Why does one receive catalogs even if one hasn't bought anything from them or signed up for it?

Answer 1

They all sell your names and contact information. For example lets say you bought some fishing supplies from Catelog A.

Since your considered a person who buys these types of things, Catelog A sells your name and contact information to Catalog company B that might sell fishing and hunting supplies.

The information they sell is far more valuable when you got the right target audience.

For example, we sell satellite Tv and do a credit check. There is a company that does credit repair and they contacted us a few months ago to buy the lists of names of the customers who failed the credit check to offer them a credit repair service.

You can buy names all day long for about a penny each, but having a customer who you know might want your service makes them more valuable, and as in my case the company was willing to pay $.75 per customer who had bad credit!

Answer 2

I can think of 2 sources right off: you may have filled out and returned a survey which came in the mail. This is where a lot of junk mail comes from. And also selling lists of names and addresses is quite common. A particular list may contain women who buy high-end clothing or people who subscribe to gardening magazines, and so on.

Answer 3

If you have EVER ordered anything from anyone of the catalogs---or even been issued a credit card, I think that companies sell our names and contact addresses to other companies as leads.
It is a marketing tool that companies use to grow their business.

Toss 'em, they can be very addicting, and it can run you into impulsive debt!
Good Luck!

Answer 4

Companies sell mailing lists back and forth. Some catalogs will be addressed to "John Doe, or current occupant."

Answer 5

Great question, every time I handed it back he gives you a dirty look because you have not bought anything . A woman called round and asked for the catalogue back I told her it was in the paper bin and to stop posting it, guess what there posting it again, I will keep checking see if there decent answer and good luck, there as bad as Avon

Answer 6

If you did sign up for a different magazine or ordered something from a different magazine then that magazine sells your name and contact information to other magazines. Then these other magazines send you their's in hopes you buy from them, too.

Answer 7

Sometimes a friend sends your name in, thinking that you would be interested in that particular catagory