Hello Direct Selling Customer Data

Thanks for returning. You're a very smart person.

A bit off topic, but I was reading the latest edition of DIRECT, a direct marketing publication, and found an advertisement by a company that is selling the customer data of Hello Direct, an online retailer/cataloger of telecommunications equipment. Now I find it a bit odd that a company that is still in business would open its customer database to competitors, but my many concern was with customer privacy. With my curiousity peaked by the ad, I decided to take a look at Hello Direct’s privacy policy:

What Our Privacy Policy Covers

Our Privacy & Security Statement describes the information we collect about you, as well as why and how we use it. We also explain the choices you can make about how we collect and use your information.

Hello Direct, Inc. respects your privacy and recognizes your right to protection of all personal information you share with us, including your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, etc. You are welcome to visit HelloDirect.com anonymously. Personal information will not be collected. Your internet address (IP address: the address of your computer) will be logged so we can learn which parts of the web site you visit and how long you spend on individual pages; however we will not link your IP address to any personally identifiable information. Your browser automatically informs us of its name and version number; but again, no personal information will be gathered.

As a part of our continued commitment to your privacy, Hello Direct rigorously supports and follows the guidelines and practices adopted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). We have agreed to notify you of your right to opt out of information rental, sale, or exchange between Hello Direct and other marketers, and to honor your requests that we not share your information with other marketers in any way. In addition, we honor your requests to not receive mail, telephone or other solicitations from Hello Direct.

I am not sure when or where they notify you of your “right to opt-out”, but I have to imagine, with the type of numbers the advertisement was touting, many Hello Direct customers are going to be receiving their fair share of un-solicited emails. Not that I have never sent an unsolicited email, but to be proactively selling data, seems to me a little extreme.

I have two questions I would like to hear your opinions on:

1. Why would an active, visible, online retailer/cataloger actively sell their customer data, leveraging their brand name?

2. If you were a Hello Direct customer, would this type of activity upset you?

Post your thoughts below!