Robinson list

The Robinson lists are lists with contact protection of individuals who want to receive any unsolicited advertising. They serve to protect consumers from unwanted advertisements. There are these lists for mail, email, mobile phone, landline phone and fax. The entry in the Robinson lists is free of charge. These lists can be managed by companies advertising or on the part of consumer protection. The companies undertake to comply with the request of the registered consumer ad-free and in no form take commercially contact with them.

The name Robinson list is selected in allusion to the story of the fictional character of Robinson Crusoe, who spent many lonely years on a remote island, with no connection to the outside world.

Technical implementation

The technical implementation in the databases of the companies systems is usually done via a so-called Robinson flag, a Boolean variable that is queried in further processing within marketing campaigns, whether the associated customer wants to be excluded from such a campaign.

Country comparisons

Protection lists are available in many countries and they are usually financed or co-financed by the private sector.

Germany

The Robinson lists are maintained in Germany by both consumer protection associations and associations of the advertising industry. Originally only from companies that the general direct mail and Direct Marketing Association eV ( DDV) were connected.

There are Robinson lists against unwanted advertising through

• E-mail
• Mobile phone
• Phone
• Mail ( offline and online)
• Mail (online)
• Fax

The Robinson lists which currently has over 2 million records ( 12/2008) (for comparison: 1984: 125,000 people) are considered to be reliable; Robinson lists for e -mail and telephone preserve, among other companies from being reprimanded charge for addresses purchased. The logic behind it: Who is not in the Robinson list, will probably not take legal action against unsolicited advertising. Therefore, Robinson lists use the advertising industry and consumers.

The inclusion in the letter -Robinson list of the German Dialogue Marketing Association ( DDV) since June 2010, is no longer just phone or letter, but also via an online form on the website www.ichhabediewahl.de possible. The inclusion is valid for five years to ensure timeliness. The Robinson lists for e- mail, phone and mobile association of German Internet (IDI ) and postal Robinson list online (since 11 /2008) the entry including on -line method is possible.

Criticism

The effect of Robinson lists is limited: not all advertising mailers are members of the above- mentioned institutions or adhere to the voluntary commitment, especially not those who spread spam messages advertising SMS and faxes or who have their headquarters abroad.

If the Robinson list, such as an error or indiscretion becomes public, the effect could be the desired destination directly opposed, and the listed addresses could be used specifically to advertising. This danger is for the I.D.I. out lists ( mail / mobile / phone) reduced, since all data is encrypted and the addresses are ejected only about a particular alignment program of the Association, which are already present in the database of Abgleichers ( and should be disabled). The same applies to the post - Robinson list online.

Another possibility as the roll-call blocking of individual consumers is generally not possible as long as direct mail is not generally limited political. This would not be a general ban on advertising equate and would therefore not exposed to the same counter-arguments. While it is socially hardly possible to enforce a general ban on advertising, it is quite conceivable that the communication channels provided by the citizen may not be used for unsolicited advertising.

In Germany unsolicited telephone advertising without previous contact with customers (so-called " cold calls " ) as well as the sending of faxes advertising and promotional e -mails without the recipient's prior consent prohibited by § § 3, 7 of the Law against Unfair Competition. A broader "anti- spam" law is occasionally discussed in the policy. The problem lies in the enforcement of such prohibitions against spammers who operate from abroad. To make matters worse, that is not determinable at a masked held number of the caller in the normal case the interferer.

Great Britain

In the United Kingdom the Mailing Preference Service ( letter service information ) is maintained by the Direct Marketing Association (Association of Direct Marketing ). In the UK, the media regulatory authority ( Ofcom / Office of Communications ) is furthermore also responsible for monitoring the advertising industry, and partly financed the Telephone Preference Service ( telephone service information ). Information in these databases are used for filtering of address and telephone lists: the affiliates agree not to call or write to the enrollee.

Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Spain

In Sweden, ie the service Nix - phone, in the Netherlands bel -me- niet ( " do not call me "). In contrast, in Belgium, Denmark and Spain, the lists as in German-speaking countries are referred to as Robinson lists ( De Robinson lijst / Robinson lists / La liste Robinson / Servicio de Lista Robinson).

U.S. and Canada

In the U.S., there is the National Do Not Call Registry ( "national reputation - not -an- Registration Office " ), which goes back to a federal law passed in 2003 and by the Federal Trade Commission ( consumer protection agency) is maintained.

In Canada, there is a similarly organized National Do Not Call List ( "national reputation - not - to - list ") that ( the media regulatory body ) is maintained by the Canadian Radio -television and Telecommunications Commission.

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia, the establishment of a Do Not Call Register was established in 2006 decided that ( the media regulatory body ) will be established by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

In New Zealand, the service of the Robinson list by the New Zealand Name Removal Service (names Deletion Service of New Zealand ) is provided, which is maintained by the Marketing Association of New Zealand (Association of the advertising industry in New Zealand ).