Do-it-yourself: Stop junk mail, email and phone calls
A free guide to reducing unwanted or intrusive advertising =
![3D""](3D"http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/mail.jpg") Junk=20
mail may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but with a little =
patience=20
there are effective ways to tackle the problem. This guide =
provides clear,=20
simple and proven reduction techniques. About 20 minutes =
investment now=20
will clear the junk for between two and five years.
General Techniques
Your name, address, and buying habits are a commodity that is =
regularly=20
sold & traded on the open market. These days organizations you =
deal=20
with virtually all sell your name unless you specifically ask them =
to=20
stop. Here are some general techniques:
- Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or =
fill out a=20
warranty card, write in large letters, "Please do not sell my =
name or=20
address". Most organizations will properly mark your name in =
the=20
computer.=20
- Product warranty cards are are often used to collection =
information=20
on your habits and income, for the sole purpose of targeting =
direct=20
mail. They are not required in most situations - avoid sending =
them.=20
- On the telephone, ask "Please mark my account so that my =
name is=20
not traded or sold to other companies".=20
- Your credit card company probably sells your name the most =
often --=20
keep reading for techniques to stop it.=20
- "Contests" where you fill in a little entry blank are almost =
always=20
fishing expeditions for names. If you fill one out at a football =
game,=20
for example, expect to get a catalog of football merchandise =
within a=20
few months. Avoid these if you don't want the mail.=20
- Select a false middle name or initial for each =
charity or=20
business you deal with. Keep track of which letter goes with =
which=20
organization. You can also select a false road designator, =
"avenue,=20
place, circle, street, highway, parkway, etc.". This step can be =
very=20
revealing. Some guides recommend changing the spelling of your =
name, but=20
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=20
-- some 4 million tons, nearly half of which is never opened. Even =
if you=20
recycle there are still enormous environmental costs in terms of =
ink,=20
energy to produce deliver and recycle the paper, recycling =
inefficiencies=20
and loss of productive forest to create the high quality glossy =
paper much=20
junk mail uses. The industry tries to "greenwash" themselves, but you probably won't =
be fooled.=20
Badly targetted junk mail helps nobody, but the industry likes to =
keep=20
pumping it out.=20
There is a lot you can do to reduce the cost to the environment =
and=20
your own time:
- First class mail: Cross out the address and bar code, =
circle=20
the first class postage and write "refused: return to sender". =
Drop in=20
any mail box, it will be returned to the sender.=20
- Bulk mail: The post office throws away bulk mail it =
can't=20
deliver, so returning it does no good. Bulk mail is the =
hardest=20
to deal with because the USPS actively provides addresses, =
support and=20
encouragement to mailers. However, if "address correction =
requested" is=20
written on the label: circle "address correction requested" and =
treat=20
like first class mail.=20
- Sexually Oriented Advertising (SOA):The only help =
you'll get=20
from the Post Office in controlling junk mail is for explicit =
stuff.=20
Fill out USPS forms 1500 if you wish this type of =
mail to stop.=20
You define what you find to be explicit -- if that's an =
automobile parts=20
catalog the post office won't disagree with you.=20
- Credit offers: The major credit agencies all sell =
aggregate=20
credit information any bidder. Direct mail and credit companies =
generate=20
mail based on demographics including zip code, income band and =
credit=20
payment patterns. Stopping this is easy, you just need your =
address,=20
former address within two years, and social security number. One =
call=20
does it all for agencies Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and =
Innovis.=20
Dial 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 =
hours a=20
day.=20
- Catalogs:=20
- Call the company's 800 number and have the label handy.=20
- Write your instructions on the mailing label and fax it to =
the=20
company. Mark "ATTN: customer service".=20
- Tear off the label, write your instructions on it, and =
enclose in=20
the postage-paid ordering envelope. Mark envelope "ATTN: =
customer=20
service". This method is the least effective.
- AOL (America On-Line): You could pave the nation with =
the=20
free discs these people send out, call =
1-800-605-4297=20
(24 hours a day) to get off the list. Tell them your first name =
is=20
"current", last name "resident".=20
- Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes: You can get =
the=20
Clearinghouse to stop clogging your mailbox by contacting =
customer=20
service at 1-800-645-9242 (8:30 am to 8:30 =
EST),=20
sending a fax to 1-800-453-0272, mailing to =
101=20
Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050, or you can send =
email to=20
pch@ant.net. =
PCH will=20
remove any number of names from a specific address, but you have =
to list=20
each name exactly and insist nicely.=20
- American Family Sweepstakes: Ed McMahon and Dick =
Clark will=20
stop telling you "You have definitely won 11 million dollars =
(maybe) " if you call them at=20
1-800-237-2400. AFP is a division of =
Time-Warner.=20
- Local business & supermarket fliers: All mailings =
must be=20
identified, by postal regulations. Each lose-leaf bundle of =
fliers, by=20
postal regulations, must be delivered at the same time as an =
address=20
card. Locate this address card; the cards usually have an =
advertisement=20
and a photograph of a missing child. You may need to call =
directory=20
assistance to get the phone number of the sender. Specific =
senders are:=20
- ADVO (Mail comes with =
pictures=20
of missing children). Call 1-860-285-6100 to get off =
the list.=20
You may have to send a postcard to "ADVO Consumer Assistance, =
POB 249,=20
Windsor CT 06095-4176".=20
- Val-Pak=20
Coupons: click the link and copy your mailing label.=20
- Carol Wright =
Call=20
1-800-67-TARGET to get off the list.
Most senders are professional companies which will handle =
your=20
request politely. "ADVO Mailbox Values" and "Harte Hanks =
Potpourri" are=20
the most common of these mailers. Your local supermarket's =
monthly=20
coupon books may be handled by these companies, so be sure to =
specify if=20
you want to continue to receive those. Your letter carrier is =
accustomed=20
to giving each house a bundle, so you may also need to inform =
him or her=20
of your action separately. The post office is prohibited by law =
from=20
delivering unaddressed mail, so you should have little trouble=20
convincing the carrier.
- Too much junk to deal with individually: Start by =
sending a=20
postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct =
Marketing=20
Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Include your =
complete name, address, zip code and a request to "activate the=20
preference service". For up to five years, this will stop mail =
from all=20
member organizations that you have not specifically ordered =
products=20
from.=20
The Direct Marketing=20
Association estimates that listing with their mail =
preference=20
service will stop 75% of all national mailings. They process =
50,000=20
requests a month and requests are kept active for five years. If =
you=20
fill out the post office change of address form, the DMA will =
track the=20
new address (you'll get a few months of mailings to the new =
address=20
before they catch up to you). It can take up to six months for =
your=20
request to be fully processed. You can also opt-out online, but =
they=20
charge $5. The best way is to fill out their online form, then =
mail them=20
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=20
or more former residents of your dwelling. Since you probably =
don't want=20
any of the stuff, you can use two powerful techniques that might =
not be=20
appropriate for yourself:
- Bulk mail for "current resident or ...": Start with =
sending a=20
postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct =
Marketing=20
Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Write =
"please=20
activate the mail preference service", and include the name, =
address,=20
and zip code. You must send individual postcards -- the DMA =
wants to=20
make this all as inconvienent as possible. The DMA will ignore =
requests=20
that don't appear to be from a single individual.=20
- First class and some bulk mail: If the former =
residents=20
neglected to fill out a Post Office change of address card, or =
it=20
expired, you can fill one out for them. You must fill out one =
card for=20
each unique last name. Write "Moved, Left No Forwarding Address" =
as the=20
new address. Sign your own name and write "Form filled in by =
current=20
resident of the house, [Your Name], agent for the above". You =
must write=20
"agent for the above". Hand this form directly to your carrier, =
if=20
possible, as your carrier must approve the form and see that it =
gets=20
entered into the post service National Change of Address (NCOA)=20
database. This is very effective.
More ideas on dealing with paper junk mail
For more ideas, link to CSPR's "How=20
to Get Less Junk Mail". For very good information about =
mail/email=20
sent with fraudulent intent (money making schemes, multi-level =
marketing,=20
fly-by-night operators, stock market "secrets", etc.), link to the =
National Fraud =
Information=20
Center.
Expect mail from environmentally sensitive organizations to use =
recycled paper, preferably "unbleached" grey or tan-colored paper =
with a=20
high post-consumer content. Glassine windows (the "waxed paper" =
look), or=20
no windows, are preferred. In areas that accept mixed paper, most =
junk=20
mail can be recycled. Remove any plastic wrap, stickers, product =
samples,=20
and those pointless "membership" cards. Due to new technology, =
plastic=20
window envelopes and staples are ok in many communities.
Even though junk mail can often be recycled, recycling is =
second best=20
to reducing need 1. Much junk mail uses virgin paper, =
often of=20
types with poor recycling value and toxic inks. Recycling itself =
takes=20
energy and resources and has its own impacts on the environment.=20
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=20
person previously has stated that he or she does not wish to =
receive an=20
outbound telephone call made by or on behalf of the seller whose =
goods=20
or services are being offered.". You may simply =
interrupt=20
the telemarketer and say "Please permanently remove me from =
your=20
calling list". Remember that they just interrupted you. If =
the same=20
people call back, they are violating the law. Ask them for their =
company=20
name, supervisor name and phone number. If you wish to quote =
Federal law=20
to the telemarketer, you may read it at Federal=20
Trade Commission: Telemarketing Sales Rule.=20
- General Telemarketing calls: Send a postcard with your =
complete=20
telephone number, area code, address, and names of people =
receiving=20
calls to DMA Telephone Preference Service, PO Box 9014, =
Farmingdale=20
NY 11735-9014.
To stop unwanted electronic mail ("SPAM")
It is very hard to effectively combat junk electronic mail. It =
costs=20
nothing to send out a few million email messages, so there is no=20
disincentive for people to do so. Most SPAM mailers forge the headers, email return =
address and=20
sending machine name because they are sick of reading the =
thousands of=20
inevitable complaints. The offers to remove your name from a =
list are=20
generally untrue, and often result in your name getting added to =
yet=20
another list. Many internet providers have policies against =
SPAM, and=20
will take action. Unfortunately some providers either don't care =
or are=20
SPAM-friendly. There are ways you can reduce exposure and =
complain:
- Never never never reply to a SPAM email.=20
- Complaints: SPAMers like to forge email. They forge email, =
and send=20
it using innocent computers. The war of forgery has reached a =
level=20
where the average person can't sort out who or where mail =
actually came=20
from. If you want to complain, use the services of a system like =
SpamCop to process the mail.=20
- Stamp out Get Rich Quick schemes: If you suspect fraud, send =
a copy=20
of the mail to the National Fraud Information Center. If it =
relates to=20
selling stocks, send to the Securities=20
and Exchange Commission.=20
- Big companies, like eBay, react aggressively to phishing =
spam. Just=20
forward it to "abuse@" the company name.=20
- Secure your web page: If you include a "mailto" link, as =
below,=20
expect to get junk mail. Remove the "mailto" and force people to =
manually enter the email address. State your email address in a =
way=20
readable only to humans (e.g.. "recycle" at machine =
"obviously.com").=20
- Secure your computer: If your PC is running a mail server =
(such as=20
Sendmail or Exchange) it may be used by spammers. Spammers often =
hijack=20
innocent machines. Check yourself at ORDB.=20
- Use care with newsgroup postings: Post to a newgroup these =
days and=20
you can be sure of getting both target SPAM (sports messages for =
posting=20
in a sports group) and untargeted email. You can use an =
obviously false=20
return address on postings: most news programs let you set this =
to=20
whatever you want. Include your real email address (coded as =
above) in=20
body of the message.=20
- Complain to your Senator or Representative: Laws will be needed to =
regulate the=20
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=20
counts for a just a few of many types of information they collect =
on all=20
Americans. The reputable firms will remove your name based on a =
request=20
made to the DMA (see above). |
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