How to Stop National Junk Mail

According to the 41 Pounds website, the average American adult gets 41 pounds of unwanted and unsolicited junk mail each year. This includes things like credit card offers, catalogs, and sweepstakes entry forms. Stopping national junk mail from arriving in your mailbox can not only save you time and frustration, but it can also save trees and protect the environment. While it can take a couple of months to see less junk mail arriving, it is easy to make requests to stop junk mail.

Things You'll Need

• Internet access
• Phone

Instructions

1. Go to the website for the Direct Marketing Association. Click the "Get Started" link from the navigation bar. Enter in your name and address information to create a free account, and request to be removed from junk mail lists. Also sign up on the 41 Pounds website to stop junk mail, including catalogs, by clicking "Sign up today."

2. Request to stop receiving unsolicited credit card offers by calling [phone]. This number is managed by the credit bureaus. You can call it 24 hours a day, and must call separately for each social security number you want to include on the list.

3. Contact Val-Pak Coupons to get off their mailing list. They can be reached by phone at [phone].

4. Get off the America Online Discs junk mail list by calling them at [phone].

5. Call the Publisher's Clearing House company to be removed from their mailing list at [phone].

6. Contact your credit card company, bank and any other place with whom you regularly do business, and ask them to stop selling your name. You may have to submit the request in writing. If that is the case, ask for the best address to which you should send the request.

7. Mark out your name on any junk mail and write "Refused: Return to Sender" and place back in the mail bin. This will get the junk mail returned to the sender, which can result in the removal of your name and address from the mailing list.

Tips & Warnings

• Direct Marketing Association mailing list removal only lasts for 5 years, which means that you have to make the removal request every five years.

• It can take 6 to 8 weeks to see an improvement in the amount of junk mail you receive.

References

• GlobalStewards.org: Reducing Personal and Business Junk Mail
• 41pounds.org: Stopping Junk Mail FAQ

Resources

• DMAChoice.org: Direct Marketing Association
• 41pounds.org: Stop Junk Mail