DMA rejects calls for door-to-door selling ban
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has rejected calls for door-to-door selling to be outlawed or heavily regulated.
The DMA’s Field & Experiential Marketing Council rejected the calls from soon-to-be-disbanded watchdog Consumer Focus and the House of Commons’ energy select committee for action to be taken following the exposure of energy companies using misleading sales techniques in door-to-door campaigns to persuade householders to switch energy suppliers.
It was said by the council that door-to-door selling had been tarnished by a few ‘rogue agents’, but that this should not lead to a ban or ‘heavy-handed’ regulation.
The DMA conducted a study on 1,200 consumers aged 18-34, which revealed that 35% had been door stepped by a sales rep from an energy company, with nearly half of these reporting that they thought what the sales person said was ‘misleading’ and 23% finding the sales person ‘untrustworthy’.
Alison Williams, member of the DMA Field Marketing & Experiential Council and chair of FDS Group, said: “As the results of our study show, it’s the shoddy and illegal practices of a few that have caused so much harm to the rest of the industry. The energy companies employing these rogue agents for their door-to-door selling campaigns could have easily avoided exploiting consumers and breaking the law. As an industry, we have tried and tested standards of best practice that protect the consumer.
“It’s down to the industry to keep its house in order. All companies that are DMA members uphold the highest standards of best practice; it’s up to the rest of the industry to follow our lead or pay the ultimate price.
“Banning door-to-door selling will be extremely harmful to business, the consumer and the economy. Many householders are not online, so are excluded from finding out about new promotions and products through digital marketing. Plus, many good sales people will lose their jobs if this sales channel is outlawed.”