The overhaul of direct mail opt-out – designed to simplify the process – has been derailed after the DMA refused to go live with the scheme because Defra has failed to get other industries to sign up.
Under the scheme – led by a new website combining the Mailing Preference Service, the Your Choice Preference System and Royal Mail’s Door to Door opt-out service – householders were meant to be able to opt out of receiving all unsolicited post.
But the DMA has accused Defra of reneging on an agreement to include other industries in the scheme, most crucially publishers of free newspapers.
At the time it was announced, many in the industry feared the worst. One source said: “Will this make a difference? Forget it. It might be a vote winner, and appease a few Daily Mail readers, for the Government to look tough, but the main annoyance is the piles of pizza and takeaway menus, and this won’t stop that.”
The bust-up has emerged following a Freedom of Information request by Robert Rijhkof, of the Stop Junk Mail campaign.
He said: “It really looks like it [the opt-out scheme] is not going to happen at all. It’s about the junk mail industry being unwilling to make reducing unsolicited leaflets easier and a government department, Defra, being unable to defend its corner.”
The trade body has argued that if its members sign up to the scheme, firms will simply switch their direct mail advertising to newspapers and other methods of delivery.
Defra claims it has held talks with other trade bodies representing local newspapers and other businesses, but blames the DMA for not going ahead with the scheme.
A Defra spokesman said: “We are disappointed that the DMA have failed to launch the website on time but we are working with them to deliver this service for consumers as soon as possible.”
But DMA chief of operations Mike Lordan insisted the trade body the deal hinged on other groups signing up. “We really do need Defra to put a lot more pressure on these other bodies,” he said.
He added that the DMA had completed construction of the website by April, as agreed, and was ready to “go live” on it as soon as the other groups came on board.
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