What methods are there for decreasing the amount of junk mail one receives? I've already done 888-5-OPTOUT. Looking for some other ways to prevent unwanted mail

10/9/2011 9:32:18 PM

I did the opt out. Seems to cut down on most of it. I also write "RETURN TO SENDER" on it and drop it a mail box.

10/9/2011 9:44:51 PM

Shit in a box and send it back with one of their "prepaid postage" letters.

10/10/2011 12:50:51 AM

If it wasn't for junkmail a lot of people wouldn't get any mail at all, and then think how depressed they would be.

10/10/2011 12:52:50 AM

^true, imagine how bad the postal service would be hurting for money if junk mail were to cease.


We wouldn't have a postal service at all.

We'd have super expensive slow service snail mail

10/10/2011 12:55:33 AM

Or relatively inexpensive physical shipping like UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. Outside of having to send something in to the government (usually local) when was the last time you actually HAD to send a letter. Most things can be done now via an electronic method much faster and more securely. I can count on one hand how many stamps I've used in the last 2 years.

10/10/2011 1:09:35 AM

Quote :

"when was the last time you actually HAD to send a letter"

VD of the ABC makes me send a letter with the beer deliveries I make per month. They don't have an online database to input it.


Also, I could pay my city taxes via mail but I choose to drive my happy ass over there to make sure they calculate it and they take the money in person so they have me on camera and have them on camera and I have zero responsibility for incorrect tax amount.

Also, I could pay my fire department fee via mail

Also, I have to pay my health department fee and renewal via mail

Also, I have to pay my State Corporation Commission $100 yearly fee to maintain a corporation name via mail.

and that's about it.

10/10/2011 1:19:16 AM

Quote :

"Outside of having to send something in to the government (usually local) "

Yup, like I said... almost never. Mail is almost a totally unneeded service at this point. It is pretty much being propped up by government agencies with a vested interest to stay inefficient and ponderously large.

10/10/2011 1:23:57 AM

A lot of companies still invoice customers and pay vendors by mail. Mail still plays a vital role for business, beyond this cycle.

[Edited on October 10, 2011 at 1:52 AM. Reason : ]

10/10/2011 1:50:57 AM

yeh...I see what you did there. Besides the stuff you HAVE TO use mail for, you don't have to use the mail.

10/10/2011 1:51:13 AM

Quote :

"A lot of companies still invoice customers and pay vendors by mail."

Really? I know a lot of small businesses do this (my friend's carpet cleaning and restoration business for example, but he hates technology) but it's hard for me to picture many companies not having an electronic payment method or invoicing via fax or email.

10/10/2011 2:06:09 AM

It's not just small businesses.

10/10/2011 2:10:59 AM

Hmm, the more you know. I'm aware that most places have an accounts receivable dept. but I am under the impression that this is something that is going the way of the dodo. Apparently I'm incorrect.

10/10/2011 2:14:00 AM

NCSECU electronic billpay sends a shitton of payments through the mail.

10/10/2011 2:44:29 AM

Quote :

"Or relatively inexpensive physical shipping like UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. Outside of having to send something in to the government (usually local) when was the last time you actually HAD to send a letter. Most things can be done now via an electronic method much faster and more securely. I can count on one hand how many stamps I've used in the last 2 years."

maybe i am old fashioned but i send mail all the time. mostly cards like birthday, wedding, baby, congrats, thank you etc.

i go through about a book of stamps every 2-3 months

i pay all my bills online and don't have anything i HAVE to mail but i love sending people cards and packages and do that several times a month

10/10/2011 9:12:11 AM

I always mean to keep the prestamped envelops for personal use... but I always forget and I never mail shit out anyways; unless it's already prestamped. I'm assuming this would work.

10/10/2011 9:19:33 AM

my landlord still asks me to mail checks for rent. so snail mail gets to take a letter from NC to CA each month.

10/10/2011 9:27:16 AM

Quote :

"when was the last time you actually HAD to send a letter."

I send mail all the time. But that's because I like to write people letters

10/10/2011 9:32:05 AM

Quote :

"Really? I know a lot of small businesses do this (my friend's carpet cleaning and restoration business for example, but he hates technology) but it's hard for me to picture many companies not having an electronic payment method or invoicing via fax or email. "

The plant I manage is part of a much larger corporation and we do a lot of electronic payments with big accounts, but for our smaller accounts, like small businesses or individuals, we do a lot of paper invoicing and check mailing. Over time that will decrease, but snail mail is still very important to our business,

10/10/2011 11:16:44 AM

Try some of these tactics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUqLjjKk4Y

10/10/2011 9:45:28 PM

Quote :

" maybe i am old fashioned but i send mail all the time. mostly cards like birthday, wedding, baby, congrats, thank you etc."

It's called having a vagina and a smaller brain... Send an email woman.

Kinda jk....

10/11/2011 12:03:42 AM

http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/

similar to what GeniuSxBoY said, but worth sharing anyway

10/11/2011 12:11:36 AM

Anything?

10/11/2011 5:37:48 PM

I'm not sure there is but I WILL ask where it is you live.

In some smaller towns, the postman actually gets paid by the amount of mail they process a day...so junk mail helps them job wise and $ wise.

In large cities they dont get this benefit.

It keeps some postmen and women's wallets full.

I ask you that if you live in a small town, ask your postman...if he is getting paid by amount of mail, just take it and throw it away. It helps them.

10/11/2011 5:49:44 PM

http://lifehacker.com/230316/opt-out-of-unsolicited-mail-calls-and-cookies?tag=softwareprivacy

10/15/2011 7:26:02 AM

^^UHM. . . .kinda, but not really.

My mother is retired from the post office. City carriers are hourly and rural carriers are salary. The way that the mail volume affects the pay of rural carriers is their salary is calculated using the results of a mail count. If volume is low during mail count, but it typically isn't, it can hurt the carrier. But if mail volume just drops off, the route may become an auxiliary route or become combined with another route to make it a "full time" route.

10/15/2011 9:44:25 AM

JT3's post is pretty dumb.

10/15/2011 11:52:03 AM

JT3 is pretty dumb

10/15/2011 12:15:27 PM

I have to pay the water bill through the mail or drive all the way to albemarle. It is very annoying to me. I get a lot of credit card offers, especially form Citi Bank. They've been sending me crap about once every 2 weeks since I was 18.

10/15/2011 2:53:57 PM

^The opt out number would help

10/15/2011 9:40:17 PM

Quote :

"I also write "RETURN TO SENDER" on it and drop it a mail box."

my roommate did this once on a flier for a local republican and the mailman told her to throw away her own trash.

10/16/2011 4:50:54 AM

But it's not my trash. I'm sending it back to the assholes that are using my mailbox as THEIR trashcan.

10/23/2011 12:27:14 PM