Community Chat

[dooBdoo]

There's some great advice on this thread!
Yes, I opted out of all the pre-screen credit card and insurance  solicitations about 10 years ago.

At the same time, I:

• signed up with Catalog Choice (free service),

• opted out on the DMAchoice website (to block direct marketing USPS mail — they charge $2 processing fee covering a 10-year period),

• opted out on the DirectMail dot com site (free service, blocks direct marketing USPS mail), 

• and I also occasionally (not often) need to opt out with individual companies.  
 

I am very pleased with the results!😊

I only receive about 6 to 10 pieces of unwanted postal mail in the span of a year.  
A real time saver, and far less paper and trash involved, too.😊

catalogchoice.org

and

dmachoice.org

and

directmail.com/mail_preference/

[Spurt]

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@depglass wrote:

Yes, glad I did.  The only people we receive solicitations from is Capital One because we had a credit card from them 20 years ago.  I guess that legal loophole goes forever.  

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@depglass 

I had a similar situation with Capital One after numerous attempts to stop their solicitations I wrote a complaint on the Better Business Bureau website about it.  Capital One called me and couldnt be nicer, they took me off their mailing list and I havent received any more solicitations....

[jannabelle1]

When I used to received those blasted offers, I'd mark them with a sharpie "return to sender - not at this address" and send them back.....or I'd cut them in pieces and dump wet coffee grounds on them in my trash can! Hubby put them in the shredder. Thankfully we're retired and the credit card companies no longer solicit those of us at a certain age! LOL!

[77yangya]

I am SO glad you asked.  I've been doing this for YEARS!

I call the company and tell them distinctly, GET ME OFF YOUR MAILING LIST!  I did not ask to be on it so knock it off!  They do, some hestitantly but they just get another call.

The only one that won't stop is our bank.  I've actually been there, called, the only thing I didn't do was...well, you know....LOL!

I told them all, let's see YOU sit and shred all that junk!  I"m a busy person and have WAY too much to do already and NO I do NOT want your credit card, if I do I'll let YOU know. 

Now, stuff that comes electronically, I'll block if I can't unsubscribe but not snail mail.  Won't put up with it.  It's a tough battle though.  The only thing THEY don't do is try to storm the house.  I think the "better" you are, the more they hound you.  If you get my drift.   .......oh boy.....lol!!!!

[77yangya]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

Years ago, I got so many of those offers I started writing "remove from your records" on the darn thing and I'd stick them back in their postage paid envelope and return.  It took a couple of tries per bank but I haven't gotten one in years. 

If you ever want a new credit card, you should do your homework and pick the best deal, not select the card that picks you.  With those offers you still have to go through the approval process, it's not automatic. 

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EXCELLENT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!  i HAVE ONE PEST I CANNOT GET RID OF...I'LL DO THIS!!!

[software]

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@Mindy D wrote:

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@software wrote:

I was complaining about "junk mail" because I wasn't getting mail I needed and my mail carrier got upset, she told me that's how the post office makes money, on junk mail.

I get at least one, sometimes 2 a day, they go right in the trash.

I have more than enough credit cards..

My DH gets them too, he passed 8 years ago

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@software @Do you just throw out the envelopes that day preapproved right on them, without cutting them up? 

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Yes I do

Our trash is inside (basement) until trash  pickup day.

If someone wants to go through the trouble to steal my information from the truck or the dump, they will be sorely disappointed, I'm poor as poor can be.  I have nothing to steal.  When I used a common trash can, I did shred.

[Texasmouse]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

There's some great advice on this thread!
Yes, I opted out of all the pre-screen credit card and insurance  solicitations about 10 years ago.

At the same time, I:

• signed up with Catalog Choice (free service),

• opted out on the DMAchoice website (to block direct marketing USPS mail — they charge $2 processing fee covering a 10-year period),

• opted out on the DirectMail dot com site (free service, blocks direct marketing USPS mail), 

• and I also occasionally (not often) need to opt out with individual companies.  
 

I am very pleased with the results!😊

I only receive about 6 to 10 pieces of unwanted postal mail in the span of a year.  
A real time saver, and far less paper and trash involved, too.😊

catalogchoice.org

and

dmachoice.org

and

directmail.com/mail_preference/

---

@dooBdoo thank you for the helpful links!

[colliemom4]

I have tried with one but I am still receiving it.

[gabstoomuch]

I found the best way to get rid of them is not by a service but by calling every single one that comes, via the "OPT-OUT" phone number that is printed on the back page of all of them. Very tiny print on the back page. I guess they hope you don't see it.

By opting out directly they all stopped coming pretty quickly. Opting out also means they can't sell your name to another business in search of names.

I shred anything that comes with my name printed on it. On the bar code of any of those envelopes is all the information one needs. Those bar codes look so innocent but they are not.

Interestingly, I need to start over again. I turned 65 a while ago and now I get all sorts of offers for life insurance to pay for a funeral, funeral homes, prepare for your end offers. Got one the other day asking if I would like to be a tree as cemetaries are running out of space. Really annoying. I will just opt out on that cr ap again via the opt-out number.

Someone told me the biggest offender of selling mailing lists for older people who no longer need credit cards is AARP. I can see that. They have the info on millions of people, and mailing list selling is a big money maker. I found I never remembered to use AARP when I had it so I cancelled it. But I still get their pleads to come back.