Details of new mothers

[Oneeyedvic]

I am just doing some work for a local photography company. Currently they are members of an organisation that supplies them with a database of new mothers which they then mailshot giving them an offer on a photoshoot.

Is this data available commercially at a cost effective price anywhere else?

I am after the name and address of the mother. Obviously already know of things like mums net, which may be useful, but for the moment, just after the core data.

I know that I can buy each birth certificate from the registry office @ a cost, but don't want that expense.

Cheers

[lucca]

Isn't this an intrusion into people's privacy?

[Oneeyedvic]

No, its public data (Births, Marriages & Deaths). Some people may class it as junk mail, but if you don;t want it, you can throw it away.

[R1Geezer]

can you not use the same organisation as the photography company?

[Oneeyedvic]

Sorry R1, should have been clearer. The company they use charge them up to £150 for the data per month. (£1.50 per name) I am looking at their whole advertising / marketing budgets and seeing what areas I can help them cut back on. I used to buy in data at about 20-30p for business data - this struck me as quite expensive.

[AlBags]

Aren't they so annoying? .. these unscrupulous companies and individuals who seem to think we have nothing better to do than to open mailshots and answer marketing telephone calls, for an ever-increasing list of products and services ... most of which we could do without.

[boxtops]

I'm getting a lot of that with election bumf (as I'm sure we all are) but I guess they use the electoral register for that?

[boxtops]

^ and I've now subscribed to the Telephone Preference service which has cut out nearly all the cold-calling.

[lslowry]

i subscribe to that boxtops, but the b*ggers still get through

[AlBags]

Isn't this the only time a local parliamentary candidate has legwork to do? Those probably posted by hand. They are using other tricks now, like paying Sky to have incl in Sky magazine ... special deliveries, etc.
I ignore the w*nkers when they come to the door. If they can' be bothered to show their presence at any time outside election run-up, chances are they are not worth voting in.

[Prudie]

I know of a friend of a relative whose entire career is based around selling databases of information to companies like yours, she does very well out of it too and doesn't seem to care about the intrusion.
You could try leaving info in maternity depts I suppose but most of it will go in the bin, if a new mother wants a photo she will make her own effort to make it happen I'd have thought.

[lslowry]

the people that came to our door albags, couldn't find the way back off the estate, much to my amusement

[boxtops]

There's been no legwork round here Albags, the postman's brought most of the guff, so-called personally addressed to us, or just no names, stuffed through with the rest of the mail. I've seen no local worthies other than the sitting MP a few weeks back and the UKIP guy, both with stalls outside the town hall. No babykissing, nowt. I can't say I looked forward to it, mind you!

[AlBags]

why? you injure them? : )

This whole thing ... especially new mums ... it borders on intrusion.

[AlBags]

You're lucky then BT!