Stop Junk Mail! (Updated 8/31/2020)
Stop Junk Mail! (Updated 8/31/2020)
The Scourge of Junk Mail
You’d think that in this digital age, junk mail in your home or work mailbox would be a thing of the past. Alas, this is not the case as paper coupons, flyers, credit card offers, catalogs and more show up in our mailboxes day after day. What an enormous waste of paper and energy. I decided to do something about it and now our junk mail volume is way down from where it used to be. Below are several ways to stop junk mail. These aren’t guaranteed to stop all junk mail from arriving at your house, but they should help decrease it quite a bit.
Stop direct marketing mail
If you only do one thing to stop junk mail from coming to your house, do this one. Go to DMAChoice.thedma.org and register for their mail preference service. It will cost you $2.00 to sign up, but that will get you off the direct mail marketing mailing lists for 10 years! Well worth it I’d say. If there is more than one person in your household receiving mail in their name, you’ll both need to register. You can select specific types of mail you don’t want to receive or just select “stop all unsolicited promotional mail,” which is what I did.
I was at first suspect that the Data & Marketing Association (formerly Direct Marketing Association) would actually follow through and help consumers eliminate receiving junk mail, since their members want to market to us. But this service is recommended by the Federal Trade Commission, so I assume the DMA is probably required to offer this service to stay in compliance with privacy laws.
Eliminate those annoying credit card offers
Personally, I have all the credit cards I need and if I ever need another one, I can find it on the internet, I don’t need or want credit card offers in my mailbox. OptOutPrescreen is another service recommended by the FTC, so I trust it. Fill out a simple form on their website to stop getting credit card offers in the mail. You can also opt out over the phone at 1-888-567-8688.
Stop getting catalogs
Getting those thick, glossy, magazine-like catalogs in the mail just makes me feel terrible. So much wasted paper. So many trees killed to create these things. CatalogChoice allows you to search from their list of businesses that send out catalogs. Look for a company that sends you catalogs and request to be removed from the mailing list. The only drawback here is that you do have to do these one by one rather than being able to blanket refuse all catalogs.
Stop getting ValPak coupons
Does anyone actually use these endlessly-arriving packs of coupons? I never even look at them, they go right into the recycling. I guess someone must use them or ValPak wouldn’t spend the time and money to mail them out. Anyway, stop receiving ValPak coupon packs by filling out this form.
Other catalogs and mailings
After you have signed up for these various services, give it a few months to see if anything unwanted is still being delivered to your door. At that point, you can contact a business or organization directly, they will usually have a toll-free number, and you can request to be removed from their mailing list. Two examples I was still getting a ton of after doing all the above techniques were Retail Me Not flyers and Market (aka Clipper) Magazine.
Cancel Retail Me Not and Market Magazine
I originally posted this article on October 9th, 2019 and by January 2020, I was not longer getting ValPak coupons (thank goodness!) and my junk mail had decreased overall. However, there were a couple of pests that continued to show up, and that is Retail Me Not ads and Market Magazine.
Retail Me Not is especially a pain, because it is a big, sloppy mess of ads that I have to search through in case any of my real mail gets mixed up in it. And it shows up at least once a week. So I filled out an unsubscribe form on the Retail Me Not website. The Market Magazine (aka Clipper Magazine) has a similar contact form to unsubscribe here.
I am happy to say that I finally stopped getting the Retail Me Not and Market Magazine flyers a few weeks after I unsubscribed from these services directly using the forms above. (Except when they occasionally deliver our neighbor’s mail to the wrong address and we get theirs).
Political flyers – we’re stuck with them
Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no way to stop election and political mailings, and living in a swing state (Ohio), we get particularly inundated around election time. If anyone finds a way to keep those stupid political flyers from being sent to our homes, please let me know.
Do you have any other sources for stopping junk mail that I have missed? Let us all know!
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If you accidentally receive your neighbors Valassis/Vericast (SAVE, Retailmenot, Redplum) or you find them on the floor of the mailroom – opt their address out as well. Each email can opt out four addresses per week – be sure to use your fake/junk email (use an old AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail account).
Clipper Magazine is also Valassis/Vericast Company. There are multiple magazines mailed out by Clipper (LocalFlavor, Mint Magazine, REACH, Great Deal$ Magazine, Market Magazine, get1free coupon magazine, Prestigious Living, Home & Decor Ideas, House 2 Home showcase).
First try Clippers opt out form – https://clippermagazine.com/mailing-list-removal/. If that doesn’t stop the mailer then you will need to contact each magazine directly – see their website, privacy policy, etc. Also, CatalogChoice has info on these magazines as well.
Political junk mail can be reduced and even eliminated…
First realize that your voter registration personal info (name, address, phone, email, etc) is public record. Which means that anyone can ask/pay for this info. This is why we receive political mailers, phone calls, emails, etc.
Only give info you are required to provide – phone & emails are optional. They will make it seem that this info is required – but an individual isn’t required to have a phone/email in the USA! If they are persistent give your fake/junk email (use an old AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail account) and an old phone number. NOTE: By not providing additional ways of contacting you may create contact issues if there are problems (ex. mail in ballot, etc.). But ask yourself how did they do this before the Internet!
I always deregister after every election and I register again at the last possible moment. This prevents your info from being public record for long periods of time. This also helps keep the election offices records current – you don’t have to remember to deregister/update address when you move. If your phone number/email changes you don’t have to remember to update your voter registration. Also, when you die one last thing your relatives have to take care of!
Now the fun part…
If the mailer is from a PAC – use the IRS exempt website to locate the senders contact info.
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search
Democratic National Committee, to out: the contact page (https://democrats.org/contact-us/) has a webmail form. Also call (202) 863-8000. Mailing address – DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE 430 South Capitol Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003 Twitter: @TheDemocrats
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to opt-out: email info@dscc.org and call (202) 224-2447. Mailing address Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 120 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002 https://www.dscc.org/contact/ Twitter: @dscc
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to opt-out: the contact page (https://dccc.org/contact/) has a webmail form. Also call (202) 863-1500. Email removal request to info@dccc.org. Twitter: @dccc Mailing address – 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003 Privacy Policy https://dccc.org/terms-service/
Republican National Committee, to opt-out: send an email to eCampaign@GOP.com or email@gop.com with “Unsubscribe” “remove/opt out” in the subject line. They are assuming you are opting-out of email, let them know it is for physical postal mail, and call (202) 863-8500. Twitter: @GOP. Write a removal request letter to: Digital & Data, Republican National Committee, 310 First Street SE, Washington DC 20003. NEVADA residents: email request to email@gop.com with “NEVADA PRIVACY REQUEST” in the subject line.
National Republican Senatorial Committee, to opt-out: the contact page (https://www.nrsc.org/contact-us/) as a webmail form. Also call (202) 675-6000. Twitter: @NRSC Mailing address – NRSC 425 2nd St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
National Republican Congressional Committee, to opt-out: the contact page (https://act.nrcc.org/contact-us/?_ga=2.4306288.237791756.1622025664-566543241.1622025664)
has a webmail form. Also call (202) 479-7000. Twitter: @NRCC Email info@nrccvictory.org
NOTE: If the mailer showed up in your informed delivery – email a removal request and be sure to attach the mailers image.
NOTE: If the mailer is first class/presorted first class (and has a return address) – write “REFUSED – Remove from mailing list” after you directly request removal from the sender.
NOTE: If the mailer has a prepaid postage envelope – return this after directly requesting removal – include address portion of the mailer and write “Remove fr9m mailing list” Returning postage paid envelopes helps support the USPS – do NOT abuse these envelopes. Do NOT attach to a brick, make heavier (rocks, washers, sand, etc.), add extra junk mail to the envelope, etc.
Old election info – may still want to request removal so your info isn’t shared/loaned/traded/sold to others!
Trump Make America Great Again Committee (DJTP)
Save America JFC, a joint fundraising committee of Save America and Make America Great Again PAC
privacy@donaldtrump.com
Save America
Attn: Privacy Matters
PO Box 13570, Arlington, VA 22219
https://joebiden.com/presidency-for-all-americans/
privacy@joebiden.com
**If any of this info is outdated /inaccurate please reply with correction**
If you are receiving past resident political mailers – sign they forgot to update their address on their voter registration.
Contact the sender directly and request removal of the name/address from their mailing list. Be sure to attach the mailers image as reference.
“I am receiving past resident mail and I would like that to STOP! Please remove this individual from your USPS mailing/marketing list.”
Contact the local election board (have examples of these USPS mailers) https://www.usa.gov/election-office and ask for your address to be removed from this individuals voter registration.
Be sure that the individual has an active USPS COA (change of address). If the past resident doesn’t have an active COA – sign of this is receiving first class mail for the individual. Visit the USPS with examples of first class mail in hand and ask for form 3575Z (internal COA) to be filled out for the individual (each name variation (Thomas vs Tom). Keep requesting this form until the individuals first class mail STOPS! Then visit the election board – within 1 months of their first class mail stopping.
NOTE: Register your address with USPS informed delivery – this service emails you daily the USPS mail/packages to be delivered to your address (Home & PO Box) – including past resident mail. If the individuals first class mail is still appearing in your informed delivery account – sign your mail carrier is “sorting” the mail before delivery. Show these images to the USPS clerk and again ask for form 3575Z. Your goal is to have ONLY your mail appearing in your mailbox and in your informed delivery account!
Ask the election board to mail this individual a first class mailer (ex. Update address from, verification of residency, etc) with the endorsement “Return service requested”. This endorsement returns the mailer to the election board with the individuals forwarding address if they have an active COA. If you had form 3575Z filled out (and is active) they will receive notification from the USPS – Moved left NO forwarding address.
NOTE: If the mailer is first class and has a return address – take directly to the USPS and inform them that the individual doesn’t live at said address and ask for form 3575Z to be filled out.