicited calls may continue for three to six months.
2. Don’t Fill Out Information Cards for Frequent Shoppers
If a store requires that you fill out information about your buying practices when making purchases, then choose somewhere else to shop. By filling out personal information (such as grocery/bookstore/retail outlets that scan your frequent shopper cards itemizing your purchases), you open yourself up to more marketing materials. Some specialty stores (including maternity shops and even hospitals) sell the names of pregnant women to product marketers of baby supplies. This practice is widespread throughout all kinds of retailers and can only be prevented by withholding your personal information unless required by law.
3. Read the Fine Print on Shopping Club Contracts.
Mail-order clubs and online merchandisers often distribute your name to other marketers unless you specifically tell them not to do so. Read the entire contract when joining any new buying clubs for music, movies, books, or other merchandise. If they offer you the chance to decline distribution of your name and contact information to other marketers, then go to the extra effort to request it.
4. Don’t Answer Any Questions Over the Telephone
When strangers call requesting information for “surveys,” “contests,” or “free inspections/offers/estimates,” don’t be afraid to say no. Tell them you don’t answer questions over the telephone and to remove your name and number from their list and never call again. Unfortunately they still may call again, but at least you haven’t provided any information. If your caller ID says “Out of Area” or “Toll Free Number” you might want to let the answering machine pick up the call instead.
5. Maintain Separate Email Accounts for Personal Business and Personal Correspondence
Use a unique email account for online purchases, contest entries, and other insecure endeavors. Save your personal email address for your friends and family only. You might even consider setting up an expendable email account that can be posted online and discarded if it attracts too much junk email.
6. Keep Your Identity and Money Safe from Online Scams
Online scams take different forms: You may receive an email informing you that you won a lottery you never entered or received a huge inheritance from an unknown relative or someone from another country needs your bank account information to secure funds for a dead/dying loved one. These are all fraudulent emails intended to steal your identity and money. If you receive an email that sounds plausible, check Snopes to determine if the message is a fraud/scam or an urban legend before getting involved. When in doubt, delete.
- Further reading about online safety: Online Shopper’s Survival Guide, Jacquelyn Lynn (Entrepreneur Press, 2006) and Parenting and the Internet, Todd Curtis, Ph.D. (Speedbrake Publishing, 2007).
- The Academy Award-winning film The Lives of Others focuses on the subject of privacy invasion. To learn more about this film, read The Lives of Others on DVD.
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