Do-it-yourself: Stop junk mail, email and phone calls

A free guide to reducing unwanted or intrusive advertising

Junk mail may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but with a little patience there are effective ways to tackle the problem. This guide provides clear, simple and proven reduction techniques. About 20 minutes investment now will clear the junk for between two and five years.

General Techniques

Your name, address, and buying habits are a commodity that is regularly sold & traded on the open market. These days organizations you deal with virtually all sell your name unless you specifically ask them to stop. Here are some general techniques:

 

• Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or fill out a warranty card, write in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address". Most organizations will properly mark your name in the computer.
• Product warranty cards are are often used to collection information on your habits and income, for the sole purpose of targeting direct mail. They are not required in most situations - avoid sending them.
• On the telephone, ask "Please mark my account so that my name is not traded or sold to other companies".
• Your credit card company probably sells your name the most often. Call them and ask them to stop.
• "Contests" where you fill in a little entry blank are almost always fishing expeditions for names. If you fill one out at a football game, for example, expect to get a catalog of football merchandise within a few months. Avoid these if you don't want the mail.
• Select a false middle name or initial for each charity or business you deal with. Keep track of which letter goes with which organization. You can also select a false road designator, "avenue, place, circle, street, highway, parkway, etc.". This step can be very revealing. Some guides recommend changing the spelling of your name, but this can lead to duplicate mailings.

To stop specific types of unwanted paper mail

The amount of paper junk mail sent each year in the USA is staggering -- some 4 million tons, nearly half of which is never opened. Even if you recycle there are still enormous environmental costs in terms of ink, energy to produce deliver and recycle the paper, recycling inefficiencies and loss of virgin forest to create the high quality glossy paper much junk mail uses. There is a lot you can do to reduce the cost to the environment and your own time:

• First class mail: Cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage and write "refused: return to sender". Drop in any mail box, it will be returned to the sender.
• Bulk mail: The post office throws away bulk mail it can't deliver, so returning it does no good. Bulk mail is the hardest to deal with because the USPS actively provides addresses, support and encouragement to mailers. However, if "address correction requested" is written on the label: circle "address correction requested" and treat like first class mail.
• Sexually Oriented Advertising (SOA):The only help you'll get from the Post Office in controlling junk mail is for explicit stuff. Fill out USPS forms 1500 if you wish this type of mail to stop. You define what you find to be explicit -- if that's an automobile parts catalog the post office won't disagree with you.
• 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".
  • Tear off the label, write your instructions on it, and enclose in the postage-paid ordering envelope. Mark envelope "ATTN: customer service". This method is the least effective.
• 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. AFP is a division of Time-Warner.
• Local business & supermarket fliers: All mailings must be identified, by postal regulations. Each lose-leaf bundle of fliers, by postal regulations, must be delivered at the same time as an address card. Locate this address card; the cards usually have an advertisement and a photograph of a missing child. Call directory assistance to get the phone number of the sender, and call to get off the list:
  • ADVO (Mail comes with pictures of missing children). Call 1-860-285-6100 to get off the list. You may have to send a postcard to "ADVO Consumer Assistance, POB 249, Windsor CT 06095-4176".
  • Val-Pak Coupons: click the link and fill out the form - easy, but don't give them your email address.
  • Carol Wright Call 1-800-67-TARGET to get off the list.
  • Your local newspaper & supermarket (look for a phone number on the piece).

  Most senders are professional companies which will handle your request politely. "ADVO Mailbox Values" and "Harte Hanks Potpourri" are the most common of these mailers. Your local supermarket's monthly coupon books may be handled by these companies, so be sure to specify if you want to continue to receive those. Your letter carrier is accustomed to giving each house a bundle, so you may also need to inform him or her of your action separately. The post office is prohibited by law from delivering unaddressed mail, so you should have little trouble convincing the carrier.

• Too much junk to deal with individually: 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". For up to five years, this will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from.

  The Direct Marketing Association estimates that listing with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings. They process 50,000 requests a month and requests are kept active for five years. If you fill out the post office change of address form, the DMA will track the new address (you'll get a few months of mailings to the new address before they catch up to you). It can take up to six months for your request to be fully processed. You can also opt-out online, but they charge $5. The best way is to fill out their online form, then mail them a printout.

To stop mail addressed to former residents, or a former spouse

If you rent you are probably familiar with receiving mail for a dozen or more former residents of your dwelling. Since you probably don't want any of the stuff, you can use two powerful techniques that might not be appropriate for yourself:

 

• Bulk mail for "current resident or ...": Start with sending a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Write "please activate the mail preference service", and include the name, address, and zip code. You must send individual postcards -- the DMA wants to make this all as inconvienent as possible. The DMA will ignore requests that don't appear to be from a single individual.
• First class and some bulk mail: If the former residents neglected to fill out a Post Office change of address card, or it expired, you can fill one out for them. You must fill out one card for each unique last name. Write "Moved, Left No Forwarding Address" as the new address. Sign your own name and write "Form filled in by current resident of the house, [Your Name], agent for the above". You must write "agent for the above". Hand this form directly to your carrier, if possible, as your carrier must approve the form and see that it gets entered into the post service National Change of Address (NCOA) database. This is very effective.

More ideas on dealing with paper junk mail

For more ideas, link to CSPR's "How to Get Less Junk Mail". For very good information about mail/email sent with fraudulent intent (money making schemes, multi-level marketing, fly-by-night operators, stock market "secrets", etc.), link to the National Fraud Information Center.

Expect mail from environmentally sensitive organizations to use recycled paper, preferably "unbleached" grey or tan-colored paper with a high post-consumer content. Glassine windows (the "waxed paper" look), or no windows, are preferred. In areas that accept mixed paper, most junk mail can be recycled. Remove any plastic wrap, stickers, product samples, and those pointless "membership" cards. Due to new technology, plastic window envelopes and staples are ok in many communities.

Even though junk mail can often be recycled, recycling is second best to reducing need ¹. Much junk mail uses virgin paper, often of types with poor recycling value and toxic inks. Recycling itself takes energy and resources and has its own impacts on the environment. Reduction, where possible, is the far better choice.

To stop specific types of unwanted telephone marketing calls

• Federal law prohibits telemarketers from "Initiating an outbound telephone call to a person when that person previously has stated that he or she does not wish to receive an outbound telephone call made by or on behalf of the seller whose goods or services are being offered.". You may simply interrupt the telemarketer and say "Please permanently remove me from your calling list". Remember that they just interrupted you. If the same people call back, they are violating the law. Ask them for their company name, supervisor name and phone number. If you wish to quote Federal law to the telemarketer, you may read it at Federal Trade Commission: Telemarketing Sales Rule.
• General Telemarketing calls: Send a postcard with your complete telephone number, area code, address, and names of people receiving calls to DMA Telephone Preference Service, PO Box 9014, Farmingdale NY 11735-9014.

To stop unwanted electronic mail ("SPAM")

It is very hard to effectively combat junk electronic mail. It costs nothing to send out a few million email messages, so there is no disincentive for people to do so. Most SPAM mailers forge the headers, email return address and sending machine name because they are sick of reading the thousands of inevitable complaints. The offers to remove your name from a list are generally untrue, and often result in your name getting added to yet another list. Many internet providers have policies against SPAM, and will take action. Unfortunately some providers either don't care or are SPAM-friendly. There are ways you can reduce exposure and complain:

• Never never never reply to a SPAM email.
• Complaints: SPAMers like to forge email. They forge email, and send it using innocent computers. The war of forgery has reached a level where the average person can't sort out who or where mail actually came from. If you want to complain, use the services of a system like SpamCop to process the mail.
• Stamp out Get Rich Quick schemes: If you suspect fraud, send a copy of the mail to the National Fraud Information Center. If it relates to selling stocks, send to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Secure your web page: If you include a "mailto" link, as below, expect to get junk mail. Remove the "mailto" and force people to manually enter the email address. State your email address in a way readable only to humans (e.g.. "recycle" at machine "obviously.com").
• Secure your computer: If your PC is running a mail server (such as Sendmail or Exchange) it may be used by spammers. Spammers often hijack innocent machines. Check yourself at ORDB.
• Use care with newsgroup postings: Post to a newgroup these days and you can be sure of getting both target SPAM (sports messages for posting in a sports group) and untargeted email. You can use an obviously false return address on postings: most news programs let you set this to whatever you want. Include your real email address (coded as above) in body of the message.
• Complain to your Senator or Representative: Laws will be needed to regulate the eventual legitimate email advertising industry.

Examples of what marketers know about you

Here is a clip from a mailing list compiler's web page showing address counts for a just a few of many types of information they collect on all Americans. The reputable firms will remove your name based on a request made to the DMA (see above).

Other Links about fraudulent emails and junk web pages

http://ethnika.blogspot.com

http://spoudastes.blogspot.com/

http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/

http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com

http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com/2008/01/dear-wseas-conference-organizers.html

http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/2008/01/

http://www.wseas.us/junk-management-waste-management-new-wseas-conference-in-Crete.htm

http://spoudastes.blogspot.com/2008/01/wseas-students-against-global-warming.html

http://groups.google.com/group/wseas/browse_thread/thread/4bfcbd1215b8de74

http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com/2008/01/dear-wseas-conference-organizers.html

http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com/2008/01/spammers-adding-text-from-books-to.html

http://groups.google.com/group/tellyouropinion

http://www.wseas.org/internetcancer.htm

http://sfaka.blogspot.com

County	Zip	Pet Owners	Diet Conscious	Investors	MailOrder Buyers	Travelers
ALAMEDA	94705	188	119	202	338	206
Sports Goers	Do-It- Yourselfers	Collector	Fundraising Contributor	Computer Owners	SweepStakes Entrants	Grand Parents
198	122	30	308	162	209	396

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¹ The Direct Marketing Association suggests "reusing" your unwanted junk mail, by giving it to schools and libraries. This self- serving suggestion is worth somewhat less than you paid for it.

For tips on recycling junk mail, link to the Internet Consumer Recycling Guide. Please send comments, questions or additions to recycle3 'at' obviously.COM. World wide web address, "http://www.obviously.COM/junkmail/". Updated November 1998. Contents Copyright 1998 Evergreen Industries & NextBus Transit Information Systems. Keywords: consumer recycling, home recycling, about recycling, environmental Keywords: guide & free tips on stopping junk mail, reducing unwanted marketing bulk mail, how to get less mail, how to stop junk mail.