VERY OT TIRED OF ALL THE APPLY FOR THIS CARD JUNK MAIL????????????????

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I know that I am. If everyone was to mail back all the applications(unsigned of course) they send out, in the prepaid reply envelopes they would be paying postage both ways. It might be an incentive for them to stop. What do you think?

-- David Whitelaw (Dande53484@aol.com), February 25, 2000

Answers

Been there, tried that, didnt work....

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), February 25, 2000.

Sounds like a plan, however, I would remove all the personal information going back in the envelope. If they felt it was widespread discontent over these junk mailings maybe then it wouldn't just be a few people they would remove from their junk mail rolls, but rethink their advertising campaign.

-- Sammie (sammie0x@yahoo.com), February 25, 2000.

Since they pay by the ounce rather than the envelope, I like to send mine back stuffed with all the other junk mail I received that day. I consider this tactic to be my stab at recycling.

-- Bugeye (new@lurker.com), February 25, 2000.

David,

This bugs me too. Make sure to shred the letters. A good shredder is essential. Then, you can contact the 800# (somewhere in small print) for the credit bureaus to have your name removed from the lists permanently. Apparently they sell lists (without our permission!) from what I was told. Lots of double talk...very annoying. They are legally not permitted to sell complete credit info, but they apparently get a "preferred" list and this is a grey area as far as I am concerned. If you don't request this, they will keep sending the information. I even sent letters back "refused" and that still didn't work.

I talked to the FTC, and they gave me some good information. I also contacted some of the companies and told them I did not want any more unsolicted mail or I would report them to their insurers. That worked pronto. It costs me a long distance call because the 800# on the letters are usually just an automated phone system, so you have to get the corporate #. The more people who report this to FTC, the better chance of getting something done.

Hope this helps.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 25, 2000.


slip a brick into the envelope before mailing...

-- worker bee (im@work.now), February 25, 2000.


The post office has an address you can mail to (some national clearing house) to request removal of your address. I did it a month or so ago but so far I haven't notice a difference. I get a circular from KMart weekly and I can't stop it.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), February 25, 2000.

Guy,

I did that also. I was told it could take as long as 90 days...but I'm still getting lots of junk mail...must have shredded 6 or more today. Seems like a waste of paper and postage to me.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 25, 2000.


David. You have to contact the credit reporting agencies and opt out.

This is where the new credit card offers are coming from.

They all have processes to stop credit card companies from getting your information to send you offers.

The big 3 will do. They have websites. Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.

-- Ivan (workin@ntherailroadallthelivelong.day), February 25, 2000.


Ivan I did that over a year ago so I figure the only way to get their attention now is to hit them in the pocketbook.

-- David Whitelaw (Dande53484@aol.com), February 25, 2000.

Ivan,

You are right. That's what I was told also. So, I did the opt out deal, and then followed up with the companies who sent the mail. My point to them was--why in the heck should we be put to all the inconvenience of having to "opt out" of something that we never agreed to "opt in"???? It reminds me of how the DMVs in some states sell names and now you have to "opt out" if you don't want your name sold. Mama mia! LOL

"But what's in a name...?" Must be $$$$

I look at it like this...if somebody is going to sell *my* name...I better get a percentage of the profits! LOL

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 25, 2000.



I send their junk back in their envelope and then add other junk mail that has no envelope so they get other offers too.

-- hd5574 (hd5574@aol.com), February 25, 2000.

I bought a nice home-office crosscut shredder JUST for the purpose of pureeing the apply-now crap I get. I have to empty its wastebasket about once a month.

If you buy a shredder, get a crosscut or confetti-cut model as 1/4" strips aren't quite as destroyed as you'd think. A decent crosscut model starts in the $50-ish area, with the better office-grade jobs going for a couple C-notes. ANYTHING that contains personal data that you want to discard should be mulched in some manner before going into the trash.

O d d O n e

-- OddOne (mocklamer_1999@yahoo.com), February 25, 2000.


Very good advice Odd One. I concur.

I have discovered, however, that the shredded pile of unwanted "Amazing Offer" letters comes in handy when we run out of cat litter around here. LOL

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 25, 2000.


Dee, try this site:

http://www.junkbu sters.com/ht/en/declare.html

-- Chris (#$%^%@pond.com), February 25, 2000.


everyone,

use chris' suggestion (www.junkbusters.com) if you want to cut down on your personal information that companies sell. I used to work for a company called Acxiom which is one the worst. For example they are very proud of having over 20 million UNLISTED phone numbers to be able to sell. Doesn't that piss you off!!! send the credit bureaus and all the Acxiom's of the world your declaration that you can create at junkbusters.com. Junkbusters.com has a listing of all the companies you should send this declaration to.

also the dma (direct marketing association) is a good place to get put on a telephone and junk mail suppression lists. suppression being the keyword here.

http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/privacy.html

be proactive in protecting your privacy..

good luck

michael

-- michael (michael813@yahoo.com), February 25, 2000.



Thank you very much Chris and Michael!

Yes...proactive...I like that. I think a LOT of people are burned out from all of this privacy invasion. And another good thread would be automated phone systems and how they can drive you bananas when you are trying to correct an error that a company has made. Oh my...the stories we could tell.... LOL 8-)

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 25, 2000.


I too am a former employee of one of the aforementioned companies that gather data used in mass marketing -- aka junk mail. The amount of information that these companies has on every man, woman and child in the US is frightening. Demographic information, financial and income data, social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses, personal property holdings, right down to the number of times a day you make a trip to the bathroom. I went out to the website mentioned above (www.junkbusters.com)and was impressed with the thoroughness in the listings of companies to contact to have yourself removed from their mailing lists. Responding directly to the company with a request to never again be contacted will help. If you recieve another solicitation from the same company, follow up with another letter refrencing the first, and threaten to file a complaint through your state's Attorney General's Office. Also, many states are now providing opt out files through the AG's office. May be a good place to start as well.

M

-- Mike (me@work.com), February 25, 2000.


Hi, David.

I receive multiple mailings for credit cards, and I always trash them. I don't have ANY credit cards. I know various companies sell my name and address, but they're wasting their time.

I see this *easy* credit as a sign that the American economy is extremely overextended. When Wall Street collapses, the creditors will be stuck and left hanging with bankruptcies. And those like me who are not involved in the credit game will also suffer from the idiotic greed of those stupid consumers who borrow and spend beyond their means. I can accept businesses who borrow to expand, but Americans who max out their credit cards for superfluous luxuries deserve what's coming to them.

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 25, 2000.


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