FAQ
Toggle the questions below to see more details.
If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please contact our support staff.
General
Why should I clean my list?
Your list of customers and prospects is potentially the most valuable asset your company owns. It is important to keep your list current and correct. This saves wasted postage and material costs when mailing to your list. An efficient list enhances your customer relationship and focuses your marketing efforts. Enhancements like Phone Number and Demographic Appends can make it easier to target the customers you need to find, and follow up with them after the fact.
Do you have a guarantee?
We stand behind all our services by offering you a 100% money-back guarantee. If you are ever dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, simply let us know and we'll promptly refund all of our fees. Your ultimate satisfaction is our number one objective.
How do I pay for the service?
Once we process your order, you will be billed according to the terms in the quote. At this time cleanlist.com does not accept credit card orders.
Can't I just get a price list?
No, because we do not have a fixed price table. Instead, your quote is based on a continuously varying equation factoring in the number of records, services, etc. The quoting system was designed to be quick and easy to use. You are encouraged to request as many quotes as you'd like.
Do you offer discounts?
We are pleased to present discounted prices to our cleanlist.com customers. Your quote clearly shows how much you are saving. First, every customer benefits from ordering multiple services on one quote. The more services, the greater your discount.
If you are a re-seller such as data processing shop, lettershop, printer or advertising agency we will verify your trade status by viewing your web site or confirming your membership in a recognized trade association. You may then avail of our trade discount.
If you are a not-for-profit company be sure to contact our support staff at support@cleanlist.com to ensure that you get a similar saving.
What are your hours of operation?
We are ready to generate quotes and take orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our tech support hours are here.
Where are you located?
cleanlist.com's home is the city of London, Ontario, Canada. This is a modern high-tech city with all the amenities we require to manage and maintain our operations.
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
We have a complete contact page that you can use to find the most appropriate party.
I see a business opportunity here. Can I be your partner?
cleanlist.com is interested in discussing potential business partnership and strategic alliance opportunities. If you have complementary services that can expand and enhance the scope of our offering, you are encouraged to contact our President, Jeffrey B. Bisset.
I am a reseller. Can I use your services for my clients?
Re-sellers or trade customers, such as data processing shops, lettershops, printers and advertising agencies are encouraged to use cleanlist.com as their resource for high-speed and high quality list processing. We offer a trade discount on our services to make the arrangement as profitable for you as possible. Customized and/or private-label services may be negotiated depending on volume commitment. cleanlist.com will verify your trade status by viewing your web site or confirming your membership in a recognized trade association.
Your clients can be added to your cleanlist account from the "My Clients" tab. Once set up, each of your clients will appear in a dropdown selection on the quote request page. Please use this feature to indicate the true owner of the data submitted.
How It Works
How do I place an order with cleanlist.com?
Your home for all cleanlist tasks is the my cleanlist page. Once you are signed in, you can easily find your way back to this page through the main menu at the top of the page. My cleanlist has three tabs: "my quotes", "my orders", and "my profile".
To get a free instant quote, select the "my quotes" tab and click on the link for the appropriate country. On the next form, fill out the order quantity, turnaround time, and services required. A quote will be generated for you. This now shows up on the "my quotes" tab.
Every listed quote has several actions, one of which is "order". Click this link to order the quote. You will be prompted for a file to upload. Once you click "go" please be patient until the file has been uploaded. Depending on your internet connection speed this can take several minutes.
Once we get the file, out automated service processing begins. In the meantime, the job will show up on the "my orders" tab of my cleanlist, with the status "in progress".
You will be notified via email of job completion. Once you have picked up the completed file, the job will appear in your order history on the "my orders" tab.
Managing your jobs is easy through the my cleanlist interface.
How do I get my mailing list to cleanlist.com?
You transmit your list to our secure web server using your web browser over an SSL connection. Secure Sockets Layer is the standard method of encrypting data on the Internet. All information regarding registration information, passwords, quotes, etc. is therefore protected from prying eyes.
Before sending us your list, check that it includes either Canadian or American addresses, depending on your quote. It should also be composed of either consumer or business addresses, as appropriate to the services you requested.
Please also read "Should I compress my file before uploading?"
How should I format my mailing list for processing?
Your mailing list file can be submitted in any file type you like: comma-delimited, tab-delimited, .DBF format, and so on... we handle them all. We will translate this to a standard file format free of charge.
We have the following recommended file layout. Structuring your file as follows helps us fulfill your order in our usual speedy fashion.
| Field Name | Length | Example |
| Record Number or ID | 60 | 12345 |
| Person Name | 60 | John A. Sample |
| Company Name | 80 | Sampling Inc. |
| Address Line 1 | 60 | 123 Address Street |
| Address Line 2 | 60 | Apt. 4 |
| City | 45 | London |
| State/Province | 20 | Ontario |
| Zip/Postal Code | 15 | N1N 1N1 |
| Phone Number | 10 | 123-4567 |
Should I compress my file before uploading?
Yes. Compress your data file using either PKZIP or WinZip. This reduces the transmission time considerably, and helps guard against errors due to erratic Internet connections. The zipped file that you submit should contain only one file -- your mailing list.
Please do not use a password when zipping your file. File encryption is already handled by the SSL connection between your web browser and our server.
How do I know when my order is done?
You will receive an email when your order is ready to be picked up from our website. This message will contain a link taking you directly to your order page. (If you are not already signed in, you will be asked for your user name and password.)
Is there anything special I need to provide for NCOATM?
If your order includes National Change of Address processing, we must have your NCOATM Acknowledgement form on file in order to satisfy the postal authorities' licensing requirements. You only need to complete this form once for all your orders. Do the following:
- download the Canadian NCOATM form [PDF] or American DSF/NCOATM form [PDF]
- print out the PDF file
- fill in the form
- sign it
- fax it to us at the number given on our contact page
Your NCOA order cannot be processed until we have this document.
Please read the Equifax NCOATM information package [PDF].
What prerequisites exist for US Phone Append with DNC Suppression?
All customers who order this service are required to register with the FTC and obtain a Subscription Account Number (SAN). The license is provided either for the entire United States or by the area codes you require. To register or for more information visit telemarketing.donotcall.gov.
Please provide your SAN and expiration date by filling out the Client Statement of Registration [PDF] and faxing it to us using the number on our contact page.
What prerequisites exist for US Phone Append without DNC Suppression?
If you are an exempt organization and wish to append all telephone numbers, we require that you sign the Equifax Telephone Suppression Waiver Form [PDF] and fax it to the number on our contact page.
Exempt organizations include:
- Political organizations
- Charities
- Telephone surveyors
- Non-profit organizations
What will I get back from cleanlist.com for Canadian orders?
When your order is complete, you will get a compressed file containing your processed mailing list along with status reports in HTML format. These provide you with hit rates, accuracy rates, sample records, and so on.
Depending on the services you ordered, new fields will be appended to the end of each record you supplied. Your original data will not be changed -- only new information will be appended. Additional fields (as necessary) include:
| Address Standardization | |
| Field Name | Length |
| Address Correction Code | 1 |
| Standardized Address 1 | 60 |
| Standardized Address 2 | 60 |
| Standardized City | 40 |
| Standardized Province | 20 |
| Standardized Postal Code | 15 |
| Standardized Country | 30 |
National Change of Address |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Move Date | 8 |
| NCOATM Result Code | 1 |
| New Address Line 1 | 60 |
| New Address Line 2 | 60 |
| New City | 45 |
| New Province | 20 |
| New Postal Code | 15 |
| New Country | 30 |
CMA Suppression |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| CMA Suppression Code | 1 |
Phone Number Verification & Append |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Verified or Appended Phone Number | 10 |
| Match Code | 1 |
| Match Type | 2 |
Duplicate Elimination |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Duplicate Flag | 1 |
| Duplicate ID | 10 |
Demographic Append |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Match Code | 1 |
| Average Age | 3 |
| Mobility Percentage | 3 |
| Average Income | 1 |
| Average Number of Children | 1 |
| Mosaic Code | 1 |
| Dwelling Type | 1 |
| Location Type | 1 |
| Occupation Type | 1 |
| Post Secondary Education Percentage | 1 |
| Number of Households | 10 |
| Number of Children 0-5 Years | 5 |
| Number of Children 6-14 Years | 5 |
| Number of Children 15-17 Years | 5 |
| Number of Children 18-24 Years | 5 |
What will I get back from cleanlist.com for American orders?
When your order is complete, you will get a compressed file containing your processed mailing list along with status reports in HTML format. These provide you with hit rates, accuracy rates, sample records, and so on.
Depending on the services you ordered, new fields will be appended to the end of each record you supplied. Your original data will not be changed -- only new information will be appended. Additional fields (as necessary) include:
| Common Fields | |
| Field Name | Length |
| Mailable Flag | 1 |
| Standardized or New Address 1 | 60 |
| Standardized or New Address 2 | 60 |
| Standardized or New City | 45 |
| Standardized or New Province | 20 |
| Standardized or New Postal Code | 15 |
| Standardized or New Country | 15 |
Address Standardization (CASS) |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| CASS Validation Flag | 1 |
| Delivery Point Code | 2 |
| Delivery Point Check Digit | 1 |
| Carrier Route Code | 4 |
| ZIP+4/DSF2 LOT Sequence Number | 6 |
| ZIP+4/DSF2 LOT Error Code | 1 |
| ZIP+4/DSF2 LOT Date Stamped | 6 |
| ZIP+4/DSF2 Urbanization Name | 28 |
| Record Type Code | 1 |
| ZIP4/DSF2 Combined Alpha Footnotes | 21 |
| ZIP+4 Date Stamp | 6 |
National Change of Address |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| NCOATM Flag | 1 |
| NCOATM Nixie Footnote Codes | 1 |
| New Address Level Of Match | 1 |
| Move Type | 1 |
| Move Effective Date | 6 |
| DMA Suppression Flag | 1 |
Suppressions |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Suppression Flag | 1 |
| Name Suppression | 1 |
| Deceased Suppression | 1 |
| Prison Suppression | 1 |
LACS Urbanization |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| LACS Flag | 1 |
| LACS New Address Type | 1 |
| LACS Conversion Effective Date | 6 |
| LACS Record Type Code | 1 |
DSF2 (address level validation) |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| DSF2 Validation Flag | 1 |
| DSF2 Delivery Point Business Indicator | 1 |
| DSF2 Address Vacant Indicator | 1 |
| DSF2 Delivery Point Drop Indicator | 1 |
| DSF2 Delivery Point CMRA Indicator | 1 |
| DSF2 Sequence Control Number | 4 |
| DSF2 Delivery Type Code | 1 |
| DSF2 Locatable Address Conversion Indicator | 1 |
| DSF2 Record Type Code | 1 |
| DSF2 Delivery Point Residence Indicator | 1 |
Duplicate Elimination |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Duplicate Flag | 1 |
| Duplicate ID | 10 |
Phone Number Verification & Append |
|
| Field Name | Length |
| Verified or Appended Phone Number | 10 |
| Match Code | 1 |
| Match Type | 1 |
What if there is a problem with my order?
If there is a problem with your order we will send you an email with particulars. If our data specialists can fix the problem, we will offer to do so for an hourly fee. If cleanlist.com cannot fix the problem, or you don't want to pay to have the problem fixed, then an error-free mailing list can be re-submitted, or the order cancelled.
How secure is my data?
We take the security of your data very seriously. Please see our security page for details.
What do you do to maintain the privacy of my data?
Because we know that the confidentiality of your data is of the utmost importance, we've wwweloped a comprehensive privacy policy.
Browser Issues
What is a cookie?
Cookies are small text files that a site can write to your computer. They are used to make browsing easier by linking together separate web pages into a unified experience. For example, when visiting Amazon.com, you may buy a CD on one page of a site and then several pages later buy a book. Both of these are added to the same shopping cart, thanks to cookies.
Cookies cannot be used to read undisclosed information from you or your computer. A given site can only read a cookie that it has itself written, and thus can never gather information that was not explicitly provided.
Over 99% of people browsing the web use cookies, but there are still persistent claims as to their detrimental effects on privacy. For a perspective on this issue read "Government OKs Net cookies".
If you have further privacy concerns, please read our Privacy Statement.
What browsers work with your site?
We strive to support a full range of compliant-standard web browsers. To create an enhanced web experience, cleanlist.com makes use of stylesheets, JavaScript and cookies. We recommend FireFox.
How do I enable cookies?
Cookies are enabled by default in all web browsers. In case cookie use has been disabled, you can re-enable it by finding the correct setting. Consult your browser's documentation, or use the following as a quick guide:
- FireFox: Tools -- Options -- Privacy -- Cookies
- Netscape 7: Edit -- Preferences -- Privacy & Security -- Cookies section
- Netscape Navigator or Communicator 4: Edit -- Preferences -- Advanced -- Cookies section
- Netscape 3: Options menu -- Network Preferences -- Protocols
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or 6: Tools -- Internet Options -- Security -- Internet -- Custom level -- scroll down to Cookies
- Explorer 4: View -- Internet Options -- Advanced -- scroll down to Security
- Explorer 3: View -- Options -- Advanced
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a safe scripting language that allows the creation of web sites customised for you. It is "safe" because data cannot be arbitrarily read from or written to your computer. cleanlist.com uses JavaScript to provide dynamic forms, navigation elements, etc.
Be sure that Javascript is turned on in your web browser, which it is by default.
My browser doesn't support file uploads. Help!
Email our support team and we can arrange another method of delivery.



