Save the trees and end your cluttered mailbox experiences!

[jamesbond007]

Hey everyone! About the middle of last summer, I started getting an insane number of pre-approved credit card offers in the mail. This was very annoying! However, I stuck through, shredded the personal info that they contained inside, and threw out the rest. Today, I figure I average 4-5 applications per week, minimum, and figure that this is it! In the past, I've written letters and put them in the return postage-paid envelopes that come with the offers, saying to remove me from their mailing lists and what-not. Well, that seemed to have a negative effect and I got even more!

Enough is enough! I've began calling the numbers on the offers and requesting to be removed from their solicitor's listing. They say I'll get the offers for 4-12 weeks because of pre-scheduled mailings, but whatever. I'm sick and tired of those punks wasting paper on something I'll never sign up for! If I wanted a credit card, I know where to get them! :|

While calling the Bank of America line and having to call another number for a HUMAN representative, I was directed to call 1-888-567-8688 and that will remove me from a big listing, which is where the Bank of America gets their solicitor's names and addresses. When calling that number, there's a URL that was given:

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

Since I did not want to go through some automated phone removal service, I just went ahead and did it online. It's a secure site, so be aware. I only filled out the required fields as I did not want to give my social security number to THEM to remove me from their spam list.

Anyways, if you're in the same boat as me, I thought this URL was worth passing around to save some trees!

Enjoy and I hope this isn't a repost! :thumbsup:

 

[FoBoT]

junk mailers have kids to feed too

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Is this website really legit?

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Is this website really legit?

yes

http://clarkhoward.com/library/tips/credit_cards.html

Eliminate credit card pre-approvals - January 27, 2005
It?s important that you shut down credit card pre-approvals in general to prevent identity theft, but it?s even more important if you?re planning to move. That?s because the companies continue to send pre-approvals to your address even if you move. Identity thieves can simply grab those forms out of your old mailbox and fill them out, pretending to be you. They then rack up all kinds of charges on ?your account.? So, be sure you OPT OUT of those pre-approvals now! When you do, you can either opt out permanently or for five years. You can either call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT or go to optoutprescreen.com. It won?t eliminate every pre-approval. Frequent flier cards and hotel points cards are not blocked, for example. But it will take care of most of the offers you would have received.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Is this website really legit?

Yes, I thought that myself, but I double-checked when I called the 1-888 number a second time to verify the URL. You can call the number yourself, if you want. 😛

EDIT: FoBoT, thanks for the URL and information! In regards to the mailers needing to feed their kids, then, well, they should look elsewhere for employment! 😉

I opted out permanently...so far this week, I've gotten 11 offers, starting this Monday. I don't know what list I was on, but WOW this sucks serious balls.

 

[murphy55d]

Cool, thanks.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Is this website really legit?

Yes, I thought that myself, but I double-checked when I called the 1-888 number a second time to verify the URL. You can call the number yourself, if you want. 😛

EDIT: FoBoT, thanks for the URL and information! In regards to the mailers needing to feed their kids, then, well, they should look elsewhere for employment! 😉

I opted out permanently...so far this week, I've gotten 11 offers, starting this Monday. I don't know what list I was on, but WOW this sucks serious balls.

did you but your social security online also?

 

[jamesbond007]

Nope, I left that field blank. Not sure why they'd want that...greedy bastards!

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Nope, I left that field blank. Not sure why they'd want that...greedy bastards!

If they don't already have your SSN and refer to it in their database, then they don't need it to remove you from their mailing list. It's just another ploy to get more information about you.

 

[Heisenberg]

Hmm...I poked around on google a bit and it seems like the site is legit. I still wouldn't give my SSN though just to be safe.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
Hmm...I poked around on google a bit and it seems like the site is legit. I still wouldn't give my SSN though just to be safe.

Yeah I wouldn't either! Just fill in the minimum required blanks and blow their junk mail into oblivion!

 

[Sex Smurf]

Ah, wouldn't you know, Websense at work is blocking this site! Oh well, gotta do this at home. thanks for the link.

 

[Zolty]

Just take the prepaid envelopes they send you and tape a brick to it. They have to pay to ship it.

 

[Baked]

Done. You don't have to enter your SS#. Man, hate those pre-approval letters. Will this stop the CC rate checks too?

 

[Cawchy87]

I have been getting pre paid credit card offers since I was 15. I have gotten 4 dozen golf balls out of it too by sending away for those, but never getting the card 😛

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: Zolty
Just take the prepaid envelopes they send you and tape a brick to it. They have to pay to ship it.

I've gotten into the habit of swapping contents - the Discover return envelope gets the visa forms (unfilled, of course), Visa gets MC, etc. I receive 3-10 offers each week, and every mailed pre-paid envelope gives me a little warm feeling inside.

Maybe I'll try that list and see if it works.

 

[jamesbond007]

IIRC, they say that it'll take 3-12 weeks before you'll completely stop getting them. Prior to this, I was calling up each company asking to be removed from their solicitor's list, which is what I'll continue doing for each company one time. After that, I'll continue refusing the envelope and write "Return to sender" on them. For those that have no return address (gee, how convenient!), I open them up, fold up everything they send me including the outside envelope, and send it back to them with a nice letter saying to fill their own landfill with their own trash and to quit sending it to me. 🙂