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Re: junk mail

For our American friends: http://donotmail.org/form.php?id=50

For our Canadian friends: http://www.reddotcampaign.ca/

Super helpful, thank you so much! I had no idea about the catalogue service, I am certainly a major victim!

Thanks for this!

what about the recorded calls from telemarketers? I thought they were not allowed now but I am still getting some and I have tried to call back to complain without success and when I tried to remove my number from one that said it could be done---it didnt work!!

Another effective strategy with telemarketer calls that I have practiced for years is simply to hang up on them as soon as it's clear they are telemarketers. Even before the Do Not Call list this helped me have many fewer calls over time, compared to my "polite" friends. I don't think hanging up on an unsolicited sales call is impolite, but apparently some do.

I am so old fashioned also that I have an answering machine on my landline where I can hear who is calling before I pick up. I always pick up personal calls. ALWAYS! I love my friends! But I feel no obligation to pick up a non-personal call at home. Cuts the phone stress to practically nothing, and the telemarketers do give up in time.

Robocalls about re-surfacing bathtubs...these will be with us always, I fear....

An alternative way of dealing w/junk mail:

For those that come w/prepaid return envelopes (as do most), simply rip up the contents of what they've sent, plus the envelope it came in, then stuff it all in the prepaid envelope and mail it right back to the sender, at their cost. I can't help thinking that if everyone did this, the junk mail issuers' postage costs would be so high (with no return in business) that they'd stop the practice of mass mailing.

Returning junk mail to the sender also give the USPS extra business, which they need these days!

Of course, one should always consign junk mail that does NOT come w/prepaid return envelopes to the recycling bin.

Oh - and sometimes there's just a prepaid postcard... pop that in the mail (not filled in, of course) also!

I recently signed up for Catalog Choice - and it works - No more onslaught of catalogs I never wanted or ordered from. Very easy to use!

The catalogs I want.

I've done what mirandabee suggests especially with magazine subscription cards that bug me to no end. They can't just put one in the magazine its up to 3 or 4.

I work in direct marketing and there are ways to get yourself off the list.

If there is a Do Not Call Registry in your country, do take advantage of the service.

When on the phone with a telemarketer, always request that they take you off the list. Also ask where they have gotten your name and phone number.

Generally there are a few list providers that will have your name, international companies like Axciom and Dun & Bradstreet is a good start. Depending on the country you live in, it is in their best interest to honour your request for privacy.

The Direct Marketing Industry overall respects your privacy and work towards sending you relevant ads, but there's always a few bad apples that ruins it for us.

Catalog choice cut down on a lot of the catalogs I receive. Pottery Barn simply refuses to remove me from their list though. It irritates me so much I'm much more likely NOT to purchase from them than if they had simply removed me from their list.

Also, when opting out of catalog lists I've found to that to state environmental concerns and that you will continue to shop online helps. They are much more willing to remove you from the list if they feel they aren't actually losing a customer.

The little subscription cards drive me nuts. They have kept me from subscribing to many a magazine.

I know we all fall prey to the typical bulk mailings and direct marketing crapola -- it's like death and taxes, but, I've gotta say, if you're getting too many catalogs and special offers, it's probably your own darn fault.

My former roommate never thought twice about giving her phone number or address to the retailers, bars, restaurants, or salons she frequented. When creating accounts on websites, she did not uncheck every single opt-in button that appears pre-checked. She also received the most mail of any human being on the planet. Hands down.

Pay attention to your habits and you might find that asking for Ticketmaster updates equates about 10 emails per week from their affiliates, or that signing up for that one Banana Republic offer means that every Gap, Athleta, Piperlime, and Old Navy offer will find its way into your mailbox, too.

Nine years ago I moved and, hearing that the lists are sold, I didn't fill out a permanent change of address with the USPS. I did fill out a temporary change of address and took a bit of care in notifying people and my bank about my new address. It cut way down on the junk mail I've received over the years.

My wife filled out a permanent change of address with the post office and she gets way more garbage than I do.

what about junk e-mail? Is there any way to eliminate that? Not all of them have an opt out or unsubscribe option. Thanks!