You can get rid of junk mail

Karin Haugrud

Published 06:00 a.m., July 19, 2008

Junk mail is advertising of one sort or another that arrives in your postal mailbox along with the mail you really want or need.

It's impossible to eliminate all of it, but you can substantially reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

What we call junk mail is actually the result of direct marketing campaigns designed to get you to buy a product or service.

It's called direct marketing because it attempts to match you and your buying preferences with offers that are likely to make you buy a product or service.

When you purchase a product or service and give the company your name and address, the chances are you are being added to one or more mailing lists used for direct marketing.

This is true when you buy a car or a house, use a shopping card, sign up for a credit card, subscribe to a magazine, buy something from a catalog, give money to a charity, or fill out a product registration form.

Your name, address, and other contact information, as well as the type of product or service, is entered into a computer database.

The business that collected the information will use it to solicit more business from you.

They might also rent their list to other businesses so they can send you advertisements. Lists are valuable, and renting lists is big business.

There are a variety of strategies you can use to get off direct marketing lists: If you want off as many national mailing lists as possible, contact the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service (MPS). You must re-register after five years.

Send a letter plus a $1 check or money order to Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512

When you register, your name and address are placed in a “do not mail” file, which is updated monthly. Registering with the DMA will reduce much of your junk mail.

If you have ever donated money to your favorite cause, chances are you have received fundraising solicitations from many related organizations.

Charities and nonprofit groups often rent or exchange each other's lists.

When you fill out the form that goes with your donation, look to see if there's a box to check indicating you do not want your name sold or rented.

Checking that box will reduce similar solicitations. If you don't find an opt-out box to check, enclose a note requesting that the organization not rent, sell or exchange your name and address with anyone else.

Junk mail is only junk when you don't want to receive it.

You may want to be on some mailing lists. If you want to receive some of this mail, do not contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service.

Rather, notify companies individually and tell them you want your name removed from their lists.

Also, tell the companies you do business with to keep your name and address private.

More companies realize that offering privacy safeguards is good business.

This article is made possible with Older Americans Act dollars from the Land of the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging.

Call the Senior LinkAge at 800-333-2433 to speak with an information specialist, or check out our website at MinnesotaHelp.info.

The site includes more than 12,000 agencies and 44,000 services across the state of Minnesota.

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Karin Haugrud is a Senior Linkage Line specialist.