Tired of all that junk mail filling up your mailbox? The two simple steps to stop junk mail for good!
How to stop junk mail
Much of our business has shifted from our mailbox to our Inbox, but that hasn’t stopped junk mail from filling up our mailbox. Junk mail doesn’t get opened in my household. Credit card applications, catalogs, and other offers go right to the shred pile. It’s not only a nuisance to go through all that unwanted mail, the offers put you at risk for
Junk mail doesn’t get opened in my household. Credit card applications, catalogs, and other offers go right to the shred pile. It’s not only a nuisance to go through all that unwanted mail, the offers put you at risk for identity theft. Those credit card offers are the most risk. Thieves love to get their hands on credit card offers to steal IDs.
While it’s my choice to use junk mail opt-out programs, junk mail is actually a controversial subject. If we all take these two steps to get rid of it, there will be less mail. The Post Office worries that will mean fewer jobs. Mail Moves America estimates 3.5 million jobs are tied to advertising mail, and a campaign launched to save the junk mail.
The Post Office is finding other revenue sources with the rise in online shopping, but junk mail is still important to some Americans who make their money sending it. I just want to point that out, because I always hear from the critics when I release these two easy steps to get rid of junk mail.
If you’re like me, and think it’s junk that just fills the landfill, here are two easy steps to get rid of junk mail. By the way, there are easy steps you can take to get rid of junk email too.
1. STOP PRE-APPROVED CREDIT OFFERS
Take action
To opt out of junk mail, you have to stop pre-approved credit card offers. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT. You can also opt out online by clicking here.
This will get rid of any pre-approved offer whether it’s for insurance or a credit card. It will reduce your mail and reduce your chance of identity theft. Put these credit applications in the hands of a thief, and your ID can easily be stolen.
How long the stop lasts
When you opt out online, the opt out will last for five years. If you want to permanently opt out, you need to mail in a form that you can find online on the website above. If you opt out, and want to opt back in so you can get competitive credit or insurance offers you can opt back in online.
The catch
You will have to give your social security number because your social is linked to your credit score. Someone asked me a few weeks ago why the service can’t just use your address. While it seems like it would work, addresses change so often it would be hard to guarantee the opt out for several years, and it’s not your address but your social that definitively links you to the pre-approved credit offers.
2. DMA CHOICE MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE
Take action
This one sounds like a mouthful, but it’s a handy tool that will remove your name and address from direct marketing lists like catalogs, magazines, etc. You can enroll online or by mail. The mail option will cost $1. Either way, Direct Marketing Association .
Then, sit back and wait. Within six to eight weeks, you should begin to notice less mail. DMA can take ninety days to take effect.
After three months have passed, begin saving any junk mail that’s slipping through the cracks. If it really bothers you, call that company and request that your name be removed from their mailing list. In not time, you’ll stop junk mail.
Thanks for the good information! I’m trying to reduce the amount of junk mail I receive (for environmental reasons and, well, because it’s annoying), and I was looking for the kind of “opt out” services you mention above.
[…] cut down on unwanted mail, I ran across Jenn Strathman’s blog. I’m indebted to her post on getting rid of junk mail for directing me to the following three […]
Hi Jenn; I understand that “some” junk mail may be necessary and others feel that it’s their job to bury you in it. It seems they not only come on a regular basis, like clock work, but then they start to increase the number of copies you should receive to the point where it becomes abusive! My mother n law wound up being on just about every single health and religious list out there. When she passed away last yr, I was amazed at how much of this was being delivered to our home. I talked to a mail carrier to help me figure out a way to stop this. He gave me the tools, which I can share with you and you can share with others.
#1. Sometimes these companies have an envelope inside with pre-paid postage. I would tear off the mailing label, or page, with mom’s address on it and ask them to please remove her name since she is deceased.
#2. If you don’t find an envelope, they may have an order form with a fax number on it. Fill that out with the person’s name and fax the same information on it to them.
#3. If none of the above are available, ie; no fax #, no postage paid envelope, then call their toll free number and ask to speak to someone regarding the removal of a name from their mailing list.
So far, this is working. The JM is dwindling down. Occassionally my husband or I will get a credit card offer. I take their postage paid envelope and stuff it with their mail back and write NO on it, being sure that our name and address is included. That works really well as well. These companies have to pay for that postage and if they get no business from that, they’ve lost money and they don’t like that and they get the message. I’ve stopped a lot of CC offers that way as well. Everyone needs to do their part. Please feel free to share.
Lee – Thanks for the tips. It reminded me of my story that I did on a sucker list. I’m going to post those tips Tuesday to help others. Thanks.
[…] Reduce your junk mail Sign up for the DMA Mail Preference Service to reduce unwanted catalogues and other direct […]
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