With Catalogs, Opt-Out Policies Vary
Merchants send Americans 20 billion catalogs a year, and more than 1,100 brands offer to share their mailing lists.
That amounts to a lot of name sharing, which can turn into a headache for people who want to get off lists.
There is no law requiring all companies to let consumers remove themselves from mailing lists, or to block the sharing of personal information. The Federal Trade Commission regulates “deceptive” practices, which can include offering an opt-out but not honoring requests. But it has no guidelines on how quickly companies must respond.
