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Telemarketing
calls, junk mail, spam and e-mail.... it seems like there is no
stopping these annoyances and unwanted invasions into private life.
Selling consumer information to third parties and list marketers
is a big business. Even the Post Office provides your change of
address information to third parties. It takes a little time effort
but there are ways protect your information and remove your name
from mailing and promotion lists. This will also reduce some of
the junkmail invading your life. We have compiled a list of agencies
that will remove your name and address from solicitation lists as
well as who to contact if you are the victim of a scam. Most calls
and mail offers are annoying but not illegal.
Our parent sites strive to make it easy to shop for long distance
and credit cards without having to deal with junk mail and telemarketers.
SaveOnPhone.com
is where we have reviewed over 350 long distance plans and listed
the Top 10 lowest plans available and our opinions of them. LowCards.com
is where we have reviewed over 200 credit cards and listed the Top
10 lowest credit cards available and our opinions of them.
THE
FTC / FCC DO NOT CALL LIST
Probably the easiest
and best way to stop telemarketing calls is to put your number on
the FTC / FCC Do NOT Call
List . This has been in the news lately because the telemarketers
have sued to keep it from working, but we think when everything
is worked out in court it will stand.
If you change
long distance companies, this is an invitation for annoying telemarketing
calls and junk mail from other carriers. You can stop this intrusion by
calling the companies and requesting to be placed on their Don't Mail/Don't
phone list.
The numbers are:
MCI -- 800-950-5555
Sprint -- 800-877-4646
ATT -- 800-222-0300
The credit
bureaus offer a toll-free number that enables you to "opt-out"
of having pre-approved credit offers sent to you for two years.
Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688) for more information.
Take a little more time
and eliminate more unsolicited mail by notifying the three major credit
bureaus that you do not want personal information about you shared for
promotional purposes. Send a sample letter
to each of the three major credit bureaus:
Equifax, Inc. Options,
PO Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123
Experian Consumer Opt-Out, 701 Experian Parkway, Allen, TX 75013
Trans Union Marketing List Opt Out, PO Box 97328, Jackson, MS 39288-7328
The Direct
Marketing Association offers the Mail and Telephone Preference Services,
which allow you to reduce the amount of direct mail marketing and telemarketing
you receive from many national companies for five years.
Register with these services
and your name will be put on a "delete" file that is updated
four times a year-in January, April, July and October-and made available
to direct-mail and telephone marketers. It takes couple of months for
your name to filter through after you are entered into the quarterly file,
then you should notice a decrease in the number of solicitations you receive.
Unfortunately this doesn't eliminate all of your junk mail or calls because
this does not stop organizations not registered with the DMA's Mail and
Telephone Preference Services.
To remove your name,
Use our sample letter and send it to
the following agencies.
For direct mail
marketing:
Direct Marketing
Association; Mail Preference Service; PO Box 9008; Farmingdale, NY 11735
For telemarketing:
Direct Marketing
Association; Telephone Preference Service; PO Box 9014; Farmingdale, NY
11735-9014
In addition, the DMA
recently launched a new E-mail Preference Service to help you reduce unsolicited
commercial e-mails. To "opt-out" of receiving unsolicited commercial
e-mail, use the Direct Marketing Association's online form at www.e-mps.org.
Your online request will remain effective for one year.
Other good sites dedicated to reducing junk mail and telemarketing calls:
www.privatecitizen.com
www.junkbusters.com
www.antitelemarketer.com
www.fighttelemarketing.com
www.dontannoyme.com
www.ecofuture.org/jnkmail.html
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