Web Site Operator Agrees to Stop Marketing “Gold-Card” Lists
The operator of a Web site that markets health related lists has agreed to remove from his site any lists affiliated with vitamin direct marketer/retailer General Nutrition Centers Inc., Direct Newsline has learned.
John Seemiller, former vice president of retail at the Pittsburgh company who now operates www.mrhealthlist.com, a Web site offering health-related lists, agreed last month to remove from his site listings of files allegedly characterized as Gold Card lists.
But he defended his creation of the list. “There was nothing illegal about this, he said.
At deadline, GNC was not planning to sue Seemiller or his company.
“We’re not pursing any legal action at this time since he agreed to take these lists of the market,” said GNC spokeswoman Stephanie Mangini.
According to GNC, mrhealthlist.com independently compiled a list of undisclosed size of GNC customers that returned products to third party vendors. He then promoted the list as Gold Card members, according to GNC.
GNC uses its Gold Card as a customer loyalty building device.
GNC also said it has advised its vendors not to release its customer data that is provided as verification of a product return, and added that it does not rent out customers’ names without their permission.
GNC said it does not sell any of its customer lists. It rents them for one-time use through Mokrynski and Associates, but only if customers have indicated they are willing to receive information.
