Mailshots seem wide of the mark

So, according to your Special Report “First class post” (MW September 10), 80 per cent of direct mail recipients open mailshots and 40 per cent reply to them? These campaigns must be either tiny and highly targeted or offering a free BMW for every response.

I was under the impression that the average response rate to mailshots was more in the region of five or six per cent but then may be targeting techniques have improved since the last time I read about direct mail.

I must say that my personal experience flies in the face of these claimed figures. Having moved house nearly 12 months ago I still © receive a deluge of these so-called highly targeted mailpacks for the previous house-owner – on average more than ten letters a week. Whatever happened to list cleaning?

No wonder direct mail has an image problem with the average postman – they must realise that most of it is addressed to the wrong person anyway.

William Rogers

Cheltenham

Glos