

Tip #3 – Permanent opt out requires snail mail To reach OptOutPrescreen by phone, call 1-88 (that’s 888-5OPT-OUT).

If you are not comfortable submitting your information online (or if you CAN NOT submit online – the website is known to haphazardly brick submissions originating from certain states), you can call to opt-out. Tip #2 – Online doesn’t work for everyone Note you are NOT required to provide your Social Security Number or Date of Birth – these are optional fields. Simply enter the name and address you wish to opt out. The online opt out is the easiest, fastest method of opting out. Tip #1 – Don’t waste time calling or mailing forms (if possible) A permanent opt-out option is also available, but it requires extra hoops to jump through (see below). Opt-out requests will remain in force for a period of 5 years. Given it’s the only real legislation that gives you control over (some) junk mail, we’ll take it.Įxercise your right to opt out of firm offers of credit and insurance at. So chalk this up as a win for the little guy? Translation: the same act that enables the ungodly deluge of credit offers actually gives you a say in whether you can get spammed. On the other hand, the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to opt out of these preapproved credit card offers and insurance offers, also known as “firm offers” of credit. On the one hand, the FCRA legislation gives the big four credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion – the right to share your credit history with businesses offering financial products. Step 1 – Stop Prescreened Credit & Insurance Offers with OptOutPrescreenįirst, give credit where credit’s due … in this case Uncle Sam and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Read on to learn more about each of these steps and to get direct links and additional tips.
#UNWANTED CATALOGS HOW TO#
So how to stop junk mail from cluttering our mailboxes, home offices and kitchen counters? Yet as inundated as we are by “advanced tracking”, second-screen and omni-channel digital campaigns, traditional direct mail campaigns continued to attract more advertising dollars in the last year. The sheer scale of waste from junk mail – and the lack of public discussion about it – is quite unbelievable.Įspecially given the American public’s growing resentment toward both environmentally inefficient products and large-scale privacy invasions from advertisers.

Here’s a nifty infographic we put together a couple years ago to help visualize the colossal waste caused by junk mail. But this still means that 95% of direct mail misses its mark – and is duly tossed out. Seven days a week and without fail, the USPS continues to deliver literal tons of unsolicited junk mail across the US.Īccording to its own 2022 annual report and website, the USPS hauled 67+ billion pieces of junk mail (ahem, “standard presorted” or marketing mail, if you speak mailroom) across 1.2 billion miles.Ĭonsider the energy and resources required to accomplish this … just so you can throw it out.īut what about those superior 5% response rates that direct marketing gurus laud over digital conversions? Direct mail marketing is still super useful and helpful, right? Made it this far? Great! Read on to get the facts and details behind all of the above steps.

If you don’t have time to get into the weeds, here are the 3 easy steps you should take to reduce your junk mail problem by 90% or more (also summarized at the top). This is why we put together this ultimate guide to help you understand where junk mail comes from and what can be done about it. If you’re getting too many catalogs, magazines and charity offers … you’re not alone.
#UNWANTED CATALOGS UPDATE#
And unfortunately, we had to update this guide because junk mail actually increased year on year. How is paper junk mail still even a thing? Use PaperKarma and CatalogChoice to Stop All Other Direct & Local Mailers (3 mins per week).Stop Larger Direct Mailers & Catalogs with DMAchoice (1 min).Stop Prescreened Credit & Insurance Offers with OptOutPrescreen (1 min).
