h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Off-topic for a discussion on etiquette? Not really, as I find it very rude for people to send me letters and push leaflets through my letterbox, advertising products and services I do not want. There is, however, a solution:

The junk mail or leaflet will usually have an address on it so that you can order the products and services you don't want. Return the junk mail to the adddress, in a plain envelope, without a stamp on it. The recipient will have to pay the Post Office 99p to get back their own junk mail. If you are in a polite mood, you may wish to include a note giving your name and address. This will get you off their mailing list far more effectively than a complaint ever would. Tell them you will keep sending back unsolicited material in the same way.

The only cost involved in this method is the price of the envelope. In modern society it is not considered improper to steal small amounts of stationery from one's employers, so this should not present a problem.

ta 4 tip!!

Share and enjoy!

There is an organisation called something like The Direct Marketing Preference Society. I can't remember off hand how you get in touch with them, but if you do, any junk mail directly addressed to you should cease. I registered with them four years ago and most of my junk mail stopped, but the items addressed simply to 'the occupier' do still arrive.

Another tip is, be very careful who you give your address to. Most of the photo developing companies who operate via the mail will sell on your address as do many mail order catalogues. I don't use mail order catalogues any more and I take my films into town and pay that little bit extra for development and I believe that has also helped to cut the amount of junk mail that I receive.

sending it back to them's more fun!!

Hey! I work for the post office, and there is a way that you can sort this out- there's a service called Mailing Preference Service which knocks junk mail on the head. (It's free)
Go to www.mpsonline.org.uk
(Jeez, I'm working on my day off here......)

The only problem with the mps is that once you register they send you a nice registration pack - full of junk mail

This won't stop you getting junk mail from anyone but it's a lot of fun - get two loads of junk mail from two seperate companies, find the business reply envelope they often include (you can provide your own envelope if there isn't one, but don't put a stamp on it) then put one company's junk in the other company's envelope (and vice versa) and send them off, or you can just stockpile junk mail until you get a business reply envelope from one of them and then stuff it all in there. Not only do they have to deal with it at their end, they also have to pay for the postage

Plus it is perfectly legal to use a postage paid envelope to send stuff to a different address - just use a label and never pay for another stamp again (NB this doesn't work if the postage paid envelope is not paid post but addressed to a freepost address)

She's right, y'know.

Another way of keeping your name off junk mail lists: I know this one because I work in an Electoral Registration office. All of this is public knowledge, but not as widely known as it should be.

The government recently passed new legislation so that we would have to publish two versions of the Electoral Register.

1) The Full Register contains the name & address of every registered voter in the Borough. Distribution is strictly limited - the political parties, court service, credit reference agencies and a couple of others, and the law does not allow them to sell or pass copies on.

2) We are also required to produce an Edited Register and we cannot refuse to sell it to anyone who wants a copy - mainly junkmail firms.
The Edited Register contains the name & address of every registered voter in the Borough who has not OPTED OUT of being on it. When you received your annual registration form last September, you may have noticed a small box, which you had to tick in order to 'opt out'.

There are certain flaws in this system:

a) You probably noticed there's quite a lot of information on your annual registration form and it's easy to miss one little box.
b) A lot of people don't take the time to read the whole form if they are already registered - they just sign it and send it back.
c) I work in a London borough where many people don't speak English very well. The whole concept of a Full Register and an Edited Register is hard to get your head around - hey, and I WORK here

So, I suspect a lot of people are currently on the Edited Register who would prefer not to be, just because they either didn't read the form thoroughly or didn't understand it.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you aren't sure if you remembered to Opt Out when you filled in your form last September, phone your local Electoral Services Office (the easiest way is to call your local Council's main switchboard and ask them to put you through). They will be happy to check if you are Opted Out or not. If not, they will ask you to write them a short letter requesting it. Please don't be angry at the lifeform for not being able to do it over the phone. The government says we have to keep a written record of any changes you have requested to your entry in the Register.

If you're registering for the first time, be sure to tick the box that says you want to Opt Out.

Staying off the Edited Register won't stop you getting junk mail altogether, because they have other ways of getting hold of your address, but it's a step in the right direction.

(ps. Please note this thread is about Junk Mail. Any other election-related issues, take them to your local Electoral Services Office. I have no intention posting stuff related to my job during work time )

"(Jeez, I'm working on my day off here......)"

You may want to check out my posting on Electoral Registration on this thread