Direct Marketing Association expels data list company
The Direct Marketing Association has expelled from its membership a marketing data list broker following a "serious" breach of practice.
Infomonitor Global LLC, which trades as Data Providers UK and B2B Data Lists Group, was the subject of 10 complaints from non-DMA members between October 2010 and July 2011.
Following an investigation it has been found to have broke the self-regulatory code of practice that DMA members must abide by "on a repeated basis".
According to the Direct Marketing Commission, the company sold data without proper regard for whether it met client requirements, unreasonably sought to absolve itself of responsibility for the data and refused refunds or offered them only as a last resort.
DMA board chair Scott Logie said: "The DM Code of Practice is the cornerstone of our efforts to maintain political, commercial and consumer faith in direct marketing. Therefore, any company that fails to operate within these standards brings both the DMA and the industry into disrepute.
"It’s for this reason that we had no choice but to expel Data Providers UK from membership.”
George Kidd, chair of the Direct Marketing Commission, said Data Providers UK had "seemed to show a complete disregard for the source or quality of its data, and for customer service".
"We take such reckless breaches of our code extremely seriously and are very satisfied that the DMA Board voted to revoke the company’s membership," Kidd said.