• Keep Me Posted campaign awards ‘Best Practice’ Mark of Distinction to Damart
• Consumers who receive statements through the post are more likely to be able to know how healthy their account is (75 per cent vs 48 per cent for those who received electronically)

Home-shopping fashion retailer, Damart has been awarded a ‘Mark of Distinction’ by Keep Me Posted, recognising its commitment to providing customers with paper bills, if they request them.

Damart’s customers across the UK can choose to receive paper bills and statements, without charge or penalty. The company joins a number of other companies who have also been awarded ‘Best Practice’ Marks of Distinction.

The Keep Me Posted campaign calls on organisations including banks, councils, utility companies and telecoms providers to give their customers a choice in how they are communicated with. The ‘Best Practice’ Mark of Distinction means customers can instantly recognise when a business has made a commitment to providing its customers with paper bills and statements.

Famous for its thermals, Damart is a home shopping brand specialising in fashion for the over-50s. Founded in 1953, the company operates in France, the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the United States, and distributes products to over 10 million customers worldwide.

Judith Donovan CBE, Chair, of the Keep Me Posted campaign, said: “I am delighted to award Damart with the ‘Mark of Distinction’. The company has made a clear commitment to communicating with their customers in a way that suits them best. Our research shows that consumers who receive statements through the post are more likely to be able to know how healthy their account is (75 per cent vs 48 per cent for those who received electronically) so this is a fantastic result for millions of people across the country.

“The Keep Me Posted mark can be displayed proudly by providers, as an indicator to consumers that their right to receive paper bills is protected.”

Damart’s managing director, Andy Hill said: “We have more than a million customers who shop both through our website and our catalogues and we pride ourselves on offering them a range of ways to order and pay, including sending paper bills to  those customers who prefer it. We’re pleased that Keep Me Posted has recognised the choices we are offering all our customers in this way.”    

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 Notes to editors

*Research taken from Keep Me Posted ‘Managing money online –working as well as we think?’ report prepared by London Economics with research conducted by YouGov, January 2015. The campaign will also begin rewarding some companies a ‘Good Practice’ Mark, in the event that they charge for paper bills but in a way that is considered fair and equitable to the cost of providing the bill. This follows research by the campaign that found that some providers charge up to £1.90 for a paper bill or statement, representing as much as a 442% mark up on the approximate cost to the provider.

About the campaign:

The Keep Me Posted campaign is chaired by Judith Donovan CBE and is a partnership of representatives from 89 concerned organisations such as mental health charity Mind, DementiaUK, The Money Charity, and the National Consumer Federation.

Keep Me Posted campaign partners believe that it is every consumer’s right to choose, without disadvantage, how they are contacted by banks, utility companies and other service providers in the face of an increasing trend of businesses switching their customers to mainly digital communication, which isn’t always preferable or suitable for a large proportion of UK consumers.

For further information or for more information on the Keep Me Posted campaign, please contact: info@keepmeposteduk.com