Opt-out of junk mail
Do you ever wonder who can access your personal information and how they might use it? Are you annoyed by the piles of junk mail that you are bombarded with every other day? If you're ready to take back your privacy and stop those too good to be true, have to have it now and no more solicitations, follow these simple steps.
Instructions
1. Avoid filling out those needless product registrations and sweepstakes or contest entries. You aren't likely to win anything, but you are giving away personal information that can be sold or even rented to marketing companies and anyone else willing to pay. If you are the kind and generous type who donates to charities on the phone or through the mail, if you're filling out warranty information or purchasing any product or service be sure to tell the representative or write in big, bold letters "Do not sell my name, address or phone number." When calling customer service lines for your cable, satellite, phone service or credit card, be sure to tell the customer service agent that you would like to opt-out of any marketing-based calling and mailing lists.
2. Sometimes dealing with the post office can be a little tricky. If you're getting junk mail for "current resident," simply cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage stamp and write "Refused: Return To Sender" and place in the nearest USPS mail box. If the mailings persist, the post office does offer one system for blocking unwanted mail. To do this you will need to either go to your post office or go to usps.com/forms and get PS Form 1500: Application for Listing and/or Prohibitory Order. This form allows you to stop "unwanted sexually explicit mailings" from being delivered to your address. Granted, credit card offers and unwanted magazines are not necessarily "sexually explicit," but the post office will not argue with you. Just be sure to fill out the correct form legibly and submit it to the proper address or location.
3. Send a letter to Direct Marketing Association. 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 its mail preference service will stop 75 percent of all national mailings. It processes 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. It can take up to six months for your request to be fully processed. You can also opt-out online, but the charge is $5. The best way is to fill out their online form, then mail a printout.
