I’m always frustrated with the amount of junk mail we get in our mailbox. Not only is it a waste of resources, but it takes over our kitchen counter and creates clutter when I don’t get to it right away. And it takes over our recycle bin when I throw it away.
The good news is that there is a way to stop (almost) all of the junk mail that is overflowing your mailbox. It will take a little bit of time and dedication, but it will be SO worth it in the end!
Here is what I’m doing to cancel our junk mail:
Step One: Remove Address From Major Mailing Lists
DMAchoice.org is a consumer mail preference service where you can not only cancel most junk mail (like credit offers, catalogs, magazines, and other promotional offers), you can also cancel junk EMAIL, and register your phone numbers on the Do Not Call registry to stop receiving telemarketer calls.
There is a one time $2 processing fee and they will remove your address for a period of 10 years. Remember to give it at least 2-3 months to go into effect, because a lot of marketing material is pre-printed quarterly.
Here is another smaller direct marketing firm that you may need to remove your address from:
Valassis Direct Mail, Inc.
1-800-437-0479
To unsubscribe from their RetailMeNot (Formerly RedPlum) publication click here: https://www.retailmenot.com/everyday/unsubscribe
Step Two: Cancel Credit Card Offers
If your are constantly getting pre-screened credit card or loan offers that you are not interested in, go to OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 to opt-out of receiving offers for five years or permanently.
You can register online or by phone to stop receiving offers for 5 years, or by mail to stop receiving offer permanently. You can always opt back in if you choose to in the future. This only works for offers through Experian, TransUnion, Equifax, and Innovis.
Step Three: Cancel As You Receive Mail
If you are still receiving junk mail offers after you’ve registered to remove your information through the above steps, and you have waited the 2-3 months for the mailing to stop, it may be coming through smaller direct marketing firms or brokers. In this case you will need to call the number on the mailing you receive to remove your address directly through them.
A simple way to keep track of which companies you removed your address with is to use the ‘Note App’ on your phone. As you can see below, I record the company name, the date I canceled and the call reference number or persons name who I spoke with. This just helps keep a record in case you keep receiving the same junk mail.
Also, it may be a variation of your address that they are mailing to, for example they may have your address saved as Street and ST. or NE and Northeast. In this case you will need to keep track of how the address is spelled on the mail you receive and make sure to remove that exact address spelling from their system.
Some Final Things
- Make sure to remove your name and your spouse’s name/others living with you as well.
- Same goes for if you register for the National Do Not Call List- register all phone numbers.
- If you want even less paper mail, you can switch your bills and bank statements to paperless- you will just get email notifications. You can set the paperless preference online with most banks and bills.
It definitely takes a little time, but if you follow the main steps above and wait the 2-3 months for it to take affect, you’ll start receiving fewer and fewer offers, and you can cancel with the smaller direct mail companies as you receive the mail.
You can also check out http://www.ecocycle.org/junkmail for more detailed junk mail cancellation information.
