DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION GUIDELINES For Acceptance of Print Mail-Order Advertising
This set of guidelines does not attempt to deal with the legalities of advertising procedures, but rather the ethics. Nor does it dealwith the do's-and-dont's of technical copywriting. It does deal with DMA's desire to promote more
honesty in mail-order advertising, more credibility in the eyes of the consumer, and thereby, more business for publishers and their advertisers.There are basically two types of complaints:1) Nondelivery of merchandise2)
Misrepresentation of offerThe nondelivery of merchandise caused by an honest miscalculation ofthe success of an offer, a strike, a production mishap--can all bedealt with by simple procedures. These are after-the-fact problems,or
after the ad has appeared.The complaints of a far worse nature deal with misrepresentation ofadvertised merchandise. These should be dealt with before the adappears.Helpful Consumer AdvicePublishers and consumers should be aware
that it may take three orfour weeks for normal delivery of merchandise. Although it may serve as a sales deterrent, publishers may wish to include this information on their mail-order pages--along with other helpfuladvice such
as:a) Be sure to print your order clearly.b) Print the name and address to which the order is to be shipped.c) Be sure to include your ZIP Code on your order, as well as thecompany's ZIP Code on the envelope.d) Send checks or money
orders only, no cash.Publishers should ask for a sample of the merchandise when the ad isin the least bit suspicious. For example, if the offer seems too good to be true, be sure to get a sample. A production sample, not a
hand-made mock-up. If the advertiser cannot submit the sample before the closing date, pass, and wait until the next closing date.When you get the sample and you feel certain copy changes should bemade to make the offer more
representative, ask for them. You'll besurprised how many advertisers are glad to comply with yourrequests. Warning SignalsIf the advertiser is new to your publication and plans to run alarge ad, check to verify integrity,
stability and performance ofthe adver-tiser. The Better Business Bureau, the local consumer agencies, and the post office in the advertiser's area are good sources to check. Better yet, when you have bad experiences, let
these agencies know that as well.Here are some warning signals:1) Experience trains your intuition. If some intuitive reactiontells you to check an ad out very thoroughly, do so. Don't let it slip by.2) If the business was
"too easy to get," or if a large order came in"over the transom"--be suspicious. Check out the credit. Check outthe offer. Check out the source.3) When the "buy" isn't smart--wrong season, wrong
regions, wrongproduct for your publication--check it out. Some advertisers floodthe market with impressive looking contracts, hoping some will get by.4) When an advertiser breaks all the rules in setting up an ad, besuspicious. He
may indeed be the new creative genius on the scene,but more often than not, something is awry.5) If the offer is vague, don't approve it. If you have read the copy through twice, and you still don't know what you're getting, ask
the advertiser for a clarification of the copy. Don't accept anoffer unless it is spelled out.6) Make yourself the surrogate reader. Is the copy outlandish? Are the claims so strong as to be unbelievable? Be particularly wary of
ads that claim to cure physical ills such as arthritis, psoriasis, gout.7) Taste is a subjective matter, and each publisher must decide whatis in good or bad taste for his audience. However, don't be afraidto ask for a new
illustration or a copy change if you feel the adhas gone too far. You will probably get it.8) The publisher should know the street address and telephone numberof every advertiser. In many cities (such as New York) post officebox
numbers must be accompanied by a street address. If the companyis very small, know the home address and phone number of theprincipal.Complaints:How to Appraise Them - What to do With ThemKeep a tally of the complaints you receive.
It can be a simple sheet like a "scorecard" or a sophisticated computer printout week by week. However you do it, keep score.When the number gets out of proportion to the size of the ad, theamount of circulation covered,
give the first warning to the advertiser by phone. Note the date. If complaints persist, issue asecond and third warning--preferably in writing. After such warnings, it is sug-gested that the publisher consider dropping this
advertiser from the publication. Bear in mind that for eachcomplaint you get, there are probably many more with similar unhappyexperiences.Establish a procedure for handling reader complaints.Recommended PolicyThe publisher should
stand behind his advertising pages if one of his advertisers defaults on shipment or defrauds his readers. If all attempts fail to obtain replacement of merchandise or refunds for the reader directly from the advertiser, the
publisher should consider--in the interests of good business--a refund to the reader himself. He should then continue to try to be reimbursed by the advertiser.Keep the lines of communication open within your own organization.When
complaints start mounting, advise your own credit department.Frequently, non-delivery problems go hand-in-hand with credit problems.Reinstatement of an AdvertiserOnce you have resolved an old complaint situation, it is
entirelypossible this advertiser will want to come back into your publication. At the time you reinstate an advertiser who has had a bad complaint record, it is a good idea to require a "performancebond." This is an
amount of money to be held in escrow (by the publisher) equal to at least two times the value of the complaintsreceived the last time the ad ran. If the complaint situation repeats itself, you should then consider dropping the
offending advertiser indefinitely.
