Junk mail can cause stress.
Junk mail is advertising that arrives in your postal mailbox along with the mail you really want or need. When you purchase a product or service -- buy a car or house, sign up for a credit card or give money to charity -- and give the company your address, you are likely being added to one or more mailing lists used for direct marketing. It's impossible to eliminate all of it, but you can substantially reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by removing yourself from junk mail lists.
Instructions
1. Return to sender. If you receive junk mail by first class mail, cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage and write "Refused: Return to Sender." Drop in any mail box; it will be returned to the sender.
2. Say no to more credit cards. The major credit agencies sell your credit information to any bidder. To stop those unwanted credit card offers, call 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day. You can also notify the credit bureaus in writing to request that your personal information not be shared with others or used for promotional purposes.
3. Say good-bye to previous residents. If the former residents neglected to fill out a post office change of address card, or it expired, you can fill one out for them. Write "Moved, Left No Forwarding Address" as the new address. Sign your own name and write "Form filled in by current resident of the house, [Your Name], Agent for the Above." Hand this form directly to your carrier, if possible, as your carrier must approve the form and see that it gets entered into the post service National Change of Address database.
4. Send a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Include your complete name, address, ZIP code and a request to "Activate the Preference Service." As of the time of publication, there is a $1 fee for this service. For up to five years, this will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from.
