DDV Robinsonsliste: Avoid Receiving Unsolicited Adverts

Have you tried to stick the “Keine Werbung” sticker on your postbox to avoid getting unsolicited advertising content, only to get it sent with your name and address on it? Well, the DDV-Robinson List is here to help you out of those unwanted advertising….

The service named after the famous story of Robinson Crusoe, a roman sailor who spent many years in a secluded island, literally helps you seclude yourself from unwanted advertising. The service has been offered to consumers for more than 40 years by the DDV (Deutscher Dialogue Marketing Verband e.V) and is currently used in over 90% of addressed advertising letters.

So what is a Robison list?

Robinson list is a protection list containing contact details of persons who do not wish to receive unsolicited advertising addressed to them. It is used to protect the consumer against unwanted advertisements sent through conventional mail, E-mail, fax or via random phone calls. Having your name on the list prevents you from receiving mail from companies whose services you have never used or whose newsletter you never signed up for.

How to Sign-Up? Costs?

You need to be register with the DDV either online (Online form) or via post (DDV-Robinson list
Postfach 1454, 33244 Gütersloh Tel. 05244 903723) to be protected. Every entry is free of charge and is valid for five years. The five year period ensures the validity of the Robinson list. This is because names and addresses change rapidly either due to marriage, divorce or relocation.

NB: There have unfortunately been fraudsters who have sent out invoices in the name of DDV in the past. The DDV has however been able to take them to court.

How does it work?

Customers are provided with two options, namely:

“Alternative A”

Alternative A is for customers who, never want to receive advertising letters from companies in which they are not already a customer or rather companies which have not contacted them before. It is simply called the general rejection.

“Alternative B”

This is referred to as the Ablehnung bestimmter Angebotsbereiche rather rejection of certain sector offers. In this case the customer only rejects advertising involving certain offers or certain sectors  

This alternative provides a list of pre-defined areas where one ticks the ones they will not be interested to hear from.

For more details on the service visit the DDV-Robinsonliste website.