Every time you request a credit card, donate money, enter a contest, order products, or fill out warranty cards, junk mail will come your way. Your name, address, and buying habits are always being sold to companies who want something from you. There are some things you can do to help stop the flow of junk mail to your home.
-Call your credit card companies and tell them not to sell your name or address.
-Write “DO NOT SELL MY NAME OR ADDRESS” in bold letters whenever you are ordering products or filling out warranty or contest cards. Warranty cards are usually not required for warranty fulfillment. It’s mostly used for marketing purposes.
-When opening an account via telephone, insist that your name and address not be sold to other companies.
-Have your name and address removed from a number of mailing lists by sending a postcard or letter to Direct Marketing Association requesting that your name and address be registered with the mail preference service. Ask that your name be removed from mailing lists. Include all spelling combinations of your first, middle and last name. Send a card for each junk mail recipient at your address. The DMA estimates that listing your name with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings for up to five years.
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 9008
Farmingdale, New York 11735‑9008
You can increase the odds in your favor by sending cards to each of the following direct marketing services, too:
Director of List Maintenance
Advo Inc.
239 West Service Road
Hartford, CT 06120‑1280
List Maintenance
Harte Hanks Direct Marketing
100 Alco Place
Baltimore, MD 21227‑2090
Money Mailer
14271 Corporate Drive
Garden Grove, CA 92643‑4994
Metro Mail Corporation
901 Bond Street
Lincoln, NE 68521‑3694
Donnelly Marketing
1235 North Avenue
Nevade, IA 50201‑1419
Customer Service
Carol Wrights Gifts
PO Box 8502
Lincoln, NE 68544‑8502
Compilation Department
Database America
100 Paragon Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645‑0419
List Order Services
National Demographics/ Lifestyle
1621 18th Street ‑ Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202‑1294
List Services Division
R.L. Polk and Company
26955 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, MI 48034
Targeting Specific Types of Paper Mail
First Class Mail:
Cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage and write "REFUSED, RETURN TO SENDER" on the mail. Drop in any mailbox.
Bulk Mail:
Circle "address correction requested" and write "REFUSED, RETURN TO SENDER" on the mail.
Sexually Oriented Advertising:
Fill out USPS forms 2150 or 2201.
Credit Offers:
Three major credit bureaus, Equifax Inc., Experian and Trans Union Corporation, can be contacted to request that your name and address not be sold or traded. Call 1‑(888) 567‑8688.
Catalogs:
Call the catalog's toll free number and have the label handy. Or you can write "Please remove my name and address from your mailing list" and fax it to the company. Mark the fax page, "Attn: Customer Service."
America Online Discs:
Call 1‑(800) 645‑9242.
Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes:
Call 1‑(800) 647‑9242.
American Family Sweepstakes:
Call 1‑(800) 237‑2400.
Stopping Unwanted Telephone Marketing 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
You have the right to interrupt unwanted telemarketing calls by saying, "Please permanently remove me from your calling list." If they persist in calling, you may call the National Fraud Information Center at 1‑(800) 876‑7060 to report the caller.
