Monday, October 09, 2006

Junk mail solutions

When I got back from my travels, my mailbox was stuffed with more junk than it could handle. But today, today I find there are solutions. MrsGreenThumb has compiled a comprehensive strategy on how to get off the lists. Here is a sample:

Credit offers: The major credit agencies all sell aggregate credit information any bidder. Direct mail and credit companies generate mail based on demographics including zip code, income band and credit payment patterns. Stopping this is easy, you just need your address, former address within two years, and social security number. One call does it all for agencies Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and Innovis. Dial 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day.

Catalogs:Call the company's 800 number and have the label handy.Write your instructions on the mailing label and fax it to the company. Mark "ATTN: customer service".

AOL (America On-Line): You could pave the nation with the free discs these people send out, call 1-800-605-4297 (24 hours a day) to get off the list. Tell them your first name is "current", last name "resident".

Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes: You can get the Clearinghouse to stop clogging your mailbox by contacting customer service at 1-800-645-9242 (8:30 am to 8:30 EST), sending a fax to 1-800-453-0272, mailing to 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050, or you can send email to pch@ant.net. PCH will remove any number of names from a specific address, but you have to list each name exactly and insist nicely.

American Family Sweepstakes: Ed McMahon and Dick Clark will stop telling you "You have definitely won 11 million dollars (maybe) " if you call them at 1-800-237-2400.

But visit her blog for the complete "how to" of opting out. It is brilliant, and I am forever grateful.

4 comments:

robin andrea said...

Great info. I was just wondering the other day how I could get Capitol One to stop sending me junk mail EVERYDAY of the week. These people are insane.

DivaJood said...

Robin Andrea, I can't figure out how to get the text messages on my cell phone to stop. Ugh.

Anonymous said...

Well the above suggestions might be 'good' but they certainly might not be effective or followed thru upon by the offender.

Mailing list proliferation has gotten so widespread over time that even tho you opt-out and very specifically opt-out, as in NO mail from 'partners' or associates or any other tentacles of the company, you still get junk mail.

You can specifically determine the trail by using tags to identify the origin. For
example....subscribe to a magazine using a tag on the adress line of "Department PE' for People magazine,and opt-out with Peoples' subscription department. Then when you get a piece of junk mail from the Widget Co. with the tag of Department PE, you then know that People gave your name to Widget.

This at least lets you know the trail....but all you can do is rail at these companies for desecration, malfeasance in office or highway robbery in violation of your opt-out request.

"Opt out with credit bureaus"....has it come to this? And with your health insurer, home mortgage lender and your bank?

Your kidding of course...you say. All of these above are on the 'mailing list bandwagon"

DivaJood said...

Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for the extra suggestion - I would certainly like to rail at all these companies, because I am sick of junk. Oh, well.