Total Recall

I've got the day off so I took my vehicle into the dealership for some required maintenance. They tell me that there is a recall notice for the lower ball joint in the front suspension. The recall went into effect in January of this year. I'm just wondering why they don't send something in the mail to inform you of the recall. What if I had decided against taking my vehicle into the dealer? What if I just took it to Jiffylube for an oil change? This goes for just about anything you buy and have to register it. I know it's just a marketing ploy but if the manufacturer has your information why not use it for recall notices? Of course the dealer has to order the parts so I've got to come back at a later date to fix the problem. It figures.