Politically Direct: DMA Offers Mediation and Arbitration Services to Members

April 1, 2009 — DMA, in conjunction with the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), has begun offering an independent mediation and arbitration service for the purpose of resolving commercial disputes involving DMA members. The service, which is tailored to address the unique aspects of direct marketing, is being provided in response to member requests for a simple, low-cost, and efficient means to resolve commercial disputes that arise between organizations.

Mediation and arbitration will be conducted over the telephone by qualified mediators and arbitrators provided by the CBBB. Through DMA, the CBBB will have access to industry experts and other professionals who will assist with individual cases.

The first three-hour mediation or arbitration hearing will cost members $2000, with an hourly rate being applied thereafter, and the parties involved in the dispute will collectively decide in advance whether or not the decision will be binding. If the parties reach a mutually acceptable resolution, the mediator will put the agreement into written form and send the agreement to both parties.

“Although DMA’s Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice empowers the Association to resolve consumer complaints regarding member organizations, they did not address the issue of commercial disputes relating to member organizations,” said Senny Boone, DMA’s senior vice president of Corporate & Social Responsibility. “This service, which combines CBBB’s dispute resolution experience with DMA’s extensive knowledge of the marketing community, was designed to help our members resolve commercial disputes in a quick, cost effective, confidential manner without the need to rely on the court system.”

For more information on DMA’s mediation and arbitration services, please contact Jodie Sangster, DMA’s vice president of Global Compliance, at 202.861.2497 or visit http://www.the-dma.org/services/.

If you are a BBB-accredited business, you may also have dispute resolution options available through your local BBB, in addition to the mediation and arbitration provided by this program. Please contact your local BBB for more information about the benefits of accreditation. If you have questions, you may also contact Rod Davis at Rdavis@council.bbb.org.

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