Reducing Your Junk Mail
Annoyed by the junk mail over-flowing from your mailbox? Here’s what you can do to stop it from bothering you and wasting valuable resources. Act now because junk mail is expected to increase for years to come.
1) Call or write the following companies:
| Company | Address | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association * a good place to start if you have too much junk mail to deal with on an individual basis. |
P.O. Box 9008 Farmingdale, NY 11735 |
Send a letter asking them to “activate the preference service”, giving your name (all variations) and full address. This also takes care of bulk mail for “current resident.” |
| TRW-NCAC Target Marketing Services Division controls Equifax, Innovis, Transunion and Experian lists |
701 TRW Parkway Allen, TX 75002 1-800-353-0809 (automated “opt-out” request line) |
Call and use the automated service to remove your name from their marketing file. |
| ADVO-Systems (one of the nation’s largest mailers of advertising mail) |
Director of List Maintenance 239 West Service Rd. Hartford, CT 06120-1280 |
Write a letter and ask to have your name removed from their list. |
| National Demographics and Lifestyles List Order Service and R.L. Polk & Company |
1621 18th Street #300 Denver, CO 80202 1-800-525-3533 |
Call and request to have your name removed from their mailing list. |
| Haines and Company, Inc. Criss-Cross Directory |
2382 East Walnut Ave. Fullerton, CA 92631 |
Write a letter and request to have your name removed from their reverse phone book publication. |
| Donnelly Marketing Database Operations |
416 South Bell Ames, IA 50010 |
Write a letter and request your name to be suppressed in their files. Include name, street address, city, state, and Zip Code. |
2) Give it back to them!
You may “refuse” any or all mail, except third class and bulk rate mail that is not postage marked. Before opening a piece of junk mail, check to see how much postage was paid. If the item was sent by first class mail or pre-sorted first class mail, cross out your address and bar code, circle the first class postage stamp and write “refused: return to sender”. Drop it in any mailbox. Most organizations quickly eliminate a “refused” address from their mailing lists. If “address correction requested” is printed on mail, circle it and treat like first class mail.
3) Return solicitations that include a postage paid reply envelope
Include a note requesting that you be removed from the mailing list. Cut out the address label with your address and enclose that also.
4) Call the toll-free number
…of companies sending you unwanted mail, and request that your name and address be removed from their database. The TRW-NCAC “1-800” number is a good place to start.
5) “Do not sell, rent or trade my name or address”
…is what you should tell a business when giving your name and address to them.
6) Be careful who you give your name, address and telephone number to.
Don’t fill out warranty cards (you are covered regardless; these are means of gathering names for direct mailing lists). Leave your telephone number off your personal checks. Consider having an unlisted telephone number (some lists are created from the telephone book). Don’t give your telephone number at the cash register (more than likely that store will add you to their mailing list).
For more information on reducing your junk mail or to receive a complete list of companies you can contact to get your name removed from mailing lists, please call the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management (404) 679-4853.
