how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

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lomarica01
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how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by lomarica01 »

my very diligent 82 year old mother made a list of 200 entities that send her junk mail. She is moving and does not want any of these mailings forwarded.

She was planning on writing to each of the entities to ask them to stop mailing them to her. I figure there has to be a better way so any suggestions are appreciated. My current plan is to go to the web site for each entity and see if I can get taken off their mailing list.

I note that most of the entities are charities that my mother either donated to or she ended up on a mailing list of people who make donations via mail.

thanks to all for any comments

ps the USPS said you can write "refused" or "return to sender" for this type of mail and put it back in the mail box so I might have her try that also
sport
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by sport »

I believe that some (many?) charities that one donates to get additional money be selling your name and address. I receive solicitations from charities that are similar in nature to the ones I donate to. The same thing happens with political contributions. So, this seems to be a never ending situation.
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mmmodem
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by mmmodem »

I used to update customer list databases that want to be removed from ad mailings. So I can first hand say writing "refused" or "remove from mailing" works for reputable companies. I also subtract customers through email and website requests. This includes charities. I know that you have to be very selective in unsubscribing from SPAM emails where telling disreputable companies you no longer wish to receive SPAM indicates you are a live email address and you get more unwanted emails. But that's not the question you asked. I'll let others comment on whether this works against you for disreputable companies on junk snail mail.
rich126
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by rich126 »

sport wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:28 am I believe that some (many?) charities that one donates to get additional money be selling your name and address. I receive solicitations from charities that are similar in nature to the ones I donate to. The same thing happens with political contributions. So, this seems to be a never ending situation.
It is always hard to tell what companies are:
1. Selling your data
2. Have such poor web security that their systems have malware on them and they have no clue.

I've noticed that when I give my info to a place (doctor's office, auto shop, etc.) I almost always see an increase in spam calls or emails and I often think #2 is true (I'm hopeful my doctor isn't selling my data).

I have to admit (sadly) that I often think twice before donating money due to all of the junk mail I get afterwards. I'd prefer to give cash or give it anonymously than deal with them thinking "oh now he will give us money all the time". On the one hand I feel a bit guilty but on the other I don't.
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oldfatguy
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by oldfatguy »

I honestly don't think there is much you can do, but I also don't understand why getting junk mail bothers so many people. Most of my mail gets recycled without opening it.
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lthenderson
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by lthenderson »

lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 am She is moving and does not want any of these mailings forwarded.
Basic USPS mail forwarding services only forwards first class mail and periodicals. Most junk mail I get is bulk rate mail and doesn't get forwarded. I work for an organization that sends mail bulk rate a few times a year and the only way people with forwarded mail can get it is if we put a first class stamp on it. So the easy solution is to just move and not worry.
harikaried
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by harikaried »

lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 amMy current plan is to go to the web site for each entity and see if I can get taken off their mailing list.
If you have the junk mail, often times there's some customer/key code close to the address label that you can provide. There might even be a printed web address or phone number to have it removed.
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David Jay
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by David Jay »

lthenderson wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:35 am
lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 amShe is moving and does not want any of these mailings forwarded.
Basic USPS mail forwarding services only forwards first class mail and periodicals. Most junk mail I get is bulk rate mail and doesn't get forwarded...
This!

Then the forwarding expires so the first class stuff stops coming through.

Moving solves most of the problem.
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sport
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by sport »

rich126 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:34 am I'd prefer to give cash or give it anonymously...
This will not work if you make QCD donations.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by RickBoglehead »

I've spent my entire career in the direct marketing industry.

When you fill out the USPS Change of Address form, your information goes into the NCOA (National Change of Address) database. That database is available for access by any legitimate organization when they do processing of their files. These are called "New Movers". If you think of a lion or tiger, this is red meat to a marketer. These are very hot buyers.

Examples:

A) You do business with company A. You don't tell them of your address change. Company A cuts a file to mail, and their mailhouse runs that file against the NCOA database. Your address is updated, and the mailing goes up. That change is fed back into the company's database, and your address is now updated.

B) You don't do business with company B. They rent a bunch of files of people they deem likely to be receptive to their offer (catalog, life insurance, etc.). These files are merged together at the mailhouse, and run up against the NCOA database. Your address is changed, and you receive the mailing. The company does not OWN your information, so they don't have the change, nor the original information. If you don't respond to the offer, they have no information.

Reputable mailers may run the the Direct Marketing Association's DMAChoice file. It will cost you $2 to get on the file for 10 years. In 11 years you won't be on the file any more. You can mail in a request for $3, see PDF form on their site. Many mailers won't use this file. https://www.dmachoice.org/

You can call a reputable company and nicely request to be put on their Do Not Mail / Do Not Call / Do Not Email files. A reputable company doesn't want to waste time and effort contacting you if you're not receptive to their offer. Note B above, if you're not on their file, they may not want to add you just to not market to you. If you're a lapsed buyer (ordered years ago), then they should want to stop mailing to you.

If you have done business with a company, they won't stop mailing you unless you contact them directly, or you age off (become more and more lapsed). However, if they run their entire file against the NCOA database, and get a hit on you for your recent move, they may start mailing you again (see red meat above.

Companies rent their files to other companies. They take say 20 or 30 or 100 rental lists, comprised of hot buyers (people that have bought in say the last 0-12 months from each company), smash them together and against their own file, and then see what's left. Any file that you're on as a "new mover" means you're, yes, you guessed it, red meat. That's why you won't to contact companies that you want to do business with and say "please put me on your Do Not RENT file". Some don't even have that capability...

One other option is more drastic, i.e. you can be dead. DMA Choice has a DDNC (Deceased Do Not Contact) list. It is free. It is only used by DMA members. https://www.ims-dm.com/cgi/ddnc.php I put my in-laws on it years before they passed away. :twisted:
Last edited by RickBoglehead on Tue May 11, 2021 12:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Watty
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by Watty »

David Jay wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:48 am
lthenderson wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:35 am
lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 amShe is moving and does not want any of these mailings forwarded.
Basic USPS mail forwarding services only forwards first class mail and periodicals. Most junk mail I get is bulk rate mail and doesn't get forwarded...
This!

Then the forwarding expires so the first class stuff stops coming through.

Moving solves most of the problem.
If possible you may want to extend the mail forwarding through the holidays and tax season so that you get Christmas cards and tax forms if you forgot to give some people your your address.

I am not sure how it works but when junk mail is not forwarded then I think the sender may be notified of the new address by the post office in some situations.

After my mother in law died we had her mail forwarded to us and we keep getting some junk mail, mainly from charities asking for money, for her up to 20 years after she died even when we moved to the other side of the country.

Getting mail for her deceased mom was unpleasant for my wife so I printed off a short note explaining that she was deceased and to please take her off the mailing list. I would include the note and the tear off the label with any identifying numbers and put it in the envelope that was usually enclosed asking for money. It would cost me a stamp to send it but it stopped most of them.

As a side note I have heard that if there is a charity or political cause that you really disagree with then one thing you can do is to send them a $5 donation. You will likely get on their mailing list and they will quickly spend more than that $5 asking you for more money. :D

There are some legitimate charities though that I have given money to then stopped giving them more money after getting too many mailings from them asking for more money.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by RickBoglehead »

We gave a donation to a charity last year. When I made the donation, I put in bold "please put me on your Do Not Mail file", so they would not spend any money asking me for more money. Of course I also said to put me on your Do Not Call file, Do Not Rent file, and Do Not Email file.
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celia
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by celia »

lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 am my very diligent 82 year old mother made a list of 200 entities that send her junk mail. She is moving and does not want any of these mailings forwarded.
The first thing to do is to not have the mail forwarded! Instead, have her make a list of the companies that she DOES want to receive mail from and contact them directly with her new address. Don't forget places that only contact you once a year, such as those who send tax documents or infrequent notices (homeowners insurance, Medicare plans she might pay yearly, voter's registration, Dept of Motor Vehicles, etc). For the voter rolls, leave off her phone number. (Candidates are allowed to mail all registered voters information so that the voter can find out about the candidate. In many cases, that is the only form of contact they have.)

When I was settling an estate for a relative whose mail was coming to my address, I bought a set of 50 or 100 pre-paid postcards from the Post Office. I wrote on each that the address was deceased. In your case, just say that she moved with no known forwarding address. Then as mail continues to arrive, cut out the mailing label and tape it to the post card so they can find her record easier. You might want to put it on the upper left corner of the address side of the post card (where return labels usually go) and write the address of the organization in the middle of the card. Then, as she sends out each post card, put the date notified on her 200-entities list.
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by sureshoe »

Curious if anyone had luck with this:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0 ... -and-email

I have been getting so many phishing calls lately that I'm about to lose my mind. Obviously criminals aren't going to respect that, so I'm not sure where my info was that got hacked. I've freezed credit/etc. Probably doing this soon.
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Bogle7
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One way

Post by Bogle7 »

I use CatalogChoice.org
It works OK.
I make small annual donation.
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mptfan
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by mptfan »

celia wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:37 pm The first thing to do is to not have the mail forwarded! Instead, have her make a list of the companies that she DOES want to receive mail from and contact them directly with her new address.
I agree with this... do not submit the change of address form with the USPS.
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celia
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by celia »

sport wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:59 am
rich126 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:34 am I'd prefer to give cash or give it anonymously...
This will not work if you make QCD donations.
Ha, Ha, LOL, Not completely true.

Before I make photcopies of our QCD checks, I write on the empty space above the check (in red) to not add us to any mailing lists as this is a one-time donation but to send an acknowledgement of this check. So far, every place has abided by this, but last year, four of the places we gave QCDs to didn't even acknowledge them. (They were mostly schools that were closed for covid through the end of the year and they had more important things to worry about, I assume. In addition, mail delivery was erratic.) So early this year, I sent Vanguard a message with the account numbers, dates, amount given, and charity name to have them confirm if the QCD checks were cashed. For those that were, I just used Vanguard's response as the acknowledgement. For the un-cashed one, I finally figured out that I never received it as I didn't have a photocopy in my records. That one was re-issued this year and I hand-carried it to the responsible person at the charity and received an immediate acknowledgement.

We had one donation I considered as a QCD that could be considered anonymous although I was on the phone and emailed them, so they would know who we were. The donation involved some shares of stock and a partial bond that can't be sold that was in an Inherited IRA. I waited until we ran into a non-profit that said they accepted donations in various ways, one of which was by putting stocks in their Vanguard account #123456789. So we filled out the paperwork to transfer shares from our account to theirs and kept copies of the transfer request, the donation request letter with their account number, a screen dump of our shares the day before and the day after the transfer was made. That by itself should be enough to document that the QCD was received and was included in the 1099-R as part of the withdrawals for the year. The only reason we had contacted them was to make sure they would accept the partial bond (since we considered it "junk" since it couldn't be sold and was generating less than $1 of interest a month) and to send us an acknowledgement. But they never sent one as their bookkeeping department probably can't put all the pieces together. The investments are handled by different people than the bookkeeping people and by the Public Relations (donation request) people. But I am confident our saved paperwork will be sufficient to prove they received it.
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heartwood
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Re: One way

Post by heartwood »

Bogle7 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:56 pm I use CatalogChoice.org
It works OK.
I make small annual donation.
+1 for catalog choice https://www.catalogchoice.org/

I started with them several years ago. They're reputable. It takes awhile and requires entering label information at the website. But after a few months it gets a lot better. A major problem with junk mail is that you get taken off a list for A or B, and then they buy a list from X and it starts again with a new label coding.

It works in general for catalogs, charities, and other junk mailers.
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SmileyFace
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by SmileyFace »

I just solved the problem by making sure my recycling container is one my way back from the mailbox. 99% of my mail doesn't make it into the house.
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by brokendirtdart »

mptfan wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 1:08 pm
celia wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:37 pm The first thing to do is to not have the mail forwarded! Instead, have her make a list of the companies that she DOES want to receive mail from and contact them directly with her new address.
I agree with this... do not submit the change of address form with the USPS.
I disagree as I have experienced organizations(most, but not all were government agencies) sending important mail to my old address even after I change my address with that organization. If I didn't have the change of address submitted, I would miss it.

That said, do not fill out the change of address with the USPS and provide your new address.

I've moved at least a dozen times. I always get either a PO Box or a UPS Mailbox at each new location-it doesn't have to be in the same town. I'll submit the forwarding request to that address and check the mail there maybe once a week.

Change the address to the companies you normally deal with to your real address.
Close the PO Box or UPS Mailbox after a year.

No mail missed and junk mail eliminated--at least until you open up a new relationship with a company that either sells your address or sends a ton of mail. No I don't feel sorry for the person that inherits my old mailboxes and my junk mail.
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Duckie
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by Duckie »

brokendirtdart wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 3:50 pm That said, do not fill out the change of address with the USPS and provide your new address.

I've moved at least a dozen times. I always get either a PO Box or a UPS Mailbox at each new location-it doesn't have to be in the same town. I'll submit the forwarding request to that address and check the mail there maybe once a week.

Change the address to the companies you normally deal with to your real address. Close the PO Box or UPS Mailbox after a year.
This!!
Tree Guy
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by Tree Guy »

I used Paper Karma a mobile app, a couple of years ago for similar situation. It cut down on some of the volume; the rest I contacted directly to remove.
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by AznSaver »

lomarica01 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 am ps the USPS said you can write "refused" or "return to sender" for this type of mail and put it back in the mail box so I might have her try that also
This does not work as most "junk mail" is 3rd class bulk rate mail/non-profit, doing this and putting it back in the box is just an annoyance for the mail carrier, they take it back to the office and put it in the "official trashcan" for 3rd class. If you truly want to refuse it and return it to sender you can do this but must include a new stamp to pay for the return shipping, which usually goes to a seldom checked if ever PO Box, the donation return envelopes are often a different PO Box.

A forward/change of address does not forward most junk as people have stated but it does put you on a list of changed address that business can buy.
JBTX
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by JBTX »

RickBoglehead wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:14 pm Reputable mailers may run the the Direct Marketing Association's DMAChoice file. It will cost you $2 to get on the file for 10 years. In 11 years you won't be on the file any more. You can mail in a request for $3, see PDF form on their site. Many mailers won't use this file. https://www.dmachoice.org/
Do this. It does help.

Also for catalogs

https://www.catalogchoice.org/

For credit cards


https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
Broken Man 1999
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Thanks to all for the links. I added or updated everything today.

Truth is we don't get that much junk mail, but it pays to stay on top of things..

Broken Man 1999
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LilyFleur
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by LilyFleur »

JBTX wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 5:15 pm
RickBoglehead wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:14 pm Reputable mailers may run the the Direct Marketing Association's DMAChoice file. It will cost you $2 to get on the file for 10 years. In 11 years you won't be on the file any more. You can mail in a request for $3, see PDF form on their site. Many mailers won't use this file. https://www.dmachoice.org/
Do this. It does help.

Also for catalogs

https://www.catalogchoice.org/

For credit cards


https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
Thank you so much. This has been on my list for a long time. I get mail for my young adult children and myself, and I am SO TIRED of those darn credit card offers on that really thick card stock! I signed all three of us up to opt out! :sharebeer
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by dratkinson »

Could search for techniques to "opt out" of junk mail.
Search: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+ ... +junk+mail

Recall having success when I went this route.

Some junk mails still got through (ValPak,...), so looked for opt out instructions included with junk mail and used it. It worked, but takes a month or so for them to update their mailing list.

Above mostly works, but still get spring junk mail from lawn service companies. It gets shredded without opening.
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LilyFleur
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by LilyFleur »

Wow, it is really hard to unsubscribe from AAA's Westways magazine. I've talked to two different people and now I'm on an anticipated 20 minute hold. I'm holding on chat to stop receiving the Costco magazine as well.

I am so done with all this paper coming into my home! :shock:
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celia
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by celia »

brokendirtdart wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 3:50 pm I've moved at least a dozen times. I always get either a PO Box or a UPS Mailbox at each new location-it doesn't have to be in the same town. I'll submit the forwarding request to that address and check the mail there maybe once a week.

Change the address to the companies you normally deal with to your real address.
Close the PO Box or UPS Mailbox after a year.

No mail missed and junk mail eliminated--at least until you open up a new relationship with a company that either sells your address or sends a ton of mail. No I don't feel sorry for the person that inherits my old mailboxes and my junk mail.
So you force your desired companies to do double work while the PO knows you at 2 addresses? And those who move into your old address are stuck with your junk mail?

If you keep moving within a 5 or 10 mile radius or in different directions around your employer, why not just get a centralized box or one near your employer?
brokendirtdart
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by brokendirtdart »

celia wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 8:10 pm
brokendirtdart wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 3:50 pm I've moved at least a dozen times. I always get either a PO Box or a UPS Mailbox at each new location-it doesn't have to be in the same town. I'll submit the forwarding request to that address and check the mail there maybe once a week.

Change the address to the companies you normally deal with to your real address.
Close the PO Box or UPS Mailbox after a year.

No mail missed and junk mail eliminated--at least until you open up a new relationship with a company that either sells your address or sends a ton of mail. No I don't feel sorry for the person that inherits my old mailboxes and my junk mail.
So you force your desired companies to do double work while the PO knows you at 2 addresses? And those who move into your old address are stuck with your junk mail?

If you keep moving within a 5 or 10 mile radius or in different directions around your employer, why not just get a centralized box or one near your employer?
Nobody is doing double work. Change the address with your desired companies as usual-block checked.

USPS can know me at one, two, or ninety nine addresses. The number of addresses do not matter.

My moves are generally measured in states, not miles. Moving 5-10 miles hardly seems worth the effort and sounds really boring to me, but if one were to do so I would open a box on the way to and from work. Not something I would have to take a side trip for. Note that unless used for other purposes these boxes only stay open for a year.

Zero cares here for someone getting my junk catalogs in their post office box. Getting someone else's junk comes with each re-used address. Post offices have recycle bins. I get some dead guy's AARP solicitations all the time-they come in handy for starting the wood stove in the winter.
carolinaman
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by carolinaman »

sureshoe wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:42 pm Curious if anyone had luck with this:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0 ... -and-email

I have been getting so many phishing calls lately that I'm about to lose my mind. Obviously criminals aren't going to respect that, so I'm not sure where my info was that got hacked. I've freezed credit/etc. Probably doing this soon.
Why does the FTC need SS number to stop unsolicited mail/calls?
sureshoe
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by sureshoe »

carolinaman wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:57 am
sureshoe wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:42 pm Curious if anyone had luck with this:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0 ... -and-email

I have been getting so many phishing calls lately that I'm about to lose my mind. Obviously criminals aren't going to respect that, so I'm not sure where my info was that got hacked. I've freezed credit/etc. Probably doing this soon.
Why does the FTC need SS number to stop unsolicited mail/calls?
lol, didn't look that close. No idea.
planetmike
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by planetmike »

For the insistent junk mailers who refused or are incapable of handling a polite request to stop junk-mailing me, I file a Form 1500. The USPS created this form to allow mail recipients to declare a mailer sending sexually suggestive mailings, and the mailer *must* stop sending mail to that address. It has worked pretty well.
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lomarica01
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Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by lomarica01 »

OP here
thanks for all the responses the one for me to clarify if from Rickbogle

"When you fill out the USPS Change of Address form, your information goes into the NCOA (National Change of Address) database. That database is available for access by any legitimate organization when they do processing of their files. These are called "New Movers". If you think of a lion or tiger, this is red meat to a marketer. These are very hot buyers."

So it seems like my mother will still get junk mail just based on her moving?.

Also one other poster stated that writing "return to sender" does not really work. any further comments on this? I guess the mail carrier will tell my mother if this is inappropriate to do.

Finally I sent out 10 emails yesterday ( took about 20 min) to the owners of the junk mail, 3 responded already stating they will remove my mother from their lists but one mentioned it might take 4-8 weeks to stop receiving their mail. My mother will be gone in 2 months so might not be worth to do it.
Kelmscott
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Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:02 am

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by Kelmscott »

I also used the Paper Karma app. It worked well.
DoubleComma
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Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:23 pm

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by DoubleComma »

You can never fully eliminate junk mail, but we have been able to significantly reduce it with each move. The steps are simple...

1) Do NOT submit a change of address to the USPS.
2) Directly contact the handful of business that need you forwarding address and provide it. I’m referring to places like financial institutions and other business you work with.
3) Create a simply DIY “we moved” card you can send to your family and friends. We still maintain a Christmas card list, and it’s that list of family and friends we inform when we have moved.

Best of luck to your mom. Hopefully she can simply toss the unwanted mail in a recycling can and not let it bother her to much. The USPS has limited incentives to reduce unwanted mail, they still get paid for every letter sent wanted or not.
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TexasPE
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Location: Southeast Texas

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by TexasPE »

RickBoglehead wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 12:27 pm We gave a donation to a charity last year. When I made the donation, I put in bold "please put me on your Do Not Mail file", so they would not spend any money asking me for more money. Of course I also said to put me on your Do Not Call file, Do Not Rent file, and Do Not Email file.
Tried this without success with the Salvation Army (a worthwhile organization). I formerly donated $500 per year to them as a single donation. I began receiving a written appeal for more money every 7-10 days. I consider this a waste of my donated funds. I contacted the local office and received a very nice letter explaining that the appeals were coming from the national organization and the local office could not have them stopped.

I now give this annual donation to a local food bank. No more junk mail- just a receipt for tax purposes.
At 20: I cared what everyone thought about me | At 40: I didn't give a damn what anyone thought of me | Now that I'm 60: I realize that no one was really thinking about me at all | Winston Churchill (?)
mptfan
Posts: 7218
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:58 am

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by mptfan »

TexasPE wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:07 pm Tried this without success with the Salvation Army (a worthwhile organization). I formerly donated $500 per year to them as a single donation. I began receiving a written appeal for more money every 7-10 days. I consider this a waste of my donated funds. I contacted the local office and received a very nice letter explaining that the appeals were coming from the national organization and the local office could not have them stopped.
This is why I don't donate to national charities or political entities of any kind.
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LilyFleur
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Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:36 pm

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by LilyFleur »

I spoke to three different people at AAA and spent almost a half hour on hold in order to unsubscribe to the Westways magazine, which I NEVER read. I spent 20 minutes on hold online for Costco chat in order to cancel that magazine. I have gone to the website to stop junk mail, and I am working on permanently stopping all credit card offers.

I have better things to do than safely de-personalizing this flood of paper that comes into my home, but it is a bit of work getting it stopped. :mrgreen:
RudyS
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 10:11 am

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by RudyS »

sport wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:59 am
rich126 wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 11:34 am I'd prefer to give cash or give it anonymously...
This will not work if you make QCD donations.
True. But I find that the organizations I send QCDs to usually respond to an emailed request to limit mailings to once a year.
z91
Posts: 790
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:19 pm

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by z91 »

Don't do the change of address. Sign up for Catalog Choice. The hardest thing to get rid of is mail sent in other people's names.
FamilyMan
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by FamilyMan »

SmileyFace wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 3:03 pm I just solved the problem by making sure my recycling container is one my way back from the mailbox. 99% of my mail doesn't make it into the house.
Boom, nailed it! If they want to keep sending me unwanted mail as I recycle their previously sent junk, go for it. They’ll eventually get the hint.
IMO
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Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: how to get rid of junk mail for my mother

Post by IMO »

Have her mail forwarded to your address temporarily. The post office doesn't forward bulk mailings which is essentially the junk mail.

Go though the forwarded mail as it comes with her and help her sort out what can be set up for automated payments. Also, sort through the important mailings such as bank statements, etc.

Then once she moves to her new place, if she desires to continue to actually deal with her own mail, then forward her mail to her new address. If you are helping her out with making sure bills are paid and those things, it will be much easier if those type of mailings come to you directly. Any other mailings (on-line purchases, cards from friends/family, etc) will naturally be sent to her new address as she gives that address to her friends/family or the businesses she orders things from).
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