Wednesday, October 19, 2011

My Campaign to End Junk Mailings

Note: It is completely legitimate to inform businesses that you view their repetitive solicitations as posing a security threat to you.  Read on.

I have been receiving offers to apply for new credit cards for years.

Sometimes I even get them from banks for whom I already have one or more cards.

In the last few months I have been getting offers in the mail from the same banks 3 or more times in a single month. What is going on?

I have finally decided to do something about it. I sent off my solution to Chase and BofA earlier. Today I am about to send one off to Capital One in their business reply envelope, including the cut-off portion of the envelope that contains my mailing information.

Here is an image of my work.


Click to enlarge
What that says is
Please cease and desist from sending me these offers.
I have begun to view the over-abundance of offers such as this one from those like you as creating potential dangers to my financial security in a variety of ways.
Please stop sending me and my household these offers immediately.

Thank you.

Signed

3 comments:

  1. I started sending this junk mail back to the banks several years ago. I folded it up to fit it into the return envelope, and added a bit to put it over the 1-ounce mark and make it heavier. Eventually they stopped sending me the solicitations.
    The post office also told me that if I write "Refused" on the unopened envelope, they will return it to the sender.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The postal carrier says they do not bother sending back "refused" mass mailings. They simply throw them out.

    Your first solution is probably the best one. At least it seems to have worked for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, maybe I remember the conversation wrong, then. I was able to put a stop to BMG sending my daughter CDs that she did not want by refusing them. At any rate, I send AARP mailings back the same way as above. It's much more satisfying than just throwing them away.

    ReplyDelete

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