The Future of Catalogs

My mailbox was full of catalogs this holiday season, including some from firms I haven't done business with in more than a decade. Is the Web killing off catalogs? Business Week looked at that issue in November and then examined the opt-out situation in December.

The Direct Marketing Association offers its Mail Preference Service, which allows consumers to specify which catalogs they prefer not to receive. But (and it's a big but) consumers have to include a credit card number to (1) verify their identity and (2) pay DMA $1 for the service. The association assures consumers that it uses "secure payment transaction processing to protect your credit card information."

So does the DMA think someone might maliciously decide to submit my name to be removed from the mailing list of a catalog I absolutely love? Or is this a way to make it more difficult for me to keep my mailbox clear of catalog clutter?

The DMA told Business Week that it will soon eliminate the $1 fee. But what about the requirement of submitting a credit card number? Sounds like a lot of unnecessary paperwork to discourage consumers from opting out. Ironically, the catalog companies are the real losers, since they spend time and money printing and mailing catalogs to too many people who just dump them in the recycle bin. Is that the future of catalogs?