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View Full Version : Get rid of Credit Card Apps in the mail



John Hixon
08-16-2009, 2:56 PM
I think I have found a way to get rid of all the junk credit card apps.

I wrote NO in huge letters across each application, with a large magic marker, (this may have been overkill, but it felt good ) and mailed each one back in the post paid envelope.

It seems they don't like having to pay the postage and open their own junk mail.

Chuck Wintle
08-16-2009, 3:05 PM
I think I have found a way to get rid of all the junk credit card apps.

I wrote NO in huge letters across each application, with a large magic marker, (this may have been overkill, but it felt good ) and mailed each one back in the post paid envelope.

It seems they don't like having to pay the postage and open their own junk mail.

i have a small shredder for that very purpose!! All unsolicited mail goes through this magical device and is turned into confetti!!

Michael Wetzel
08-16-2009, 3:29 PM
Just mail the empty envelope back to them..

Frank Hagan
08-16-2009, 3:47 PM
There is an opt out form that works for most offers (note: it doesn't stop organizations you already deal with, like your credit union, bank, voluntary organizations like the NRA, or alumni associations from sending you offers). Its at: https://www.optoutprescreen.com/opt_form.cgi

You can opt out of most bulk email at http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html (members of the Direct Marketing Association adhere to that list; your local businesses don't, and the mailing lists from magazines, etc. are not always compliant with it.)

Jim O'Dell
08-16-2009, 5:21 PM
What about using the computer to make a flyer for selling the Brooklyn Bridge, and mailing that back in their prepaid envelope? Maybe at the bottom of the flyer, put something like, "If not interested in this offer, please remove me from your mailing list." :rolleyes:
They must get enough positive sales from this to keep doing it. I know their bulk mail expense is not first class postage rates, but it still costs money to send them. They wouldn't do it if enough people didn't bite. Jim.

Brian Ashton
08-16-2009, 7:26 PM
Down here aussies are so cheap the spammers won't even include a postage paid envelope:D

Jim Rimmer
08-16-2009, 7:55 PM
I think I have found a way to get rid of all the junk credit card apps.

I wrote NO in huge letters across each application, with a large magic marker, (this may have been overkill, but it felt good ) and mailed each one back in the post paid envelope.

It seems they don't like having to pay the postage and open their own junk mail.
I wrote across the same one and mailed it numerous times. Even threatened legal action to no avail. So now I am back to what I was doing before as Charles suggested - shredder.

Dan Mages
08-16-2009, 8:07 PM
You can also call the card company and politely ask them to remove you from their solicitation list. We do not recieve any credit card offers in the mail.

Dan

Cliff Rohrabacher
08-16-2009, 10:31 PM
Years ago I used to paste the return envelopes to a rock or a brick and drop that in a mail box.

Then later ( but still years ago) when I had well and truly mellowed into a law abiding citizen of indisputable character, I took to putting household garbage in the envelope and mailing that back.

Then eventually I realized it was easier to just throw it in the trash.

Ed Breen
08-17-2009, 10:14 AM
One additional way to retaliate!!
Collect all the solicitations for a week or two and wjhen you have a good supply -
Take the application, write NO and place it in the envelope of a different bank and mail it. It will make you feel better.
Ed:rolleyes:

Rob Russell
08-17-2009, 10:27 AM
Then eventually I realized it was easier to just throw it in the trash.

That's a good way to give someone an easy in to get a free credit card. The problem is the preapproved offers make it too easy for folks to get cards on your credit.

We shred all those things.

Dave Johnson29
08-17-2009, 11:15 AM
Down here aussies are so cheap the spammers won't even include a postage paid envelope:D

Can you refuse to accept mail, down under? Here (USA) we can refuse to accept it. If it appears in my mail box I write 'delivery refused" and drop it back in the mail. I believe they get to pay the return postage unless it has "if undeliverable, please destroy."

Cliff Rohrabacher
08-17-2009, 12:41 PM
That's a good way to give someone an easy in to get a free credit card. The problem is the preapproved offers make it too easy for folks to get cards on your credit.

We shred all those things.


HA HA I threw a MAC renewal card out on time 'cause I looked like trash.


It can be a hassle to make right a stolen pre-approved card, but at law if you never agreed to it, then you are not responsible for any charges on it.
Of course the card company will not just roll over when you tell 'em you never saw the thing.

Stephan Postmus
08-17-2009, 5:57 PM
You could write "deceased" on it and send it back. I know that it worked for me.

Stephan

Dave Johnson29
08-17-2009, 6:49 PM
You could write "deceased" on it and send it back. I know that it worked for me.

Believe it or not, but that is illegal in most if not all States.

Matt Meiser
08-17-2009, 7:21 PM
Believe it or not, but that is illegal in most if not all States.

Then write DECREASED. :rolleyes::D

Dave Johnson29
08-17-2009, 8:05 PM
Then write DECREASED.

:D:D:D:D That should work

Matt Meiser
08-17-2009, 8:52 PM
Yeah, they'd have a hard time arguing that your mental capacity wasn't if you took the time to do it. :rolleyes:

Seriously, we opted out of the pre-approval credit checks from all three credit bureaus. I can't remember the details, or what exactly its called since its been a few years. But it dramatically decreased the number we got within a couple months. They've started slowly coming again, mostly from hotels and airlines I have loyalty memberships to, so maybe its time to renew.

Ed Bamba
08-17-2009, 9:33 PM
Just so you know, if it's not First Class Mail, or if the envelope doesn't have "Address Service Requested" or "Forwarding Service Requested" etc., it is useless to write "Refused" or "Return To Sender" on it. It'll just go into a huge pile of Bulk Mail when the Mailman brings it back to the station. Not sure where it goes from there--hopefully destroyed.

Paul Ryan
08-17-2009, 9:46 PM
There is something like the do not call list for junk mailings. I signed my wife and I up for it over a year ago and the amount of junk mail that we receive has dropped dramtically. I couldn't tell you the last time I got a credit card offer. Every so often I get one for the airlines but that maybe is once a quarter. We used to get 6-10 a week each and now it is basically zip. And the ridculose catalogs and cd's and all that other crap stopped too. The bad news is I forgot what I did. I saw the story one night on the CBS evening news and followed their directions. I am sure if you search enough on the web you should find something.