Federal No Mailing List
In 2003 the federal government began the Do Not Call List which, once registered, kept prohibited phone solicitors from calling your home. The government has not started a Do Not Mail list, however, the Federal Trade Commission does offer options through the credit bureaus and other private companies to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive at home.
Other People Are Reading
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Pre-Qualified Credit Card Solicitations
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Credit cards companies send many offers through the mail stating that you have been qualified for a credit card. The three largest credit reporting bureaus, Transunion, Experian and Equifax, have established a toll free number and website where a consumer has the right to "opt out" from receiving these offers for a five-year period of time. The toll free number is 1-888-5-OPTOUT. Personal information including your name, home phone number and Social Security number are required to complete the registration.
Direct Marketing Association
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The FTC suggests consumers register with Direct Marketing Association (DMA) to opt out of receiving unsolicited mail for a number of national companies for five years. There is a registration fee of $1 as of 2011 to register from the service. DMA will place your name on a "delete list," which will be circulated among the major corporations producing the junk mail you find in your mail box.
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List Brokers
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There are a number of brokers within the United States that sell lists to companies for telemarketing and mailing campaigns. These corporations include Metromail Corp, R.L. Polk & Co., Database America and Dunn & Bradstreet. Mail these companies directly to have your name removed from their databases. In the resources section of this article includes a link to the address the letters should be mailed to for each company.
What to Do With Incoming Mail
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Signing up with DMA, opting out of pre-qualified credit card offers and removing your name from major brokers lists will vastly reduce the amount of junk mail received over a couple months time. Occasionally you may still receive junk mail. If the mailing is marked "address-correct requested" or "return postage guaranteed," write on the outside of the envelope "Refused-Return to sender." If the mail has a prepaid postage envelope, write a note asking to be removed from the company's mailing list and put it in the prepaid envelope. Removing your name from receiving unwanted catalogs is typically as easy as calling the 800 number on the catalog and asking to be removed from the mailing list.
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References
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