Patchwork Life - Stop the Junk Mail Madness

Dec. 7, 2007 - Stop the Junk Mail Madness

Stop the Junk Mail Madness

I am disgusted with junk mail. On an average day, our household is now getting half a dozen new credit card offers, three or four unsolicited catalogs, local coupons, coupon packs, and a dozen or more bulk mail items. It is so much that I have taken to stacking it in a box and going through it weekly when it is about a foot deep.

Well, not any more. I’m on a mission to stop my junk mail and I’ll be glad to share tips with you as I wade through this process. There is no magic junk mail bullet, but if you are willing to stick to it, you could see a substantial improvement over the next 60 to 90 days. Think of all the pounds of paper and glossy catalogs that will never fill up your trash can or recycling bin again!

Credit Card Offers: Call 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day. You’ll need name, address, and social security number. You can also do this for your spouse and your older children at the same time, but you have to provide social security numbers for each person individually. One call covers all of the credit reporting agencies that sell your information.

Catalogs: Call the 800 number and tell them to remove you from their mailing list OR send them a postcard.

Convenience Checks & Other Offers from your Credit Card Company: Call the 800 number on your credit card and tell them: Do not provide my information to any other companies, do not send convenience checks, and do not send any additional offers. A typical credit card company may have as many as five things for you to “opt out of.” Be very clear and insist that they stop every single one.

Junk mail, in general: Start by sending a postcard or letter to:

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

PO Box 643

Carmel, NY 15012-0643

Include your complete name, address, zip code and a request to "activate the preference service". This will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from, for up to five years.

Junk mail, specifically: Instead of just tossing the item, try this tactic: Jot the company address on a postcard (or type up labels in Word), and send them a postcard requesting: “Permanently remove our family from your mailing list, and do not sell our name and address to other companies.” Then toss the item.

Valpak Coupons: Click on this link to get off their mailing list. You’ll need the address label handy. http://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm

Direct Marketing Company that sells your info: Advo / Mailbox Values: Send a postcard to the following address. Note that you’ll need to provide all alternate spellings of your name to be thorough. Send a different postcard for each family member though.

LIST SERVICE DEPARTMENT

ADVO / MAILBOX VALUES

239 W SERVICE ROAD

HARTFORD CT 06120-1205

Please remove my name(s) from your mailing lists.

I prefer not to receive direct marketing offers.

Name___________________________________________

Alternative Names_________________________________

________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________

City _______________________ State______ Zip _______

Telemarketing Calls: Register all of your phone numbers on www.donotcall.gov. This will stop most calls, but not all of them. Because of limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors are still permitted, as are calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship. When political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, and companies you have done business with call, do not hang up! Instead, interrupt the caller, and ask to be removed from their contact list. They have to comply.

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