Code of Conduct

Adopted by the Board of Directors on May 10, 2001.

CADM believes that proper business practices are essential to the success and growth of the direct marketing field. It is clear that both buyers and marketers gain from such proper conduct.

Regardless of the products/services, offers, terms, or media used, CADM members pledge themselves to the following guidelines:

1. Buyers have the right to expect that all visual and written depictions of a product or service, its features and benefits, are true and accurate and live up to the expectations created by the marketer.
2. Buyers have the right to expect that all purchases are sent at their request, are delivered in a timely fashion, in good condition, and have their choice of a prompt refund or replacement if not satisfied.
3. Marketers shall collect only such data about the buyer that is pertinent to an on-going business relationship with the buyer and does not exceed accepted privacy standards.
4. Marketers may use information collected (as defined in the above statement) to facilitate the making of additional offers on the part of that marketer that may interest the buyer.
5. Marketers may offer collected information to other marketers for offers that may be of interest to the buyer, provided that buyers are given the opportunity to inform marketers to do otherwise.
6. Buyers have the right to remedies for the failures to act ethically on the part of member firms by contacting the CADM Board to seek mediation of disputes.
7. Knowing that no set of guidelines can cover all situations, the application and/or interpretation of these principles remains the responsibility of the CADM Board.
8. All members of CADM pledge their adherence to these principles as a condition of their membership in the Association. Failure to follow these principles makes member firms subject to review by the CADM Board of Directors, or its appointed review committee, for possible termination of membership.