Snail Mail Spam and Selling of Personal Information

[Dadswell]

A few months ago I ordered a bunch of magazine subscriptions. When I do this I always just make up a fake name so that when I move I don't get renewal offers, etc sent to my old address with my real name and info on it. When signing up I always make sure to go through everything and uncheck anything dealing with offers from partners, etc.

So it's been about 4-5 months since I started receiving the first issues of these mags and now the offers are starting to roll in for various other things. For instance today I got one wanting me to set up an ING bank account, and another one for an Airmiles American Express. These are addressed to the fake person I made up when ordering the subscriptions so obviously my info has gotten leaked or sold or something. Since I signed up to a fair amount of mags on different publishers I don't really know which ones are selling the information.

The mags I am getting are: Maxim, Stuff, Blender, GQ, Wired, Muscle & Fitness, American Photo, Popular Photography, Allure, Marie Claire, Shape, House & Garden, and a couple of the other chick ones that I can't remember off hand.

Anyone know what can be done about stuff like this? There has to be some recourse you could take with them, or at least report the problem to someone. I just usually take the prepaid envelopes and stuff some other offers in them and mail them back so at least they have to pay the postage and waste their time opening junk mail. But it's pretty bad that I'm getting bank and credit card offers after signing up for men's interest magazines. Just getting pissed off that every time I go away I have to have someone come almost daily to empty the mailbox due to the endless junk mail.

[emon87]

First off, I'd say try to calm down about this. It's just a fact of life, and not that big of a deal - don't get your blood pressure up over it.

That said, you could try www.optoutprescreen.com, but I'm not sure that would help you since it is your fake name getting the stuff sent.

[Dadswell]

Ya it is a bit of a rant, but I don't like how they are using your information after you opt out of the 3rd party stuff.

Also I meant to post this is in OOT, not sure how I ended up doing it in here? Since it's mainly just me ranting away feel free to move it there if you want.

[nyc999]

I pay a few bucks each month to a company called Green Dimes. They're an environmental organization - the money you contribute goes to them reducing your junk mail and planting trees. I've seen around a 75% reduction in junk mail since I started.

[billygrippo]

in most cases they are not doing anything illegal. Even when u open like a checking account they are gonna send your info all over the place, legally. You can "opt out" in most situations preventing them from using your info for marketing reasons.

on a side note, why do you have like 87 magazine subscriptions? are you a dentist or something?

[emon87]

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on a side note, why do you have like 87 magazine subscriptions? are you a dentist or something?

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I have almost that many subscriptions and I am not a dentist.