Unsolicited email marketing 'a common cause of complaint'

Unwanted email marketing messages account for the second most common consumer complaint when it comes to direct marketing.

This is according to new figures released by self-regulatory body the Direct Marketing Commission (DMC), which show that nine per cent of complaints regarding direct campaigns in the final quarter of 2008 related to email marketing.

These consumers complained about messages that were either unwanted or did not provide an option to unsubscribe from emails, the DMC said.

According to the figures, the most common area of complaint related to payment issues.

Despite this, Matti Alderson, chairman of the DMC, said the report indicated most of the direct marketing sector is in full compliance with self-imposed regulation.

"In our experience, despite the negative press that the industry sometimes receives, the great majority of companies don't want to mislead or cheat the public," she said.

Last year, the Direct Marketing Association's Email Experience Council conducted a study that found a growing number of retailers are making use of list hygiene practices such as email confirmation and double opt-in process.