Remember when you might even be a little excited to check your mail? Maybe there would be a note or a card from someone, just maybe. Seems that never happens any more. All I feel going to check my mail is irritated that my next action will be to have to recycle or shred THEN recycle numerous "resident", "current occupant", or my fave, any of the 20 or so computer-generated versions of my name.
No more. I registered with Catalog Choice a month or so ago to assist me in refusing the mass mailings that flood my mailbox. It's a great free web tool that can simplify some of the work required to get your point across to marketers. What I found very interesting is the immediate refusal of both Nordstrom and Macy's to acknowledge my request. Catalog Choice provided me with the contact information though, so even if they couldn't stop the mail they greatly simplified my follow-up. In 4 weeks the site has managed to get me confirmation of removal from 3 catalogs and it is helping me track some of the others that are unconfirmed.
There is also some good information about how to stop unwanted mail at stopwaste.org that will give you templates for requesting to be removed from mailing lists. It's been about a month since I started mailing requests to the companies that spam me out here in meatspace. One of the first things I noticed was that a large number of BS mailings come from the very same PO Box in Wilmington, DE. Some jerk company is sending me numerous "offers" each week from various other companies - Southwest Airlines, Citibank, Marriott, etc. What a gross way to make a living!
Since embarking on my private little war against unsolicited mail I have mailed out 31 requests for removal to companies ranging from Pottery Barn to USC Continuing Dental Education. I've gotten into quite the efficient little groove and for once the junk mail gives me a tiny retaliatory thrill when I see it. I open up a template from the last request I sent (Oh! Maybe it's from PO Box 17198 too!) put in the new address and print it to my printer in my office. Next time I am at the printer I use the tools menu to print the envelope (I stocked up on plain envelopes at the same time I hit the post office). The entire task of responding to week's worth of junk is less than 5 minutes. It is too soon to see a difference yet, but at least my reaction to the stuff is more positive already!
If you are interested in your own assault on mail waste there are several other tools you may want to check out. Here's to more cards from Grandma and fewer "You could already be a winner" cards!
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