PCH Consumer Surveys to Safeguard Consumers

Recently we published a PCH Blog story about the consumer surveys that are a keystone of PCH’s unparalleled consumer protection program that was created voluntarily by Publishers Clearing House employees many years ago, to help identify and safeguard consumers who may need extra assistance with sweepstakes mailings. Based on your comments and interest we’d like to share a bit more about the Publishers Clearing House consumer survey program, and some enhancements that will soon be taking place.

Unlike the corner store where a considerate merchant can look over the counter to see if a customer is okay or not, PCH’s sales are all by direct mail or online, and we have no easy way of knowing when a customer is in distress or in need of special assistance. Under the Publishers Clearing House consumer survey program, active customers are contacted by phone and/or mail and asked a series of questions to ensure they are purchasing for the right reasons. We want to make sure people understand no purchase is necessary to enter and win and their entries will have the same chance of winning whether they purchase or not.  If a problem or concern is detected, Publishers Clearing House will assist the consumer and, if warranted, permanently remove him or her from our mailing list.

Currently, PCH conducts this consumer survey program on an annual basis. Soon we’ll be expanding the scope of this program by reaching out to more consumers, earlier on and more frequently. This will be a significant undertaking for our company but one that underscores PCH’s commitment to a program that has been characterized by a past Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission as one of the most commendable consumer protection programs ever created by private industry.

As you can imagine conducting and overseeing an effort of this scope requires not only state-of-the-art technical systems but also calls for highly trained, capable staffing to ensure the utmost degree of excellence and integrity is achieved and maintained. To accomplish this, PCH works closely with an independent outside vendor, who is recognized and respected in the survey industry. And now with the upcoming expansion of the program, the amount of consumer surveys will more than double as we contact customers on a quarterly basis.

So we hope you know that safeguarding consumers is a top priority at Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes! We really mean it, and we back it up with our actions, when we say we are committed to assisting all consumers and protecting the small percentage that may be experiencing difficulty with sweepstakes promotions.

Sincerely,

Margaret Crossan

PCH Consumer Affairs Department