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One of the many things to plan ahead for when taking to RVing fulltime is what to do about snail mail.
Some fulltimers have relatives to receive and forward mail on to them. Others have a mail forwarding service for the job.
Still, getting the mail you want is easier than not getting the mail you don't want. Junk mail is not exactly welcome when it comes every day when you live in one place and can get rid of it quickly. But when you get your mail once a month or so, and especially if you're paying to get it forwarded to you, the amount of junk mail becomes a more serious (and expensive) chore.
Here are some ideas for stemming the tide.
Credit Bureaus
"Pre-approved" credit card applications are unwelcome because they sometimes contain sensitive personal information that can be used for identity theft. The three major credit bureaus let you opt-out of receiving these kind of offers for a period of two years. When you call 1-888-567-8688, they'll ask for personal information such as telephone number and Social Security number. The info provided is confidential and will only be used for the opt-out process.
By mail, you can also tell them not to share personal information about you for any promotional purpose. Here's a sample letter that can be sent for this request:
Date
To whom it may concern: (see addresses of the 3 major bureaus below)
I want to have my name removed from your marketing lists. Here is the information you need to do so:
FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST NAME (List all name variations, including Jr., Sr., etc.)
CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS:
PREVIOUS MAILING ADDRESS: (Provide this if you have moved in the last 6 months.)
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
DATE OF BIRTH:
Thank you for your prompt handling of my request.
Signature
Equifax, Inc.
Options
PO Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123
Experian
Consumer Opt-Out
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
Name Removal Option
P.O. Box 505
Woodlyn, PA 19094
The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service
This is a company listed on the FTC's site on this subject. When you register with this service, your name will be put on a "delete" file and made available to direct-mail marketers and lets you opt out of receiving direct mail marketing from many national companies for five years. However, this will not stop mailings from organizations that are not registered with the DMA's Mail Preference Service. If you send your request by mail, there is no charge for the registration. Letter with same info contained above can be sent to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
You can register online also, and they say it's faster to do so, but there is a $5.00 charge in this case. It can be done at www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html.
Affiliates of places you have ordered from
A lot of that junk mail comes from partners or affiliates of places you do business with. This includes your bank, insurance/loan company, and clubs like Good Sam. Some let you "opt out" of allowing them to share your personal information on their website. If you can't find it online, call and get the address to send a request by mail.
You can investigate where the junkers are getting your address from by de-coding address labels. When you call to get your name removed, ask them to tell you where they got your name from in the first place - then call or write that company as well.
Tit for Tat
For junk mail that has a postage paid return envelope, stuff everything back in it and mail it back to them with your request in big bold letters not to contact you again. They get to pay the postage twice that way.
An Ounce of Prevention
Be careful when ordering online or through a catalog. Sometimes there are hard to find boxes checked that permits them to send you junk mail under disguise as "valuable offers." Read their privacy policy, check the fine print, uncheck the boxes, and don't give them permission to give your name and personal info to anyone else.
Now if it were only as easy to stop the spam scourge!
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