| Unsolicited
Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go To “Just
Say No”
Tired of having your mailbox crammed
with unsolicited mail, including pre-approved credit
card applications? Fed up with getting telemarketing
calls just as you’re sitting down to dinner? Fuming
that your email inbox is chock-full of unsolicited advertising?
The good news is that you can cut down on the number
of unsolicited mailings, calls and emails you receive
by learning where to go to “just say no.”
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.
When you call, you’ll be asked for personal information,
including your home telephone number, your name and
your Social Security number. The information you provide
is confidential and will be used only to process your
request to opt out of receiving pre-screened offers
of credit.
In addition, you can notify the three
major credit bureaus that you do not want personal information
about you shared for promotional purposes—an important
step toward eliminating unsolicited mail. Write your
own letter or use the sample letter on the back of this
Alert to limit the amount of information the credit
bureaus will share about you. Send your 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
TransUnion
Marketing List Opt Out
PO Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39288-7328
Direct Marketers
Telemarketing
The Federal Government has created the National Do Not
Call Registry—the free, easy way to reduce the
telemarketing calls you get at home. To register, or
to get information, visit www.donotcall.gov,
or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.
You will receive fewer telemarketing calls within three
months of registering your number. It will stay in the
registry for five years or until it is disconnected
or you take it off the registry. After five years, you
will be able to renew your registration.
Mail
The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail
Preference Service lets you opt out of receiving direct
mail marketing from many national companies for five
years. When you register with this service, your name
will be put on a “delete” file and made
available to direct-mail marketers. However, your registration
will not stop mailings from organizations that are not
registered with the DMA’s Mail Preference Service.
To register with DMA, send your letter to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
Or register online at www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html.
Email
The DMA also has an EMail Preference Service to help
you reduce unsolicited commercial emails. To “opt-out”
of receiving unsolicited commercial email, use DMA’s
online form at www.dmaconsumers.org/offemaillist.html.
Your online request will be effective for one year.
Department of Motor Vehicles
The Drivers Privacy Protection Act
allows states to distribute personal information only
to law enforcement officials, courts, government agencies,
private investigators, insurance underwriters and similar
businesses—but not for direct marketing and other
uses.
Sample Opt-Out
Letter (Send to addresses listed above.)
Date
To whom it may concern:
I request to have my name removed
from your marketing lists. Here is the information
you have asked me to include in my request:
FIRST, MIDDLE &
LAST NAME
(List all name variations, including Jr., Sr.,
etc.)
______________________________
CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
PREVIOUS MAILING ADDRESS
(Fill in your previous mailing address if you
have moved in the last 6 months.)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
______________________________
DATE OF BIRTH
______________________________
Thank you for your prompt handling
of my request.
______________________________
Signature
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