We've recently combined households and somewhere between tripping over Christmas ornaments in August and not being able to find my tape measure, I went a little ballistic about junk mail (sorry, Pumpkin).
It's bad enough having twice as much stuff in our house without having twice as much junk mail filling up our mailbox.
So, here's the solution (I heard this idea somewhere else...Seinfeld...or NPR...or my pa...but I'll totally take credit for promoting it):
Every one of those annoying, unsolicited "PRE-APPROVED" credit card applications ("PRE-APPROVED" = "don't need") comes with a free, "postage paid", return envelope. Simply remove all identifying information from the application - name, address, ID numbers - stuff it all back into the envelope, add a couple of dirty handy wipes or empty bread bags, and pop it into the mail!
It's so efficient! 1) The junk mail is gone, 2) you haven't added to the amount of garbage you have to haul out of the condo, and 3) you feel the satisfaction of having extracted a little bit of revenge.
These companies only started this sort of mail campaign because someone was foolish enough to return one of these unsolicited applications; maybe our unsolicited "returns" will get them to stop.
Now if I can just figure out how to fit those old washcloths and redundant pillowcases in those little envelopes...
A taste of their own mail
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6 comments:
Sarah sez--------------
...or you could use these to stop some of it:
http://www.stopjunkmail.org/sample.htm
or try:
* Too much junk to deal with individually: Start by sending a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Include your complete name, address, zip code and a request to "activate the preference service". For up to five years, this will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from.
and
* The Direct Marketing Association estimates that listing with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings. They process 50,000 requests a month and requests are kept active for five years. If you fill out the post office change of address form, the DMA will track the new address (you'll get a few months of mailings to the new address before they catch up to you). It can take up to six months for your request to be fully processed. You can also opt-out online, but they charge $5. The best way is to fill out their online form, then mail them a printout.
That's a fabulous idea! I'm subscribing to Jeff's Junk Mail Solution.
As much as I love revenge, I prefer to save some trees and stop the mail from being sent in the first place.
I registered with the DMA (see Sarah's comment). Here is a link: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist
It used to be free to register by mail but $5 to register online - don't you love irony? - but now it's $1 for both means of registration.
I eliminated virtually all the junk mail with the DMA registration and some other steps:
I called 1-888-5 OPT OUT (1-888-567-8688) to have my information removed from the promotional mailing lists sold by the big three credit reporting agencies.
I call companies and ask them to stop sending catalogs. Sometimes it works.
I registered with ADVO (Shopwise and missing children postcards) and Val-Pak to take my name off their lists.
Here is a link to a website with a comprehensive list of how to stop junk mail: http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
I'm calling AOL right now!
i do like your idea.
now i hope they send it to me
just so i can send it back!
Yesterday...sent back:
- Unneeded credit appl., +
- Useless coupon flyer
- Used sandwich bag
- Dried-out teabag
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