Paperless Mail Box Stop Junk Mail
I have decided to end junk mail. I don’t get a lot as I am on every do not send list out there but still it comes in. I have signed up and opted out through DMAchoice, which I suggest you do. You can opt out en mass through them from many solicitations but only if a company is a member of DMAchoice so there will still be individuals you need to contact.
At first I thought it would be no big deal, how much can there be? After setting aside all the unwanted mail that comes in for a week alarmed at the volume.
I’ve read statistics on junk mail and they usually go something like the information on EcoFuture.com. This information is dated but still not anything I want to be part of.
* The majority of household waste consists of unsolicited mail.
* 100 million trees are ground up each year for unsolicited mail.
* It wastes 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing each year.
* More than half of unsolicited mail is discarded unread or unopened; the response rate is less than 2%.
* The result is more than 4 million tons of paper waste each year.
* It is difficult to recycle, as the inks have high concentrations of heavy metals.
* $320 million of local taxes are used to dispose of unsolicited mail each year.
* It costs $550 million yearly to transport junk mail.
For many companies that send out marketing addressed to current resident you need to contact them individually by phone, which means tracking down numbers and calling them. Frankly that takes time but I’m launching an attack and finding out how hard it is to actually stop junk mail completely. This is a chronicle of my adventures questing for the Truly Paperless Mailbox. It will be updated as I go along.
And please, if you have ever done this, leave a comment and let us know. Since it is such a pain in the butt many don’t deal with it no matter how green they are in other areas of their lives. I’d like to encourage others to take the time – hopefully it will slow down and the time spent will be considerably less.
My strategy was simple: collect unwanted junk mail, set it aside and then go through it periodically to see if I could be removed from direct mail lists with each company. First I tried their web sites and discovered often they will have something in their privacy policy. If that did not work, I would phone their customer service departments and ask about their policies.
UPDATE: Going paperless has worked out very well. Please, please try it! I didn’t even realize how well it worked until I moved. It seems when you start to get off bigger lists, your address isn’t passed on to smaller and smaller companies. After about two months of saving piles, the junk mail tapered out to the point where I got maybe one or two pieces of mail every two weeks. My utilities are also paperless, and only a couple of small local papers aren’t able to remove my address.
Then I moved…and it became quickly evident how well going paperless had worked at my other house. My mailbox is full of garbage, so again I start to save junk mail, email, call…
Advanced Auto Parts: 1-877-238-2623. Neutral. Received a flier addressed in my name. As per their privacy policy, I phoned to have myself removed from direct mail list but operator had no idea where to send me and when she did direct my call, the second person hung up on me in confusion. Seems they haven’t translated any policy to their employees. Finally emailed webcare@advanceautoparts.com and asked to be removed.
Allstate Insurance: Positive?. 1-866-584-2409. Received a solicitation addressed to someone not at my residence. Some confusion when I phoned. The number was printed on the ad to opt out, but the operator obviously had not been informed on how to. It took a bit of explaining.
AT&T: Positive. Received a resident prospective customer mail out. Emailed them from their Privacy Policy page and requested removal. Was sent an email back within 24 hours asking if I was a current customer and to please provide land line number if so (if you are, just send that info right away). I am not with AT&T but was told the house address would be removed.
Assurance Wireless: Neutral. Well they sent out an application for service addressed to someone who does not live here. NO PHONE NUMBER ON THE APP! Seriously, just send your personal info. Right. They are owned by Virgin Mobile, and the Assurance Wireless site simply has the Virgin site in a framset. Okay. So off tho contact Virgin Mobile from their contact us page and request a stop of junk mail. They offered nothing in privacy policy or any other options I could find. Kinda shady feel about this one!
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.: Positive. Received a products flier addressed to Our Neighbor. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. offers an online opt-out feature at Unsubscribe From Bed Bath & Beyond Direct Mail List. Good for Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.!
Blockbuster: Positive. We have a membership to Blockbuster. Received a direct mail offer for members. Sent a request to opt out including my name and address via their website Blockbuster under the contact us corporate page. Within an hour I was sent a response stating that they would remove my address from any lists.
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.: 1-800-257-2582. Positive? Not sure about this. Received a solicitation for new memberships addressed to Our New Friends At. Phoned and asked to be removed from distribution list and was immediately told I would be, but the person forgot to ask my address. When they remembered it didn’t sound like they actually took the information.
Comcast: 1-800-266-2278. Neutral. Received a direct mail offer addressed to someone who does not live here, or Current Resident. Spent frustrating time on their site looking for a policy, no luck, no luck in their help files or forums. Called, but they only gave me choices re: billing or specific services. Finally punted and sent a form email via their site feedback asking how to stop junk mail. Waiting for response.
Cleaning Authority, The: 1-866-827-0062. Neutral. Received a solicitation addressed to So & So or Current Resident for green home cleaning service. I could not find any information on their site regarding direct mail opt-out options but their web site privacy policy states to change online (NOT direct) that you need to email email info@thecleaningauthority.com. I emailed them about direct mail. Months later, never heard back.
Dish Network: 1-888-959-3474. Extremely Negative. Received a Dear Resident soliciting new members for their satellite television. When they found out I wasn’t calling to sign up, the perky attitude was instantly dropped and the employee was rude. I was informed that I do not receive junk mail from them, it is the building I happen to own that does. The building (not me – they assured me that I did not get junk mail from them) can not be taken off their junk mail list. I will never deal with this company simply because if they are that rude to me over a simple inquiry, I would not want to deal with their customer service as a paying member with an actual problem.
Direct TV: Positive. Don’t bother phoning, you can not get a human. Received a solicitation in my name for new memberships. After the most frustrating phone menu I have ever encountered, gave up on phone. Emailed directvcustomercare@directv.com and asked how I could get my name removed. The next day I received a reply requesting my address and an assurance that I would be taken off junk mail lists. Good for Direct TV, thank you. I will remember their prompt reply if ever shopping for satellite tv.
ERA Real Estate: Neutral. Received a So-and-So or The Family At solicitation for…well I am not exactly sure what. It is from a specific agent. After checking both the ERA Franchise and individual agent sites I could find no information on opting out. Sent an email to the real estate agent requesting information on how to remove myself from direct mailing distribution list. A week later the agent emailed me and told me direct mail is sent from their corporate office and she would inquire how someone can be removed.
Geico Insurance: Positive. Was sent Current Resident mail to solicit new insurance policies. The phone menu is complicated, many options but finally I was told to follow the menu to their auto insurance > general customer service departments. The person I spoke assured me my address would be removed and was polite.
Georgia Natural Gas: Positive. Received a direct mail offer in my name to switch my natural gas service to their company. Sent an email 12/12 to customerservice@onlygng.com requesting to out out including my name and address. Was sent an email the next business day stating that my addressed would be removed.
HomeMag, The: Positive. Glossy book of advertisements addressed to Resident. No articles, this is not a magazine. Remove yourself at: online at: Unsubscribe From HomeMag Direct Mail List.
J&J Foods: Neutral. Could find no customer service phone. Received an unaddressed flier which is likely distributed by the US Post Office. I visited the J&J Foods web site and sent an email inquiry 11/20/09 to see if there is a way to opt out but have received no reply. I’d like them to at least knowledge the inquiry. You can not opt-out of post office run mass mailings.
Justice TweenBrands: Neutral. Received several catalogs, glossy postcards addressed to someone who does not live here or Current Resident. Emailed them as per their Privacy Policy and asked to be removed.
L.L. Bean: Positive. Got a catalog of their products addressed in my name. Sent an email to preferences@llbean.com requesting to opt out per their privacy policy. The following business day I received an email from them stating my address would be removed.
MailSouth: 1-800-360-2547. Positive. Receive one of those mass fliers with all sorts of thing stuffed in it addressed to Boxholder. Phone system offers a voice mail to leave an address you wished to remove from postal mail distribution. It may take 3 months for fliers to completely cease. Left my address. NOTE: three weeks later and I have received 3 more mailings from them.
RedPlum: Positive. One of those useless coupon fliers filled with paper that falls all over the place. They are owned by Valasis and you can remove yourself online at: Unsubscribe From RedPlum Direct Mail List.
Ruby Tuesday: Neutral. In the past month I have gotten 3 coupon post cards from this restaurant mailed out by Smart Market, a division of MailSouth addressed to Boxholder. I am hoping by opting out of MailSouth, who is still sending fliers, that I will also be removed from Smart Market.
Samsonite Company Stores: Neutral. Got a catalog of their products addressed to Resident. Sent an email to webmaster@samsonite.com requesting to opt out. Their privacy policy lead me to believe that it could be handled in this manner.
Savvy Shopper: 1-800-360-2547. Positive. Receive a coupon book addressed to Valued Reader. Phone system offers a voice mail to leave an address you wished to remove from postal mail distribution. Left my address.
SCANA Energy: Positive. Received a direct mail offer in my name to switch my natural gas service to their company. Sent an email from their website SCANA Energy requesting to out out including my name and address. The following business day I received an email from them stating my address would be removed.
Strayer University: 1-866-873-4936. Negative. I received a solicitation for new students addressed to Future Student. When I phoned I was told that I could not be taken off their list by address, the mail had to be in a person’s name. Conversation went poorly. I was asked if I couldn’t “just throw it out” (well yes that is the nature of junk mail), was told they did not know the name of the marketing company that sent out the mail and no, there is no one who can tell me the name. I was also advised to “get on that government list” to opt out of junk mail. Upon visiting their web site I found this statement:
Special notice regarding postal mail campaigns: If you are requesting removal from a postal mail campaign and you received mail that is not personally addressed to you, but is addressed generically “To the Working Professional at . . . ,” it may be impossible for the University to remove you from future postal mailings. These generic mailings are done through the U.S. Postal Service who provides businesses with the opportunity to have their mailings distributed to all houses within a mail carrier’s route. The U.S. Postal Service does not currently provide an opt-out option for individuals from this service.
Tractor Supply: 1-877-718-6750. Positive. Receive fliers and sales catalogs addressed to me as I have shopped there before. Phoned and asked to be removed from mail distribution. The person I spoke assured me the address would be removed and was polite.
Valuepak: Positive. A fat envelope of assorted coupons addressed to Resident. Remove yourself at: Remove from Direct Mail List.
White Cap Construction Supply: 1-800-944-8322. Positive. Mail out is a catalog addressed to my home but in the name of someone who does not live here. Phoned White Cap and asked to be removed from their distribution list and they readily complied.
Score
Me: 16
Junk Mail: 2
Draw: 8
Thank you for this, it was very helpful. Would also like an address for AT&T to stop getting their crap. I get at least 2 or more per week. I have done the return to sender as well, but someone told me, the Post Office puts those in the trash when they come back through due to no extra postage and the sender won’t pay it. Don’t know if that is true or not.
Thanks
I contacted them through their privacy policy page and sent an email request to be removed. They responded promptly and said that I would be. So far so good! And yes, it is true that the post office throws away returned junk mail.
You also can not remove your address from a company that has a contract for blanket mails via the post office – meaning they pre-pay postage and a flier or whatever is put in every box. You can tell which ones these are when the mail has no actual address on it.