How to Stop Junkmail

[Muley69]

This is pretty cool...you can actually get Canada Post to stop delivering junk mail to your door. Course, this doesn't stop the flyer-distribution-cat-lady that every neighborhood seems to have, but it's a start

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Cana...39628-sun.html




The actual website for the form to fill out / send to Canada Post is here:

www.reddotcampaign.ca

[Swivel Hips]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

This is pretty cool...you can actually get Canada Post to stop delivering junk mail to your door. Course, this doesn't stop the flyer-distribution-cat-lady that every neighborhood seems to have, but it's a start

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Cana...39628-sun.html




The actual website for the form to fill out / send to Canada Post is here:

www.reddotcampaign.ca

Yes, thanks. I saw this story on the Canadian Press wire yesterday. Obviously, the Sun monitors CP!!

Cheers,

SH

[Rayminator]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

I got an interesting email the other day that was an originally broadcast on 60minutes that can allow you have some fun with not only junkmail, but telemarketers, too:

1. Tell telemarketers to hang on and never come back to the phone.

2. Send junk mail back to the company who sent it to you - for ex. in credit card apps just send a blank app back to them, or even better in the return envelope put your other junk mail in it and send it back to them. It doesn't cost you anything, and it costs them postage. If enough people do it, the cost of postage will no longer be justified.

3. If you get those phone calls where the person who called you says nothing then hangs up, more often than not that's a telemarketer using an automated dialing machine to find out when the best time to call you is. If you can, just press the # button 6 or 7 times before they hangup. This scrambles the number and takes you automatically off their list.

[MoneyGuy]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

I still like my idea. Wait for the telemarketer to come on the line, then blast the guy with my shrill whistle that I keep around for such occasions.

[Steve Vale]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

I got an interesting email the other day that was an originally broadcast on 60minutes that can allow you have some fun with not only junkmail, but telemarketers, too:

1. Tell telemarketers to hang on and never come back to the phone.

2. Send junk mail back to the company who sent it to you - for ex. in credit card apps just send a blank app back to them, or even better in the return envelope put your other junk mail in it and send it back to them. It doesn't cost you anything, and it costs them postage. If enough people do it, the cost of postage will no longer be justified.

3. If you get those phone calls where the person who called you says nothing then hangs up, more often than not that's a telemarketer using an automated dialing machine to find out when the best time to call you is. If you can, just press the # button 6 or 7 times before they hangup. This scrambles the number and takes you automatically off their list.

Having worked in a telemarketing call centre - numbers 1 and possibly 3 are bogus:
1) The telemarketer will hang up and keep your number in the rotation, so you're likely going to get called again.

2) I've done number two personally - stuffed the return envelope full of all the other direct marketing. If you want to fight fire with fire, tape the return envelope to a brick and return it.

3) Having worked with an auto-dialler, this will make no difference. All it will do is give the telemarketer an extra reason to manually program your next call - and you can bet it's coming around dinner. This might work with robo-diallers but I have no idea.


Myself, if I get called, I do a few things.
1) I tell them to cut their scripted sale and get to the point. Even if they're not on an official script they've got scritped guidelines to follow. If they try to go back to the script I request a second time.

2) I tell them "you've caught me at work". Since I do home-office work, it's true. But even if you're not a home-office worker, you could be at work coming up with your best ever reply at esksfans.com - right?

3) I ask them as professionally as I can to have them remove me from their list. I know that most of the employees probably don't really love their job and are often just doing it to pay the bills (and the stigma of working in telemarketing). I'm not going to get far if I treat the employee like a pile of trash.

[Beerfish]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

2. Send junk mail back to the company who sent it to you - for ex. in credit card apps just send a blank app back to them, or even better in the return envelope put your other junk mail in it and send it back to them. It doesn't cost you anything, and it costs them postage. If enough people do it, the cost of postage will no longer be justified.

I do this one all the time, heck I've got a stack of about 10 of these waiting to be mailed right now.

As for other telemarketing. They deserve all the scorn they get. They have forced me to change my lifestyle, I have no problem just hanging up on the person who starts yammering at me.

[Rayminator]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

Having worked in a telemarketing call centre - numbers 1 and possibly 3 are bogus:
1) The telemarketer will hang up and keep your number in the rotation, so you're likely going to get called again.

2) I've done number two personally - stuffed the return envelope full of all the other direct marketing. If you want to fight fire with fire, tape the return envelope to a brick and return it.

3) Having worked with an auto-dialler, this will make no difference. All it will do is give the telemarketer an extra reason to manually program your next call - and you can bet it's coming around dinner. This might work with robo-diallers but I have no idea.


Myself, if I get called, I do a few things.
1) I tell them to cut their scripted sale and get to the point. Even if they're not on an official script they've got scritped guidelines to follow. If they try to go back to the script I request a second time.

2) I tell them "you've caught me at work". Since I do home-office work, it's true. But even if you're not a home-office worker, you could be at work coming up with your best ever reply at esksfans.com - right?

3) I ask them as professionally as I can to have them remove me from their list. I know that most of the employees probably don't really love their job and are often just doing it to pay the bills (and the stigma of working in telemarketing). I'm not going to get far if I treat the employee like a pile of trash.

I have tried this before too and it usually means you just get taken off that marketing campaign's list, you won't get your name permanently deleted from the system. It stops the calls temporarily but as soon as they move onto their next campaign, you're right back on the list again.

[Steve Vale]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

I have tried this before too and it usually means you just get taken off that marketing campaign's list, you won't get your name permanently deleted from the system. It stops the calls temporarily but as soon as they move onto their next campaign, you're right back on the list again.

Sorta like arguing with a Riders fan

[Diesel]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

Manual Buzzer

[Muley69]

Re: How to Stop Junkmail

I have call ID and I do NOT answer unsolicited phone calls.


I may sound like a prick, but I don't answer any phone call from a number that I don't know. If people want to get a hold of me but I don't have them programmed into my phone, then they'll have to leave a message and I'll get back to them.