Junk mail

[BK911]

I am usually on the road for at least a week at a time. When I get home my mailbox is always overflowing. I actually had to go buy a bigger mailbox. Most of this mail is junk mail. Besides being a huge waste of paper, I am scared to loose important mail in all the junk. Plus I had to buy a paper shredder because of all the financial junk mail I get.

How do I remove my name from whatever sucker list I am on?

[notfarnow]

Good luck. My wife went on a campaign to eradicate our junkmail a few months ago, calling each company to request a stop to the mail. Thought if she bugged them enough they would remove us from their lists. Got people's names on the phone and called them over & over.

Worst was Sears, she got into a couple heated exchanges with managers, saying they aren't technically "able" to stup delivering once our name & address is in the system.

Now we get TWO Sears flyers a month. I'm afraid Mrs Notfarnow is going to blow a gasket... I try to intercept the cataolgs and throw them out befroe she sees them!

[Moneyguy1]

If there is a stamped return envelope, a piece of 8 gauge sheet metal with the enclosure cut into paper dolls does get their attention. There IS a contact (I cannot remember what it is) that you can register with that will at least reduce the amount of "direct mail advertising" you receive.

THe excuse that they cannot remove you from their list is not true. They require motivation.

[jrdavid68]

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html

[Moneyguy1]

That's the one!! THanks!!

[Don Ro]

Here's another link:

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm

Junk mail and loss of privacy pisses me off to no end.
The selling of personal info is just wrong!!!

When I sell/move I will NOT give the US Post Office a fowarding address - they make that info available.
Edit: LOL, the USPO says they do this as a service to customers...but we all know it's for their own revenue generation.

The exchange of personal consumer info is just one of many examples of unbridled capitalism.
We are just bags of skin...sources of revenue.

My Harbor Freight order was back-ordered for two weeks. I began to get all manner of catalogs prior to recieving my HF order. I called HF.
Q: "Did you folks sell my name/address?"
A: "Yes, but only to 'trusted' companies."
Me: "Kindly remove me from that list."

[Moneyguy1]

As much as they refuse to admit it, blame in part the credit agencies for much of the mail you get as well as your local government for sharing your tax roll information. Get them and your bank to cease and desist giving out your info. Where do you think all these offers for refi come from?

[notfarnow]

Interesting trick: I once subscribed to a magazine using "Captian Jake xxxx" as a designation before my name. That was 4-5 years ago, and I am continuously getting new junkmail to "Captain Jake XXXX"

Very interesting to see how it trickles down from one list to another. Sometimes it tapers off for a year or so, then all of a sudden my name must get passed along and then a whole new batch to "Captain Jake xxxx" starts again.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Interesting trick: I once subscribed to a magazine using "Captian Jake xxxx" as a designation before my name. That was 4-5 years ago, and I am continuously getting new junkmail to "Captain Jake XXXX"

My mother did that once...the results were unbelieveable.
We also get a lot of junk mail - to the point where our legitimate mail and payments will not fit in our box. I run a business, and need my mail, yeah? The worst is Credit card offers. Dozens of them...every week. I'm place our names on the do-not-solicit list for credit card companies at least three times, and they keep coming. I've called the companies, and they keep coming.
And AOL disks...at least one every couple days, and thier packaging gets larger and larger.
We have a large recycling bin that can easily be filled entirely with junk mail every two weeks. Mail overunneth our house, and our paper shredder is dying.

[Don Ro]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
I've been asked many times to sell our list, but I don't do it.

-Wayne

Lots of variables I'd guess...but what kind of money are we talking about when it comes to these lists, Wayne?
Any idea?

[dad911]

My father used to use different middle initials, to track who was giving out his name. Often when I get a SASE, I stuff it with other junk mail and send it back.

Lately I've received a few surveys, with $1 enclosed for my trouble. I keep the buck, and toss the survey.

[Moneyguy1]

How about still getting mail addressed to my deceased mother (died 1994) and a deceased ex-wife (died June 2005)? The lists some of these companys subscribe to are ripping them off. We also get stuff addressed to a family that owned the house in the 80s.

[matt911]

Originally posted by Don Ro
Lots of variables I'd guess...but what kind of money are we talking about when it comes to these lists, Wayne?
Any idea?

About $100 per thousand names, for each one time use.

Credit card mailers pay less.

[widebody911]

I know PCA sold me out; I put "Apt #911" in my address, and sho' nuff, I started getting stuff with that on it.

[Eric-325I]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
I've been asked many times to sell our list, but I don't do it.

-Wayne

Wayne, you and your business are great! Just another reason I frequent Pelican and will all my business here.

Thanks!

Eric

[Don Ro]

Originally posted by matt911
About $100 per thousand names, for each one time use.

Credit card mailers pay less.

Thx.