|
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.
Removing
Your Name from Solicitation Lists
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
Credit
Bureaus
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
Direct
Marketers
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
|
