How Can I Unsubscribe From Bulk Mailings?

One good thing about bulk mail is that unlike its distant cousin, the telemarketer, it can’t wake you up or interrupt your dinner. But that said, it does have a way of clogging up your mailbox in any given week with lots of paper and not necessarily much else of interest.

So what can you do about unwanted bulk mailings? A call last week to the Lynnfield Post Office confirms that there is indeed a “Do Not Mail” list to go along with the “Do Not Call” list.

The Federal Trade Commission has a page with various links for people to use, depending on what kind of mail they wish to stop receiving. For example, OptOutPreScreen.com, an official credit industry site, will allow you to stop receiving pre-screened credit and insurance-related offers. The website also allows people to opt out for a five-year period as well.

The mail-based counterpart to the National Do Not Call List, DMAChoice.org, is provided by the Direct Marketing Association and it says “We’ll help you start getting the mail you want- stop getting the mail you don’t.”

You can also contact some mailers directly to request being taken off their list. For example, a number on the weekly “Deals Direct” circular, which says it is owned by the Boston Globe, can be contacted at the number provided on the upper lefthand corner of any given mailing. A woman at that number said it typically takes several weeks to stop receiving the mailings.