Accelerate Magazine = AMD Advertisement

I received a complimentary (and unsolicited) issue of Accelerate magazine yesterday. This so called magazine is blatantly published by AMD and although it does have some actual content, the majority of its 72 pages (including cover and back) are an advertisement for AMD products. In fact there is actually a cautionary statement regarding the material in the magazine because AMD is a public c0mpany. There's no mention as to whether it was printed on recycled paper though. What a waste!!!

Page 5 lists this phone number (847) 291-5225. I called and after waiting on hold for a while spoke with a rep who took my info and said I'd be removed.

AMD, shame on you for wasting an outrageous amount of paper on unsolicited marketing. You've earned a C on the Junk Mail Scorecard, but if I ever receive another issue of this magazine you'll get an F.

School Market Research Institute, Inc.

I received some junk mail at my PO Box the other day from School Market Research Institute, Inc. It's addressed to a name I have never heard of "Micharl Lorusso" but somehow has my business name on it. That's a little concerning to me as there's a good chance someone else got a letter with my name and their business on it.

The envelope contains the 23rd Annual Survey of School Marketers. I'm not a school marketer, my business is not a school marketer, I'm not interested in taking their survey, and I'm really not interested in receiving mail from them. Unfortunately the only contact info included is a fax number and a URL to a surveymonkey version of the survey!

I found them on the web and found this phone number:
(800) 838-3444 x201

I spoke with Kathleen and she kindly said they would remove me from their mailinglist.

School Market Research Institute, I appreciate your friendly manner on the phone, but I'd prefer that you make it easier for people to opt-out from this unsolicited junk mail, so I have to give you an F on the Junk Mail Scorecard!

Citi PremierPass Credit Card Offer

I received an offer for a Citi PremierPass credit card in the mail. I called the toll free number listed on the application (800) 394-4896 only to discover it was an automated system. No matter what options you choose you will NEVER reach a human being or be given the option to opt-out of their mailings. However, when you choose the option to check on an existing application, they tell you to call a different phone number (888) 201-4523. So I called that number and had to read the rep the exact name and address as written on the offer. Then she proceeded to read me a disclosure about how it's possible I'll still get mailings for a while and how I could be added back to their list if I ever change my name, address or anything else about me!

Overall I give Citi PremierPass a D on the Junk Mail Scorecard. Only providing an automated phone system is terrible not only to their customers but also to those not interested. You should never have to call a 2nd number to reach an actual human. The only reason I did not give them an F is that when I finally was able to reach someone, they spoke English fluently, was easy to understand, understood me, and the call quality was excellent.

(800) 394-4896

Limited Too

I got an automated call today from Limited Too!!! I'm not one of their customers or even their demographic. I did once call them to be taken off their mailing list though (they were sending catalogs to a previous resident at my address). I must have called a toll free number because they somehow got a hold of my phone number.

Fortunately, the automated system had an easy to use option to opt-out of these types of calls. Hooray for Limited Too and their wonderful customer service. More companies need to add this type of option to their automated services!

OptOutPrescreen.com

Want to know why you get so many letters offering you credit cards or loans? It's because the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion) provide your name and address to creditors and insurers. They're legally allowed to do so under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)! Fortunately, the FCRA also provides you the right to Opt-Out from these lists.

OptOutPrescreen.com is the website where you can opt out of these lists and stop the Credit Reporting Companies from making money off of you!

There's no catch to this one, I recommend you do it right now!

The Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association is a national trade association serving the direct marketing field. Members of The DMA market goods and services directly to consumers using such media as direct mail and catalogs, telephone, magazine and newspaper ads, and broadcast advertising. The DMA provides simple instructions on their website to be added to lists of individuals that their members agree NOT to market to. They have lists for snail mail, telephone calls, and e-mails.

Here's the catch:
If you already do business with a member company, they can still send you mail.
If your name or address doesn't match exactly, they may still send you mail.
A lot of companies are not members of The DMA or don't reference this list.
There's a $5 charge to register online, but it's free to do it via snail mail.

Despite it not being perfect, I do recommend taking this action. I do it every time I change addresses and it does reduce some junk mail.

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/

Stop the Madness!

I hate junk mail. I hate the waste of paper. I hate the waste of corporate money that could be used instead to lower prices. I hate the cockiness of companies that think I'll do business with them just because they send me a piece of paper in the mail. Most of all I hate that I have to go out of my way to reach a company to tell them to stop sending me mail that I never asked them to send and they never asked permission to send! Join me and put an end to junk mail!!!!