Poll USPS: Junk Mail!!!

[Midpack]

This is 2011 data, I couldn’t find anything more current. We’ve tried to reduce or eliminate junk mail for almost 10 years, but nothing works, including refusing to do business with companies that won’t stop. Catalog Choice helped some for a while, but new junk mailers just replace the old as fast as you get off their lists. Big waste of resources for millions of Americans.

Advertising mail accounts for 59 percent of all mail Americans receive. But only half of that mail is ever read, according to the United States Postal Service.

"The Early Show" asked Kovach to shoot a video diary to document all the junk mail she and her family received in a month. At the end of the month, she had received 15 pounds of junk mail, and only three-and-a-half pounds of mail she actually wanted or needed. That number doesn't even include the free newspapers she doesn't want.

 

[OldShooter]

... Big waste of resources for millions of Americans.

Yup. Big source of revenue for the struggling postal system though. I don't mind throwing it away if it helps them maintain service levels and reduce postage price increases.

 

[GrayHare]

To boot, the junk mailers get special low postage rates.

 

[braumeister]

Probably 90% of the postal mail we receive goes straight into the recycle bin without ever being opened.

If you haven't already done so, you can set up an account at the Direct Marketing Association's website DMA choice.org

That will let you unsubscribe from some or all catalogs.

In Canada you can use the Canadian Marketing Association's site Do Not Mail Service

Epsilon is another place you can use to remove yourself from catalog mailing lists.

 

[kgtest]

I sort of look at the junk mail as the reason the mailman exists. Although today it's not so much mail as it is packages that need delivering. I rely way more on my package delivery guy these days then I do my mailman. The package delivery guy on the other hand never delivers me anything I don't want, whereas the mailman delivers lots of unwanted things...for instance bills.

 

[aja8888]

To make things worse, I frequently get other people's mail. Two weeks ago, I got a mailed prescription for an elderly person many streets away. When I mentioned it to our "postlady" (no uniform, driving HER Dodge van), she said it wasn't her fault as the mail gets sorted automatically.

 

[RunningBum]

To make things worse, I frequently get other people's mail. Two weeks ago, I got a mailed prescription for an elderly person many streets away. When I mentioned it to our "postlady" (no uniform, driving HER Dodge van), she said it wasn't her fault as the mail gets sorted automatically.

Report it to the local postmaster. It should get more attention. Might depend on the PO. A prescription is a pretty bad mis-mail.

 

[JustCurious]

I also hate getting junk mail. I don't think it can ever be eliminated, but it can be reduced by some of the methods already mentioned. You can also opt out of some mailing lists by contacting the mailer directly, and in some cases you can do so online. You can also switch to electronic statements for most or all of your financial accounts and bills and that helps to reduce the volume of mail as well.

Also, NEVER give your telephone number or address to any businesses voluntarily, unless it is absolutely necessary. Sometimes when I am buying something in a store, they ask for my address, but I never give it. They sometimes say "we will not send you any junk mail" and I say "I'm sorry, but I don't trust that" and I just don't give it. I am not so naive to think that once my address is in their computer system that it won't be used at some point to send me marketing materials, no matter what the sales clerk says.

 

[jetpack]

It's about 1/2 for me. I'm very aggressive at getting off mailing lists.

One of the best ways is dma choice.. there is also https://www.catalogchoice.org/

 

[easysurfer]

I selected over 59% by piece. I'd guess about 75% total.

Have signed up for that informed delivery feature where I get a scan of expected letters sent to my email. I really like as now know whether to retrieve at the my physical mailbox or let the junk mail grow until there is a letter worth a trip for.

 

[aja8888]

Report it to the local postmaster. It should get more attention. Might depend on the PO. A prescription is a pretty bad mis-mail.

Myself and several neighbors have complained to the postmaster several times about mail delivery problems and mentioned prescriptions being not delivered to the right addresses. The responses have been "we will look into that issue" and the outcomes have been the same. What else would you expect from a government employee that has no accountability?

My father retired from the PO in 1985 or therabouts. It was a different organization at that time. Postmen wore uniforms, were reliable, and didn't change routes that often. Since we have lived in our neighborhood for three years now, I'll bet we have had 10 different postal delivery people (maybe more, actually).

 

[Sunset]

We redirected out mail as we were going on holidays, after we got back I changed the redirect to end now that we were back, but I didn't cancel it.

We didn't get junk mail, and we wanted them to see what was on sale at the grocery store.

The next time we redirected our mail, I canceled it as soon as we got back (instead of changing the end date). We started getting our junk mail within a week..

 

[braumeister]

Reporting delivery problems to the postal inspectors has been pretty effective for me. Much more than contacting the local postmaster.

 

[aja8888]

Reporting delivery problems to the postal inspectors has been pretty effective for me. Much more than contacting the local postmaster.

How is that accomplished? Even at the PO I can't find any form for reporting problems (to anyone for that matter).

 

[CaptTom]

I'm not sure I really care. Junk goes right from the mail to the recycle bin. They pick up every other Thursday. No harm no foul. Store flyers from places we shop get a quick look before going into the bin.

As for getting off lists, one thing I've learned is NEVER donate to any charity or political party, except anonymously.

They'll spend every penny you donated, and more, mailing you glossy brochures, pleading letters full of sad pictures, urgent calls to action and trinkets they hope you'll feel guilty enough about receiving to send them more money.

 

[braumeister]

How is that accomplished? Even at the PO I can't find any form for reporting problems (to anyone for that matter).

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

 

[braumeister]

They'll spend every penny you donated, and more, mailing you glossy brochures, pleading letters full of sad pictures, urgent calls to action and trinkets they hope you'll feel guilty enough about receiving to send them more money.

Unfortunately, many people don't know that any unsolicited item you receive in the mail is legally considered a gift.

I will admit that I used to receive survey requests regularly from the Wall St. Journal, and they always included a crisp new $5 bill "to brighten the day of a child you know." I thought that was nice, and I always responded.

I also use the return address labels I get from various charities, but we send so little postal mail these days that they just don't have much value anymore.

 

[athena53]

As for getting off lists, one thing I've learned is NEVER donate to any charity or political party, except anonymously.

It's not just the charities- I donate generously to one local one in addition to my church, as well as making donations for some of the charity bike rides I do. None of them sold their mailing list from what I could tell, but when DH died I ordered prayer cards from The Catholic Company. (They have an inspirational picture and a biblical quote on one side and his dates of birth/death and a prayer on the other side- given out to people who attended the funeral). My junk mail has increased- charities I never heard of, a Harriet Carter catalogue (cheap knicknacks- I did't even know they were still in business) and others I'd never seen before.

Mostly I get credit card offers. I just opted out of those- most are for the ones with $450 annual fees. Too rich for my blood.

 

[FIREmenow]

One thing I used to do (when I was evil ) was get an empty box and affix the "junk-mail sender of choice"'s fully postage-paid return envelope to the outside.

Then, for the next couple of weeks, I'd fill up the box with all the junk mail.

When it was full, I'd tape it up and pop it in the mail drop box to be returned to the chosen "supplier".

Still had to open everything and take my name off of anything inside, though. Maybe that's why I stopped......

 

[braumeister]

FWIW, my standard answers in stores:

"Can I get your phone number?"
"Sorry, it's unlisted and I don't give it out."

"Can I get your address?"
"Sorry, we just moved and we're still in an extended stay hotel until we can find an apartment."

 

[MRG]

One thing I used to do (when I was evil ) was get an empty box and affix the "junk-mail sender of choice"'s fully postage-paid return envelope to the outside.

Then, for the next couple of weeks, I'd fill up the box with all the junk mail.

When it was full, I'd tape it up and pop it in the mail drop box to be returned to the chosen "supplier".

Still had to open everything and take my name off of anything inside, though. Maybe that's why I stopped......

That's brilliant!

 

[Midpack]

FWIW, my standard answers in stores:

"Can I get your phone number?"
"Sorry, it's unlisted and I don't give it out."

"Can I get your address?"
"Sorry, we just moved and we're still in an extended stay hotel until we can find an apartment."

We do the same, we don’t give any info we don’t have to - and I can’t remember a merchant who pushed it, they just say “OK.” It’s amazing all the info they ask for, and I assume some/many people give it to them.

 

[Luck_Club]

We've stopped mail to go out of town for about 10 days. When we come back we usually have 1.5 of the mail tubs.

 

[Walt34]

It hasn't happened recently but when a store clerk is insistent about getting an address I give them a former work address. I haven't worked there since 1991 and almost certainly no one there remembers me.

Come to think of it that is a bit depressing that I never screwed up badly enough to be memorialized like some guys did.

 

[braumeister]

If you really need an address, I would recommend 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield.

Currently owned and occupied by Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. But I don't think they'd mind if you used it.