Direct Marketing Lists - Companies To Use?

Hi,

I have worked in the direct sales arena for some time now and often have contacts and friends coming to me often asking for details of a marketing list company they should use. I have decided to create this blog to see if together we can compose a list of Do's and Dont's when picking the company you should use. In my 17 years i have tried more companies than i can shake a stick at from DLG and Axciom to the smaller companies like Data HQ and Which List but the one tool i have found to be the most useful belongs to a company that sits in the middle of those four somewhere they are called Consumers Located Ltd. I received an e-mail from them out the blue which i didn't mind because if they couldn't find there own customers how where they going to find mine eh?! I can not totally recall the full e-mail but it was basically directing me to there recently launched Online Count Engine, This great bit of kit gave me the chance to select different demographics within postcode areas and see quantities available 24 hours a day. I got the count back within 3 or 4 minutes and could download the marketing list within a couple of seconds of that. Now I've seen this sort of thing before but the user friendliness of this one was just so impressive! and of course most importantly the data performed just above my usual expectations.

I would also like anyone else to post either there thoughts or dealings with Consumers Located or if you have any other marketing list companies that have done right by you?

P.S You can find the count engine hear if you are interested: http://www.consumerslocated.co.uk/cl-count-engine.htm