Every time you make a donation, enter a contest, send in a subscription or warranty card, and even when you buy something on credit, your name and contact information might be added to a marketing list. In 1990 Americans threw away 418,000 tons of unopened bulk mail!

While some marketers are now targeting our e-mail addresses, you no doubt still receive unwanted solicitations through snail mail.  Check out the real life spam blocker options below.

What can we do?

• Credit Cards: Have Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and Innovis remove your name from their lists by calling (888) 567-8688 (888 5 OPT OUT).
• Coupons, Ads, and Samples: Look for the company name and contact them directly to remove your info.
• Avoid Warranty Cards: While they collect info to let you know about recalls, they are often sold. Most of the time you are protected even if you don't send in the card. You can write National Demographics & Lifestyles to be removed from these lists.
• Yellow Pages:The Local Search Association (www.localsearchassociation.org) and the Association of Directory Publishers (https://www.adp.org) have established a website that enables people to opt out from receiving telephone directories:  www.YellowPagesOptOut.com
  After registering by entering an e-mail address and creating a password, the requestor then enters a zip code and a list of telephone directories is generated.  The requestor can then choose those directories that he/she does not want to receive.
  Also, Dex, which prints directories, offers an opt out option for its households.  A household simply enters a zip code and then can select those Dex print directories that it no longer wants to receive.  Alternatively, the customer may call (866) 606-9339.  Businesses wishing to opt out may call (877) 243-8339 or send an e-mail message to:   DirectoryRequests@DexMedia.com.

Other Tips

• First of all, most if not all junk mail is recyclable. Check out our Junk Mail Recycling page for more information.For reducing junk mail, follow these five steps:
  1. Call or write the organizations sending you junk mail to request removal from their mailing lists. If prepaid envelopes or reply cards are included in the junk mail, send a request to be removed from their listings.
  2. If an 800 or other toll-free number is provided, call to request removal of your name and address from the firm's mailing list
  3. Write or call mailing list brokers and request to be placed on their "suppress file".
  4. Return unwanted mail. If the envelope says "address correction requested" or "return postage guaranteed" return it unopened by wrting "Refused, return to sender" on it.
  5. When you provide your name to any organization or when you order a product, request that your name not be shared.

What are mailing list brokers?

These types of brokers specialize in collecting and selling mailing lists. You can write them and ask to be placed on their "suppress" files. Examples below are ADVO, the Direct Marketing Association, Donnelly Marketing, and Experian.

Junk Mail Removal Services

Certain businesses now specialize in removing customers' names from direct mailing lists. Some charge a small fee and do the legwork for you. Others like DirectMail.com, Catalog Choice, and Yellow Pages Association are free but require more work on your part.

More Info

You can find even more information about junk snail-mail, telemarketing, and junk e-mail at the following websites:

• Obviously.com
• DMAChoice.org

Where to go

• Outside Santa Barbara County (13)

  • ADVO Incorporated Consumer Assistance — P.O. Box 249
  • Catalog Choice —
  • Credit Card Bureaus —
  • Direct Marketing Association, DMAchoice — P.O. Box 643
  • DirectMail.com — 231 Skipjack Road
  • Donnelly Marketing, Inc. Data Base Operations — 416 South Bell
  • Earth911.com – Information Only — 3481 Plano Parkway
  • Experian Marketing Service List Maintenance — 941 West Bond
  • InfoGroup, Consumer Database Department — 1020 East 1st Street
  • Local Search Association and Association of Directory Publishers —
  • OptOutPreScreen.com — P.O. Box 2033-A
  • Private Citizen, Inc. — P.O. Box 233
  • Yellow Pages Association —