Middlesbrough couple's 15 years of junk-mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -24305781/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A TEESSIDE couple has been quoted unhappy by an insurance company after they were sent up to 15 junk letters a day - for the last 15 YEARS.
George and Ann Cook

George and Ann Cook of Marton, Middlesbrough say they’ve tried everything to stop finance firm Saga sending the excess of post.

But Saga says the letters have been generated automatically after the husband and wife’s address was hijacked by “mystery shoppers” for price comparison databases.

It promised that changes have been made to stamp out the nuisance mail.

The thousands of letters, addressed to bizarre names including Mrs G Ghfghfgh and Mrs A Samuelsfvba, invite the Cooks to take up home insurance quotations.

But the couple say they haven’t requested a single one - and don’t even hold a policy with the company.

“We kept writing ‘not at this address’ and putting them back in the post. But we kept getting more,” said Mr Cook, who works in the chemical industry.

“Then I went online to use the mail-stop service but that didn’t help.

“They’re not even addressed to us. It must be costing them a fortune. If the postman had all that for every house he wouldn’t be able to move.”

The junk-mail deluge began eight years after they moved into their modern Marton semi.

But it has peaked recently, with 25 circulars in just two days. The vast majority are from Saga with a handful sent by other insurers.

Ann, who works for the NHS, said: “The postman had to put them through the door in three lots on Wednesday and Thursday. There were probably about 15 yesterday.

“It’s been going on for a long time but just the odd one or two. Then they started coming like this. None even have the right names on them.

“We tried to sort it out but no-one was interested. I hate the waste. We’re just fed up.”

A Saga spokesman said: “It appears that their address is being used by mystery shoppers who select certain house numbers and postcodes and use them to obtain quotes from several different insurance companies for use in comparison tables.

“Once we became aware of the problem, we amended our systems to stop all mail going to this address except in the name of Mr and Mrs Cook.

“We have also introduced a manual check made on all mail going to their address to stop them receiving any more erroneous mail in future.”

[Pat Ostman]

Lets hear it for Mailsort 3!

[DGP1]

Now if we had one of our esteemed leaders addresses we could make sure they also go onto a mailing list

[Pat Ostman]

Now if we had one of our esteemed leaders addresses we could make sure they also go onto a mailing list

lol, love your avatar mate. Different every week isn't it?

[DGP1]

Now if we had one of our esteemed leaders addresses we could make sure they also go onto a mailing list

lol, love your avatar mate. Different every week isn't it?

I've way too much time on my hands maybe they are right that I need to work more

[pickaname]

Now if we had one of our esteemed leaders addresses we could make sure they also go onto a mailing list

lol, love your avatar mate. Different every week isn't it?

Anyway of photoshoping madelsons swede on to it?

[DGP1]

Now if we had one of our esteemed leaders addresses we could make sure they also go onto a mailing list

lol, love your avatar mate. Different every week isn't it?

Anyway of photoshoping madelsons swede on to it?

That's a bit beyond my computer skills but I'm sure someone out there could do it

[Dee Plish]

Lets hear it for Mailsort 3!

Aren't we told by the higher-up's that customers "LOVE" direct mail???

[POSTMAN]

Lets hear it for Mailsort 3!

Aren't we told by the higher-up's that customers "LOVE" direct mail???

It pays ya wages

Let's all haave a lurve in for DM.

[andy2007]

Lets hear it for Mailsort 3!

Aren't we told by the higher-up's that customers "LOVE" direct mail???

The Customers they're referring to, are the ones POSTING it, not the ones recieving it. And they're right. The Business Customers, do love it. Spam Emails, are often blocked by Spam filters. Whereas so-called Junk Mail, is invariably seen by the recipient. They don't even have to read it, for it to have some effect. The Human Brain picks up a surprising amount of data, in the second or so it takes for you to realise it's Junk Mail.

It's been proven time, and time again, that it works. Which is probably why so many people hate recieving it so much. It doesn't go down too well with a lot of people, when they find out that they are often specialy designed to take advantage of their subconcious, to make them remember the product, even though they aren't aware of reading about it. Most people aren't even aware that this is happening, unless someone explains it to them.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

and here is the proof from an old article in 2006

Royal Mail's insult to post users: 'You're not our customers'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... omers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Royal Mail chairman has provoked fury by declaring "the people we deliver to are not our customers".

The grossly 'insulting' remarks come at a time of serious concern over the standard of Royal Mail's service.

The 53-year-old businessman insisted that Britain's big businesses, not the country's 27 million home addresses, are his real customers.

His remarks were seized upon and branded insulting, unnecessary and unfair.

Mr Leighton's comments, made in an interview with the Spectator magazine, come at a time of serious concern about the standard of Royal Mail's service.

Since he became chairman in 2002, the firm is making money and beating performance targets - but many deeply unpopular changes have been made.

First class post does not arrive before lunch for millions of people; second post has been scrapped; and final collection can be as early as 6.15am.

The Conservative Shadow Post Offices Minister led the attack yesterday on Mr Leighton, one of Britain's most well-known and outspoken businessmen.

Charles Hendry said: "Millions of people will find his words insulting as we all know how immensely important it is to receive a birthday card or a letter from a loved one in the post.

"Any business that forgets its customers loses its customers.

"Allan Leighton must not forget that these people who he has insulted are the people who pay his salary."

In the interview, he went to explain his remarks by arguing that the average person writes only four letters a year.

But The Greeting Card Association pointed out that every adult in Britain sends about 55 cards every year, more than any other country in the whole world. About half are sent through the post.

Andy Frewin, from the consumer watchdog Postwatch, said Royal Mail has a unique obligation to provide a universal service.

This means they must deliver to every home in the country from the Cornish coast to the highlands of Scotland every working day.

He said: "We are all customers of Royal Mail. It is not sensible or correct to suggest otherwise.

"Everyone uses the Royal Mail to send cards, letters and parcels. Everyone is a paying customer."

To make matters worse, the Royal Mail chairman was also quoted as saying that junk mail will rise, not fall, under his reign. He told the interviewer Judi Bevan: "I want to deliver more."

The amount of junk mail pouring through letter boxes enrages millions of people who think it is a waste of paper.

But Royal Mail is planning to scrap the three items per household per week limit which currently exists, depending on negotiations with its union.

Critics fear this could lead to a deluge of junk mail although the firm insists that its rival will deliver the 'unaddressed mail', if it does not.

His remarks were reminiscent of the legendary gaffe made by jewellery magnet Gerald Ratner in a speech in 1991.

He said it was only possible to sell products so cheaply in his high-street chain, such as a decanter, because they were "total crap."

Mr Leighton's comments leaked out on the day of warnings about the future of one of the most popular parts of the Royal Mail - its 14,326 Post Offices.

Postal regular Postcomm said that thousands could close, largely due to the Government's decision to slash business such as paying pensions and renewing BBC licences.

Millions of customers, particularly the elderly, will be devastated by closures which will hit country villages where the only shop is a Post Office.

Yesterday the Royal Mail fought to defend its chairman, who has worked previously for firms such as Asda, Lastminute.com and Mars.

A spokesman said: "Everyone who pays Royal Mail to deliver a letter is our customer whether its consumer mail or business mail.

"Every single letter is important to us."

It delivers about 84 million items every day to Britain's 27 million addresses.

Royal Mail is losing huge amounts of money on 'stamped mail', roughly 6p on every First and Second class letter which is sent.

'Stamped mail' - rather than profitable 'business mail' - lost £240 million, according to the firm's latest results. Overall, its annual profits jumped a massive 86 per cent to £312 million pre-tax.

Of all the letters which it handles every day, about 93 per cent is posted by business customers, mostly the big banks and utility companies.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0NOGyXNSR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;