Decluttering Junk Mail

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Started 10 months ago by Parsifal
Latest reply from Astreja
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Parsifal
Member

Any tips on stopping the ceaseless flow of dead tree advertisements to my mailbox? I try to avoid giving out my address whenever possible and I always opt out of ads, but I still get junk mail from certain companies (Citibank, AT&T) that I do business with. I can't see any alternative other than switching to other services that will probably do the same thing.

Yesterday Citibank set a new record: they sent me an ad for the card they just revoked, and another ad for the card they replaced it with, which I already have! On the same day, no less.

Posted 10 months ago #
Mimi
Member

have you tried to contact these companies? i have done that, saying "i don´t want to recieve any paper from you again" in more polite words but very clear. it works :)

Posted 10 months ago #
Lori Paximadis
Member

There really isn't a lot you can do with companies you do business with, other than contacting them to request to be removed from their marketing lists and hoping that someone there gives a carp. As you've noted, almost all companies do this kind of thing, to one degree or another. And many companies don't have the system set up to opt customers out. But I take the time once every couple of months to make the request, hoping that one of these days they'll get the message.

That said, going with local companies where possible instead of national behemoths with marketing armies can help. My local bank doesn't send out this carp, and the bonus is I get a better rate and service than with any of the nationals.

Posted 10 months ago #
Irulan
Member

I don't know how much dropping Citi will help. If you live in the U.S., then I believe companies that you did business with previously can still contact you. Do you have access to the privacy policy from these companies? There should be opt-out phone numbers for any of the "optional" marketing areas (e.g., 3rd party advertising). The people at those numbers are more helpful about general opt-outs than regular customer service.

Posted 10 months ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

If you live in the US, you can opt out of getting credit card offers in the mail.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5620221_stop-credit-card-solicitation.html

Edited to add the FTC link for more information

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt063.shtm

Posted 10 months ago #
Irulan
Member

Opt-out prescreen only works for companies that have never had a business relationship with you. It does work well for those preapproved offers that are identity-theft magnets.

Posted 10 months ago #
Ella
Member

Here's an excellent resource:

http://www.ecocycle.org/junkmail/index.cfm

Posted 10 months ago #
chacha1
Member

Catalog Choice is great for getting rid of catalog junk mail.

Posted 10 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

This problem will depend on where you live, as the rules are different. If you have a government based "Do Not Write" and "Do Not Call" register, sign up. In Australia, they will fine companies that send unsolicited mail. If the company has the option to unsubscribe in the fine print at the end, contact them and do so. If not, ring them and ask them to stop.

If they continue, send the letter back, with a couple of newspapers (or more!!!) for extra bulk in a parcel marked "Postage COD' or using the freepost address on the return envelope. I have never had to go this far, but it is my evil plan if I am pushed by companies that flout my wishes! Don't mess with the Tiger!!

Posted 10 months ago #
fredsmith
Member

Yes, you can reduce junk mail. I'm in the middle of doing this for myself. I'm using the kit from http://www.stopjunkmail.org/ Besides some of the things mentioned above and more, it has sample letters you can use to send to businesses telling them to stop sending you junk mail.

I did this for my elderly dad a few years ago (75 pieces a month!) and it worked quite well.

What I did was save a month's worth of junk mail first so I knew what I was dealing with, then I tackled it en masse.

I only have 35 pieces a month to deal with - about half of them are credit card offers. Apparently if you're on the credit card opt-in list, you'll get credit card offers whether you've had a card with that company or not.

Posted 10 months ago #
snosie
Member

Great idea jackthetiger - I too ring companies here is Oz (even those I do business with) and tersely tell them not to send me any marketing ONLY the invoice/bill etc

Posted 10 months ago #
Parsifal
Member

I'll give those suggestions a try. I always try to opt out of any kind of mail - especially since my credit union charged me $5 for sending me a book of coupons that got returned in the mail - but I've actually had phone reps argue with me when I told them 'I do not want to get any more mail from your company ever again since I pay all my bills online'.

Posted 10 months ago #
Mimi
Member

parsifal, you are the customer, they have to serve you. these people on the phone are trained to argue with you, trained for every argument that you could say. if you discuss, they will win. so just don´t discuss. my suggestion are clear words like: i don´t want to discuss with you. i just don´t want you to send me any papers. and then wait. if they argue, repeat: i don´t want any more mails. etc. don´t answer to their questions. just repeat your wish. maybe you can add: is this possible or not? if they talk a lot: repeat: is it possible or not: YES or NO?
be brave ;) it´s worth it.

Posted 10 months ago #
Emilie
Member

I get, max, one piece of mail a month. But I've been trying to help my mom with this, because she gets maybe 20 pieces of mail A DAY, mostly junk. A lot of these are medical journals that she doesn't want, but doesn't know how to opt out of. It seems like most of the junk mail-cessation advice involves getting on the Direct Mail Association's "do not mail" list, but I did this for her a few months ago, and have seen no difference in overall catalog volume--maybe the individual catalogs change, but new ones are always appearing to replace the old ones. It's hard to know what to make of the situation because while she expresses extreme overwhelm at the amount of mail she gets, and is happy to have me help her, she doesn't want (or doesn't feel able) to take any steps herself to reduce her amount of mail. Maybe I should just mind my own business, although our dining room is kind of drowning in mail all the time. Sorry, totally off-topic!

Posted 10 months ago #
themusiclivez
Member

I get frustrated by the junk mail as well. We are bombarded in so many different ways and I feel that unsolicited mail is an invasion of privacy. (I know by law it's not, but that's how I feel). At work we get tons of catalogues - sometimes three of the same ones with a different employee's name on it. I put the catalogues aside and when I have a spare moment I call the company and ask to be taken off of the mailing list.

Posted 10 months ago #
Ella
Member

I used to work for a small nonprofit arts organization. We did frequent mailings for fundraising, with a postage-paid envelope inside. Most respondents were friendly supporters of the organization, but a few people seemed to be acting out their
pent-up hostility toward junk mail. We got some horribly vicious responses in those postage-paid envelopes, including several filled with our letters reduced to confetti. One thicker envelope contained a dead mouse that had been flattened through the postal meter! While I'm not recommending such a measure, it was certainly effective. We removed that person immediately from our mailing list.

Posted 10 months ago #
themusiclivez
Member

@Ella - That is horrible! I like the idea of returning the mail in the postage-paid envelope but I can't believe someone put a dead mouse in there. So gross!

Also, I would never do that to a non-profit organization. My frustration falls on the excessive Geico, Allstate, and State Farm solicitations I receive. Even though I hate to admit it I'm an insurance agent myself (hoping to change careers) and seeing those things when I get home just annoys me!

Posted 10 months ago #
Parsifal
Member

Wow... my situation isn't that bad. For me, Citibank is the worst offender followed closely by AT&T. One sends me adverts for services they won't actually sell me, the other for services I already have!

In my experience the only thing that really cuts down on junk mail and sales calls is time. It used to be the case that after 3-6 months of consciously ignoring the phone, calls would drop off to perhaps one a week. Now that robo-callers are a lot more popular, the flood just never seems to stop.

I'll see if getting on the latest do-not-mail list will have any impact, but I'll have moved by the time it does and the cycle will start all over again.

One last tip - I urge everyone to avoid those online 'search' services for insurance, movers, cleaners and so on. All these sites do is put you on every mailing and calling list in the world. Just use your search engine of choice to find potential businesses yourself. The last time I applied for insurance online the first call came in 5 minutes later (really) and the calls didn't stop for six months!

Posted 10 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

Ella, That is really horrible for the people opening the letters, and for the posties and sorters who handled it. I am very firm with junk mailers, but never offensive. I also try to find out which listing service was used to gain my details. They can be contacted and told that you will report them unless they remove you from the list.

Posted 10 months ago #
Ella
Member

Jack, tell me about it! After the screaming subsided, we let the poor girl who opened that envelope have the rest of the day off. It's a good reminder that no matter how large or small the junkmailing company, there's an actual person (probably some hapless, low-wage worker) who has to handle our requests for removal. So be kind.

Posted 10 months ago #

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