I Hate Junk Mail

What's even more frustrating than finding bills in your mailbox when you come home? To me it's finding your mailbox filled with junk mail. Junk mail has gotten out of control. My recycle bin is filled each week with more Pennysavers, credit card apps, catalogs and charity solicitations than I have household trash. 

I realize that junk mail has it's purpose. It keeps the postage rates down by bringing much needed revenue into the post office, much like the advertisements on the side of my blog does for me. Junk mail also keeps the recycling industry humming by providing an endless supply of raw materials.

I'm not saying they should stop junk mail entirely, just cut back. When I was younger we would get one Pennysaver a week. That was fine, my family would actually look at it and maybe even do the crossword that they sometimes included. But now, we get one or two of them a day! This is no exaggeration. As if we don't get enough through the mail, Newsday even includes a Pennysaver in their Sunday edition. Some of them are dressed up with fancy names like "North Shore Today" some are printed on stock paper like a magazine. But, they are all the same, an intrusion to my mailbox, information that I did not ask for. I even wrote a letter to these companies, asking to be removed from their mailing list. I didn't even as much as a letter back from them. But the Pennysavers keep on coming.

Almost as bad but even more dangerous are the credit card offers. If you have fairly decent credit, they'll bombard you with so many offers that you know which bank and what card it is by the envelope. What makes these banks think that if I declined their offer the first five times, that I'll accept it on the sixth time, or the sixtieth? I mean save that money and give your existing customers lower rates.


Even when you have an account with one of these credit cards, then the checks start pouring in. Unfortunately, these are not checks from some long lost uncle. These are checks that allow you to take an advance against your credit line. But the way the letter is written, you'd think your ship just came in.


Unfortunately, credit card offers and these checks are letters that I need to open for security. Where as the Pennysavers, ValPacks, Coupon Books etc. go straight from mailbox to trash. The credit card mailings should be shredded before placing them into a recycling bin. I'm not just saying that to entice you to click on the ad to the right, thieves have been known to go dumpster diving for just such treasure. Yes, I know the checks come with assurances of security, but if someone gets a hold of one of these checks, it's up to you to correct the situation with the bank. This will take time and can be a hassle. Be safe and nip the problem at the start, shred all credit card correspondence that has your name on it.


Well, I can go on about junk mail, unfortunately I know it won't stop. On the bright side it means an endless supply or raw materials for recycled paper products and lower postal rates. At least advertisers are paying to get their message to you and I appreciate that. My point is that the volume of junk mail drowns out their message, frustrates the intended audience who ends up like me, just shutting them off. So, all I'm asking from direct mail advertisers is moderation!


Next time on the blog I'll look at the lowest form of advertiser, the Spammer who bombards our emails with medical cures, money scams and other junk. Luckily, spammers can be stopped and we'll look at some of the ways to stop these messages from getting through.