Lets Help the USPS & rid ourselves of junk mail & tele-marketers

[maryrob]

Got this in my email...Had to share this one. Hopefully you will enjoy and join me in getting back at the junk mailers and telemarketers.

I suppose some degree of commerce would grind to a halt if telephone solicitors weren't able to call people at home during the dinner hour.

But that doesn't make it any more pleasant. Now Steve Rubenstein, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, has proposed "Three Little Words" based on his brief experience in a telemarketing operation that would stop the nuisance for all time.

The three little words are "Hold on, please." Saying this while putting down your phone and walking off instead of hanging up immediately would make each telemarketing call so time consuming those boiler rooms would grind to a halt. When you eventually hear the phone company's beep beep beep tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. This
might be one of those articles you'll want to e-mail to your friends.

When you get ads in your phone or utility bill, include them with the payment. Let them throw the stuff away. Think globally; act locally.

When you get those pre-approved letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and junk like that, most of them come with postage paid return envelopes, right? Well, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little envelopes! Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express, or a pizza coupon to Citibank.

If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their application back! Just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them.

You can send it back empty if you want, just to keep 'em guessing!

Let's turn this e-mail into a chain letter! Eventually, the banks and credit card companies will begin getting all their junk back in the mail.

Let's let them know what it's like to get junk mail, and best of all ... THEY'RE paying for it! Twice!

Let's support our postal service. They say e-mail is cutting into their business and that's why they need to keep increasing postage. We can help!


__________________

Check out these [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now], or go directly to [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] EXP: 10.31.2002
Save 20% off of your purchase at ICE.com with coupon code BCD20-613018.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

Check out these [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now], or go directly to [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] EXP:
Blue from American Express is a credit card that adapts to your needs. It's designed to give you more flexibility and independence. You can pay for your purchases in full or pay over time. And the built-in Smart Chip gives you an added level of security when shopping online. Blue has no annual fee, a competitive 0.00% APR for the first 6 months and as low as 10.99% fixed APR thereafter, a grace period up to 20 days, and a
credit line up to $100,000.

[AngelswDirtyFaces]

heheh, I've done that before !! :"Hold on, please." LOL

(( BTW CONGRATS ON 1,OOO POST maryrob!!! )

[Rayann]

hey thats a good idea.... never thought of that.

[cashhound]

Hmmmm. Sounds good.

I like the hold on please idea...a LOT...lol.

[nrages]

Oh yes. I always send my junk mail back in the postage paid mailers! And I get a kick out of it. The junkmail has not slowed down, but I know deep down that they are mad when they open my mail because they think they are gettin a sale!! lol!!

However, I do include my name and address... I just put whatever they sent to me back in the envelope. I do this so they know EXACTLY who is doing this to them! I don't care if they send more. They are paying for it! and it is not like a waste of my time because I am having fun!!

[kat]

I've been doing this for years - my youngest LOVES to stuff envelopes & send them back. All the junk mail is "his" and he thinks it's great fun to practice his letters and then send them back (I just make sure that he isn't accidently signing us up for something).

Hopefully they'll eventually get a clue that we don't really want all this junk mail, but until then, the USPS is making money off of it all going two ways.


__________________

Check out these [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now], or go directly to [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] EXP: 10.31.2002
Save 20% off of your purchase at ICE.com with coupon code BCD20-613018.

[cutie_pie]

That's a good idea, sending the junk mail back. I wonder how much $$ I will save in garbage fees alone.....that junk mail really adds up.

Always happy to help the postal service


__________________

Check out these [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now], or go directly to [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] EXP: 10.31.2002
Save 20% off of your purchase at ICE.com with coupon code BCD20-613018.

[nrages]

Originally posted by cutie_pie
That's a good idea, sending the junk mail back. I wonder how much $$ I will save in garbage fees alone.....that junk mail really adds up.

Always happy to help the postal service

You don't have a recycle program in your area?

It it to the point where I simply CANNOT throw any paper in the garbage. I HAVE to put it in recycling. I try to throw stuff away sometimes, but then I usually get it out of the trash and recycle it later.


__________________

Check out these [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now], or go directly to [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] EXP: 10.31.2002
Save 20% off of your purchase at ICE.com with coupon code BCD20-613018.

[cutie_pie]

Originally posted by nrages


You don't have a recycle program in your area?

It it to the point where I simply CANNOT throw any paper in the garbage. I HAVE to put it in recycling. I try to throw stuff away sometimes, but then I usually get it out of the trash and recycle it later.

Nope, we cannot recycle junk mail. Our small town's recycling program consists of recycling: aluminum cans, clear glass, number 1 and number 2 plastics, and newspapers.

Garbage collection costs $2.50 per bag so I do recycle everything i can---want to help the environment AND save money...... but no junk mail, etc is accepted (unfortunately)

[nrages]

Originally posted by cutie_pie


Nope, we cannot recycle junk mail. Our small town's recycling program consists of recycling: aluminum cans, clear glass, number 1 and number 2 plastics, and newspapers.

Garbage collection costs $2.50 per bag so I do recycle everything i can---want to help the environment AND save money...... but no junk mail, etc is accepted (unfortunately)

Ah yes! That is very unfortunate!!

We barely have any garbage compared to all the others on our block because of all the recycling we do.

[telos2000]

I have put lead weights in the paid post return enevlopes (they pay by weight.) I had a friend tape a brick to one. Hehehehe!

[FUNdamental]

Originally posted by telos2000
I have put lead weights in the paid post return enevlopes (they pay by weight.) I had a friend tape a brick to one. Hehehehe!

Actually, the USPS is not allowed to return Business Reply Envelopes that have been tampered with, which heavy weighted BRE's are. So, you are costing the USPS money, resources, and time, not the business mailer.

The USPS subsidizes First Class Postage with the profits from bulk mail. The less bulk mail because of these hijinks the faster First Class postage is raised to cover the deficit.

Business Mailers spend a lot of money on printing and postage, because, other than calling you on the phone, there is no other way to ensure you personally received their message.

Take into account that many people are employed in jobs that rely on direct marketing. You are only hurting their jobs by depleting their company’s funds returning BRE’s that are empty, or have the contents of the original mailer inside.

Think about it, would you rather receive a direct mail piece you can read at your leisure, and respond when and if you wish, or, would you prefer to have someone call you on the phone with a sales pitch.

[telos2000]

Your just sooooo smart dude!

[nrages]

Originally posted by FUNdamental



Think about it, would you rather receive a direct mail piece you can read at your leisure, and respond when and if you wish, or, would you prefer to have someone call you on the phone with a sales pitch.

NEITHER!!!! It is illegal to keep calling you after you specify that you do not want any calls. If there is any way to stop the junk mail from coming, I would do it. I have called ALL of my CC companies to opt out of receiving 3rd party junk. I don't know HOW these people keep getting my address, but I don't want ANY junk mail!! ANd I want them to know. Which is why I send the junk mail back! I don't care how much it costs them. Besides, they make craploads of money from interest rates, so them paying a few cents for the mail is more annoying than costly!!!

[FUNdamental]

Credit card solicitation is NOT the only direct mail out there. I am sure you receive new magazine offers, and new product offers. It is all called "Direct Marketing."

Direct Marketing is the least invasive marketing tool, it doesn't interrupt your television viewing, or radio listening, it doesn't litter and distract your view while driving, and it Doesn't call you on the phone.

Simply put, if you don't like the marketing offer, put it aside, it is not invasive.