How to Decrease Junk Mail and Telemarketing Calls

You just get home from another long day of work and pick your mail up at the mailbox. There are about 12 items in there and after sorted - only 2 are useful. This other pile of unwanted mail is called the junk mail pile.
This junk mail pile is annoying and also bad for the environment. Just imagine that same pile of unwanted mail times every neighbor in your development let alone every other neighborhood in your state. All of this paper is going to every state in the United States only to end up in the dump. Oh my!
Thankfully, this can be reduced not only to limit your own aggravation but also help our Mother Earth.
Here are some easy sure bets to take care of this problem.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• pen, paper, telephone, internet

1. Call the company that is sending you the offers and tell them to add you to their Do Not Solicit list. Most every company has this, especially banks and credit card companies. You will need to give them your name, address, and phone number but inform them that they are to use the info only for the Do Not Solicit list.

2. Beware of raffles at banks and stores like supermarkets. This information is almost always used to solicit you later for their promotions. My advice, don't enter the raffle unless you don't mind being contacted later by mail and phone.

3. The Credit Bureau has a phone number to call for opting out of those annoying Pre-approved Credit Card offers. It is: 1-888-567-8688. Registering at this number will take care of those mailings for 2 years.

4. Register on the National Do Not Call registry found at www.donotcall.gov. This site is not just for unwanted phone calls, it can also reduce your junk mail.

5. An oldie but a goodie: have an unlisted phone number.

Tips & Warnings

• You will need to enter the address and phone number that you are being solicited at at www.donotcall.gov. The registry is managed by the Federal Trade Commission. It can take up to 31 days to be removed from call lists but after that, you should receive no calls. See the Q & A section on the site for more details.
• A small fee on your phone bill may apply for an unlisted phone number.

[imdoug]

on 9/20/2008 Despite what proponents of direct mail say, our right to privacy and to be left alone is greater than junk mailers right to cram every mailbox in America with junk we don't need, don't want, and most importantly, never asked for.

Although direct mailers claim the world will stop if we create a Do Not Mail list, the same argument was put forth when the Do Not Call list started. Just like then, businesses will adjust.

Like MANY Americans, I'm tired of the invasion of privacy, potential identity theft and wasted time that junk mail represents. Like the victory consumers won when the Do Not Call list was implemented, we need a Do Not Mail list. The same rules will apply here. If you like junk mail, don't sign up for the list! But judging by the disdain junk mail causes, direct mailers are creating the conditions that will see a Do Not Mail list created. Visit donotmail.org, and s

[theladieshunt]

on 9/20/2008 I have done some more research on this topic and have added a step. Check it out for more info.

[kaseysviewblog]

on 9/19/2008 Very good tips!

[UkieGirl]

on 9/18/2008 Helpful hints! I used to deliver mail and, believe me, it is no walk in the park carrying that load of stuff. And most of it is "junk," although we were not allowed to call it that.

[Thims]

on 9/17/2008 Great and I just wrote an article on How to make money from Junk Mail! Hey, maybe we could form a joint venture!