Telecom Yellow/White directories

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bagpussnz

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#62717 13-Jun-2010 14:41

Hi,
I've just had the Manukau Local Directory delivered to my house, and I put it straight into the recycle bin - as I do with the Yellow/White pages directories.

You can't opt out of it - from the yellow pages FAQ....

We constantly monitor the requests for opt-outs and at present there are very few which means we do not currently offer this as an option. If you would like to register your interest, please contact the Yellow™ Customer Assist Team on 0800 803 803.

Who else does this? Does anyone actually use them? Apart from the whole save the world stuff, how useful are they?

Regards,
Ian.

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Biddle Corp

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#341220 13-Jun-2010 14:46

The only thing I ever see phonebooks being used for is monitor stands!

Also remember that Telecom have nothing to do with phonebooks - they were sold off a few years ago. Yellow Pages group is currently facing severe financial challenges with significant debt and reastically no way of every paying it back.

rscole86

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#341224 13-Jun-2010 14:53

I think we will use them once or twice a year, and thats it. Otherwise they sit in the back of the hot water cubboard.

freitasm

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#341236 13-Jun-2010 15:10

Directories is not a Telecom business for some time now...

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nzbnw

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#341242 13-Jun-2010 15:33

I never use the books, online is just convenient, either on my PC or phone, or if I'm feeling lazy, 018 :)

nzbnw

manta

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#341245 13-Jun-2010 16:03

I use yellow pages when looking for people to do work on the house etc as I think yell is rubbish. seldom use white pages.

bagpussnz

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#341265 13-Jun-2010 17:36

Fair enough about Telecom comments - force of habit. :-)

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freitasm

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#341267 13-Jun-2010 17:39

As sbiddle says Yellow has a debt (NZ$1.72 billion dollars) that is almost impossible to pay, more than ten times over their annual revenue (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10641141).

They keep printing paper, when they could easily allow people to opt out and save some money on that...

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robbyp

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#341335 13-Jun-2010 22:35

freitasm: As sbiddle says Yellow has a debt (NZ$1.72 billion dollars) that is almost impossible to pay, more than ten times over their annual revenue (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10641141).

They keep printing paper, when they could easily allow people to opt out and save some money on that...

I personally think the reason they don't have an opt out, is because they are in the business of selling advertising. This means that they have to distribute that advertising for their advertisers. If 50% of people decided they wanted to opt out, then the distribution would drop, and they wouldn't be able to get as much money from their advertisers.

It is similar to magazines. I get a lot of free magazines, because the mags have to have a certain readership in order to sell advertising in those mags. Therefore it is cheaper for them to give them away if they don't have buyers, the advertisers are paying for them anyway.

Kyanar

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#341384 14-Jun-2010 07:49

robbyp: I personally think the reason they don't have an opt out, is because they are in the business of selling advertising. This means that they have to distribute that advertising for their advertisers. If 50% of people decided they wanted to opt out, then the distribution would drop, and they wouldn't be able to get as much money from their advertisers.

It is similar to magazines. I get a lot of free magazines, because the mags have to have a certain readership in order to sell advertising in those mags. Therefore it is cheaper for them to give them away if they don't have buyers, the advertisers are paying for them anyway.

Incorrect. They sell listings in the directory. Not ads. And in the white pages, it's got precisely one ad - the back cover (and Vodafone used it quite effectively this year).

Listings aren't charged for on the basis of distribution.

joff_nz

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#341403 14-Jun-2010 09:09

Kyanar:
robbyp: I personally think the reason they don't have an opt out, is because they are in the business of selling advertising. This means that they have to distribute that advertising for their advertisers. If 50% of people decided they wanted to opt out, then the distribution would drop, and they wouldn't be able to get as much money from their advertisers.

It is similar to magazines. I get a lot of free magazines, because the mags have to have a certain readership in order to sell advertising in those mags. Therefore it is cheaper for them to give them away if they don't have buyers, the advertisers are paying for them anyway.

Incorrect. They sell listings in the directory. Not ads. And in the white pages, it's got precisely one ad - the back cover (and Vodafone used it quite effectively this year).

Listings aren't charged for on the basis of distribution.

yeah, but having a high distribution makes it look better value to potential advertisers

astra

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#341577 14-Jun-2010 16:15

I have found it quite amazing that Yellow Pages has kept in business.
I remember when I use to work for Telecom and they sold Yellow pages. It was a great day. These days, everything is online or you can call 018.

The idea of a phonebook is almost old school thinking.

I have seen plenty as Monitor stands... all class!

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#341653 14-Jun-2010 18:58

well broadband penetration isn't all that high. there are still quite a few f households who don't have BB or even dial up (either because they can;t or because they can';t afford it) so for them the yellow pages might be useful. my wife even uses the yellow pages occasionally when I am gaming or something.

the yellow pages online site is atrocious though. i don't know why they bother with that.

they also come in very handy at my office for raising up monitors to a useful height. why buy a stand when you have a free yellow pages book!

robbyp

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#341921 15-Jun-2010 13:47

joff_nz:
Kyanar:
robbyp: I personally think the reason they don't have an opt out, is because they are in the business of selling advertising. This means that they have to distribute that advertising for their advertisers. If 50% of people decided they wanted to opt out, then the distribution would drop, and they wouldn't be able to get as much money from their advertisers.

It is similar to magazines. I get a lot of free magazines, because the mags have to have a certain readership in order to sell advertising in those mags. Therefore it is cheaper for them to give them away if they don't have buyers, the advertisers are paying for them anyway.

Incorrect. They sell listings in the directory. Not ads. And in the white pages, it's got precisely one ad - the back cover (and Vodafone used it quite effectively this year).

Listings aren't charged for on the basis of distribution.

yeah, but having a high distribution makes it look better value to potential advertisers

You took the words right out of my mouth. Advertisers/listers(essentailly the same thing) will not be prepared to pay as much, if the distribution drops. They don't want to see their earnings per ad go down!

rovente

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#343367 20-Jun-2010 02:14

The Yellow pages haven't gotten my ad right in 3 years! Crap product, crap service and when you tell them your not continuing with your ad, they run it anyway and still try to bill you.

nate

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#345432 26-Jun-2010 01:56

rovente: The Yellow pages haven't gotten my ad right in 3 years! Crap product, crap service and when you tell them your not continuing with your ad, they run it anyway and still try to bill you.

... or try and approve an ad with a pin number that you didn't supply, and argue that you did, even when you have phone records that prove they never spoke to you on the day they said they did.

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