MPS- Mailing Preference Service: Unsolicited Electoral Spam

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:27

Yeah, 1st World problems etc. But I have been registered with the MPS (Mailing Preference Service - They stop unsolicited/junk mail to your address after you register with them) for years and it definitely seems to work, won't stop the endless 'Occupier' or anything without my personal name on it though sadly.

However I've noticed in the run up to the Election I've had several Political Party Pamphlets/Leaflets/Spam/Junk Mail actually addressed to me personally, these are completely unsolicited and I'm wondering how the Political Parties involved think they can be above the MPS/ASA. I've just had one through my door again (No poop this time! *phew*) which has prompted this Thread to see if anyone else thinks this is acceptable or not? -(The junk mail not the no poop...)

Sliver · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:30

You have an option to be on an 'Open Register' when you sign up to vote. I believe if you decline to be on the 'Open Register' you will not receive spam from the political parties. That's what I did and I've had no junk mail.

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:35

Sliver said:
You have an option to be on an 'Open Register' when you sign up to vote. I believe if you decline to be on the 'Open Register' you will not receive spam from the political parties. That's what I did and I've had no junk mail.

I'm definitely not on the Open Option. I wouldn't be in the Electoral Role at all if I was given a truly Democratic choice about it rather than forced to Register.

RDM · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:40

The TPS doesnt apply to electoral calls so I would assume the MPS is similar.

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:48

RDM said:
The TPS doesnt apply to electoral calls so I would assume the MPS is similar.

I saw no mention of this anywhere at the MPS site :confused:

Besides why should 'Electoral' Advertising have special privilege with the MPS/TPS over normal Advertising? It's just as unsolicited/unwanted.

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 12:55

Moses said:
The schadenfreude is strong when it comes to the tears of tin foil hat people .

You're obviously confused... I'm asking why Political Parties think/are allowed to be above other Advertisers/Spammers with regard to the MPS/ASA and whether others think this is acceptable or not.

Turambar · 27 Apr 2015 at 13:16

I'm told using the closed electoral list for unsolicited electoral spam is considered a "grey area" by those involved.

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 13:27

Well, doing a bit more digging and apparently a few of the Main Political parties are signed up and act within accordance of the MPS/ASA/DMA, however Local Candidates ignore this and effectively use the Open/Edited Electoral Role Data to mine names and addresses which is where the junk mail is coming from, they are apparently in breach of the DMA Guidelines and possibly the Data Protection Act. I knew it couldn't be 'Right' they were doing this. :mad:

Tuppy_Glossop · 27 Apr 2015 at 13:31

I agree wholeheartedly with doofer, it annoys me that although my address isn't published on the electoral roll the parties seem happy to use it.

Jonny69 · 27 Apr 2015 at 13:42

I couldn't work out if the MPS was actually a thing. Their site is so amateur it looks like a scam law firm or something.

So if it's legit then I might give it a go.

doofer · 27 Apr 2015 at 13:52

Jonny69 said:
I couldn't work out if the MPS was actually a thing. Their site is so amateur it looks like a scam law firm or something.

So if it's legit then I might give it a go.

Takes a few Months to kick in but it definitely seems to work for me. Only thing it doesn't stop is anything that doesn't have your registered name on it such as 'Occupier' sadly. The TPS (Telephone Preference Service) is the same sort of thing for your phone to stop unsolicited Calls.

MrMoonX · 27 Apr 2015 at 15:09

Every political leaflet you get there is an address on, in the case of my local scum candidate, I mean ukip it's his residential address, I popped in an unpaid envelope and sent it back to him, hopefully he will collect and pay for it to find it contains his own race hate leaflets

demonix · 27 Apr 2015 at 16:31

Sliver said:
You have an option to be on an 'Open Register' when you sign up to vote. I believe if you decline to be on the 'Open Register' you will not receive spam from the political parties. That's what I did and I've had no junk mail.

If you take yourself off the open register, you'll stop getting spam from other companies since that is where they get their mailing lists from.

me227 · 27 Apr 2015 at 18:45

I'm not on the Open Register and I received a Labour leaflet with my name on it the other day. I did think it was odd at the time.

doofer · 28 Apr 2015 at 00:30

me227 said:
I'm not on the Open Register and I received a Labour leaflet with my name on it the other day. I did think it was odd at the time.

Are you registered with the MPS? If so, please consider making a complaint, all you need to do is send them the offending mail, there are instructions on their website.

MrMoonX · 28 Apr 2015 at 06:18

doofer said:
Are you registered with the MPS? If so, please consider making a complaint, all you need to do is send them the offending mail, there are instructions on their website.

political parties have the whole list

doofer · 28 Apr 2015 at 13:23

MrMoonX said:
political parties have the whole list

And they're not supposed to use it to send unsolicited mail to MPS registered addresses... Do try and follow the whole Thread. :rolleyes:

HazardO · 28 Apr 2015 at 13:38

doofer said:
Yeah, 1st World problems etc. But I have been registered with the MPS (Mailing Preference Service - They stop unsolicited/junk mail to your address after you register with them) for years and it definitely seems to work, won't stop the endless 'Occupier' or anything without my personal name on it though sadly.

However I've noticed in the run up to the Election I've had several Political Party Pamphlets/Leaflets/Spam/Junk Mail actually addressed to me personally, these are completely unsolicited and I'm wondering how the Political Parties involved think they can be above the MPS/ASA. I've just had one through my door again (No poop this time! *phew*) which has prompted this Thread to see if anyone else thinks this is acceptable or not? -(The junk mail not the no poop...)

I would write to my local MP about it, see what they can do about it.

Out of interest has the MPS been effective for you in the fight against letterbox delivered feces?

doofer · 28 Apr 2015 at 13:49

HazardO said:
I would write to my local MP about it, see what they can do about it.

Out of interest has the MPS been effective for you in the fight against letterbox delivered feces?

It has definitely worked for me, but I am also very, very careful about giving my real Home address and Telephone Number out, any forms or registrations I make are usually under fake addresses and numbers. I question the need for my personal details every single time I'm ever asked for them. This is why I flagged the Electoral stuff straight away, unsloicited mail Addressed to ME Never happens, only ever untitled or 'Occupier' junk.

UTmaniac · 28 Apr 2015 at 16:00

If you contact Royal Mail to stop receiving the **** they get posties to deliver every week to all houses (unless they are officially opted out through the RM website and subsequent "snail mail" forms), you will still get your quota of non-addressed political propaganda in the run up to elections.

The official RM marketing opt-out excludes political ****.

MPS- Mailing Preference Service: Unsolicited Electoral Spam

Man of Honour