For instance, as early as 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Rowan v. United States Postal Service that a government regulation allowing citizens the choice to refuse to receive unwanted commercial mail was constitutional, despite a First Amendment challenge, for it protects individual privacy. As a result, a consumer has the right to affirmatively go to the United States Post Office, fill out a form and to ask never to receive unsolicited mail from a particular marketer.This evening I called Comcast to opt-out of receiving their commercial postal mailings, and the representative informed me that I'd have to "throw it away"--they don't have a way for people to opt-out of their mailings.
I began this journey to become free of unsolicited postal mail after reading the inspirational story of local resident Matt Conens in the Sacramento News and Review. The article lists 41 Pounds and Green Dimes as two companies which help stamp out unsolicited postal mail.
According to Wikipedia, the USPS uses junk mail revenues to subsidize low-cost stamps for letters. So, in theory, the effect of eliminating junk mail on a wide scale might be the increase of stamp prices.
Junkbusters also exists as a helpful starting point. They note:
A U.S. Federal law gives you the power to stop any non-governmental organization from sending you further mail. You can download a copy or Form 1500 or ask for a copy to be mailed to you by telephoning a major Post Office in your area. Fill it out (it's very short), attach it to one of their opened letters, and lodge it at any Post Office. The form was originally intended to stop pornographic junk mail, but the Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed your right to stop any mail that you don't want. If the company continues to send you mail or sell your name they risk being prosecuted as criminals. Burnett comments that with this move ``name removal is virtually assured.'' (They will still store your name in their databases, but they are unlikely to continue renting it.)This evening, I ordered the Green Dimes kit, paid the $1 to the DMA to have them remove my address, submitted my info to https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ and geared up to swat down local junk mailers with USPS Form 1500.
Wishing you a junk-mail-free existance!
Others:
2 comments:
Very cool. I will be doing this, I think. My recycling pickup guys will undoubtedly be happy to see a lessening in the ridiculous amount of junk mail I give them every week!
Comcast is tricky to use Form 1500 on. They have hundreds of return addresses they use to send out their drivel. And each one has to be filed a Form 1500. I need to start up again, thanks for the prompt. Mike
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