Try These Four Tips for Preventing Unsolicited Mail

Our #1, must-practice tip: Use the magic words “Please do not rent, sell, or trade my name or address.” 

These are the magic words you’ll want to use when you’re filling out forms such as warranty cards, subscriptions, raffles, customer information cards, credit card applications, memberships for an organization, or pretty much anytime you submit your name and address to anyone. Write them out next to your personal information, and repeat these words when making purchases over the phone (or look at a store’s privacy policy when shopping online), and voilà, you’ll stay off mailing lists.

A note about warranties: Be advised that it is not necessary to fill out a warranty card to benefit from the warranty on your purchase. Warranty and registration cards are usually just a way to get consumer information from you which is then often sold to direct mailers. Read the fine print to see if you are required to return the card to validate the warranty.

Tip #2: Get on “in-house” credit card lists. 

Contact your personal credit card companies and ask them to place your name and information on their “in-house” list that is not sold or traded to other companies. This will prevent more credit card offers from being mailed to your home.

Tip #3: Prevent charity solicitations.  

If you contribute once a year to a charitable organization, ask them to send you only one donation request per year, or see if they can send you a paperless request via email.

Tip #4: Watch out for contests and free offers.

Their purpose is often to obtain your name for mailing lists or to sell you something. If you do sign up for one, be sure to use the magic words from tip #1.