Are your parents elderly and receive alot of unwanted mail asking for donations?

[Joyce H]

Do you know an address or an e-mail address to report these companies for preying on the elderly? How do you get these mailings to stop?

[Cyndi s]

Junk mail may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but with a little patience there are effective ways to tackle the problem. This guide provides clear, simple and proven reduction techniques. About 20 minutes investment now will clear the junk for between two and five years.

General Techniques
Your name, address, and buying habits are a commodity that is regularly sold & traded on the open market. These days organizations you deal with virtually all sell your name unless you specifically ask them to stop. Here are some general techniques:


Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or fill out a warranty card, write in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address". Most organizations will properly mark your name in the computer.
Product warranty cards are are often used to collection information on your habits and income, for the sole purpose of targeting direct mail. They are not required in most situations - avoid sending them.
On the telephone, ask "Please mark my account so that my name is not traded or sold to other companies".
Your credit card company probably sells your name the most often -- keep reading for techniques to stop it.
"Contests" where you fill in a little entry blank are almost always fishing expeditions for names. If you fill one out at a football game, for example, expect to get a catalog of football merchandise within a few months. Avoid these if you don't want the mail.
Select a false middle name or initial for each charity or business you deal with. Keep track of which letter goes with which organization. You can also select a false road designator, "avenue, place, circle, street, highway, parkway, etc.". This step can be very revealing. Some guides recommend changing the spelling of your name, but this can lead to duplicate mailings.
To stop specific types of unwanted paper mail


First class mail: Cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage and write "refused: return to sender". Drop in any mail box, it will be returned to the sender.
Bulk mail: The post office throws away bulk mail it can't deliver, so returning it does no good. Bulk mail is the hardest to deal with because the USPS actively provides addresses, support and encouragement to mailers. However, if "address correction requested" is written on the label: circle "address correction requested" and treat like first class mail.
Sexually Oriented Advertising (SOA):The only help you'll get from the Post Office in controlling junk mail is for explicit stuff. Fill out USPS forms 1500 if you wish this type of mail to stop. You define what you find to be explicit -- if that's an automobile parts catalog the post office won't disagree with you.
Credit offers: The major credit agencies all sell aggregate credit information any bidder. Direct mail and credit companies generate mail based on demographics including zip code, income band and credit payment patterns. Stopping this is easy, you just need your address, former address within two years, and social security number. One call does it all for agencies Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and Innovis. Dial 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day.
Catalogs:
Call the company's 800 number and have the label handy.
Write your instructions on the mailing label and fax it to the company. Mark "ATTN: customer service".
Tear off the label, write your instructions on it, and enclose in the postage-paid ordering envelope. Mark envelope "ATTN: customer service". This method is the least effective.
AOL (America On-Line): You could pave the nation with the free discs these people send out, call 1-800-605-4297 (24 hours a day) to get off the list. Tell them your first name is "current", last name "resident".
Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes: You can get the Clearinghouse to stop clogging your mailbox by contacting customer service at 1-800-645-9242 (8:30 am to 8:30 EST), sending a fax to 1-800-453-0272, mailing to 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050, or you can send email to pch@ant.net. PCH will remove any number of names from a specific address, but you have to list each name exactly and insist nicely.
American Family Sweepstakes: Ed McMahon and Dick Clark will stop telling you "You have definitely won 11 million dollars (maybe) " if you call them at 1-800-237-2400. AFP is a division of Time-Warner.
Local business & supermarket fliers: All mailings must be identified, by postal regulations. Each lose-leaf bundle of fliers, by postal regulations, must be delivered at the same time as an address card. Locate this address card; the cards usually have an advertisement and a photograph of a missing child. You may need to call directory assistance to get the phone number of the sender. Specific senders are:
ADVO (Mail comes with pictures of missing children). Call 1-860-285-6100 to get off the list. You may have to send a postcard to "ADVO Consumer Assistance, POB 249, Windsor CT 0609

[Rosebud]

My father in law used to get them. He thought they were bills and sent $25 to every one of them. My husband just started going through his mail with him and throwing out most of them. I don't think there's a "do not mail" list, but you could try returning them to sender.

[Patty]

If it comes with one of those prepaid envelopes, just put the junk mail in it and mail it back. Along with a message to Cease and desist.

[Patty]

When I get unwanted mail (junk),and after I take my name and address off, I pack it ALL up in the return envelope and send it back to them. I even include other junk mail too, as they pay BULK rates.
That way they pay postage BOTH ways and get nothing from it.
If everyone would do that, eventually the scammers would go away.
(Rosebud, give this a try.)

[HappyCamper]

I would love to know this for myself. I get at least 10 a wk. asking for my petition or a donation. I was on the NO CALL for solicitors but now I'm getting calls again. I guess you have to re -join each year.///////////Between this and all the junk on here from unwanted people, I'm about to drop out of everything. It's too bad we can't have something that is fun and relaxing without having to put up with the JUNK mail.

[melissa]

my mother gets so much junk mail, and phone calls

[steep606]

as already said ~save your junk mail ~menus etc .
then the first lucky person to send you a prepaid envelope fill it and post it.
enjoy the day

[Bill P]

Thanks for asking, Joyce. Much good info here.

[sophieb]

Several places sell your address, one is the drivers license bureau but catalog houses do as well, and also when there is a contriubtion made or made in someone's name what included an address to one of those missionary places they sell the names to each other as do the veterans places, etc. If your parents once contributed to any organization at all by mail that's why they are now and still getting those requests for donations. Why would you want to report those companies (and, it would be a long drawn out process) anyway, the simplest answer is to just toss their requests into the wastebasket. Those organizations think that if you're filing income taxes yearly or want to contribute as an elder person to let go of some of your cash so the state or government can take you into their facilities that you can surely contribute to them and get a tax deduction or help yourself. Those organizations are trying to help themselves and help the contributor at the same time.