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Stop Junk Mail is a self-funded, not-for-profit campaign group giving free and independent advice on how to stamp out junk mail. If you support our cause, or if we helped you stopping junk mail, why not make a small donation to keep us going? Any contribution helps and is much appreciated.
When you give your name and address to a company, for instance when you buy a product or service, always look in the small print and tick the box to say that you don't want any further information about 'other products and services'.
Often a second tick box will ask you if your personal details may be shared with other 'carefully selected' companies. Never agree with this; your name and address will be added to numerous mailing lists, resulting in more junk mail.
Although it is only fair that companies try to keep in touch with customers, the problem with tick boxes is that they are usually difficult to find and always too small. As a result many people consent to having their personal details added to junk mail lists without realising it.
The solution is simple; the opt-out box needs to be replaced with an opt-in box. At the moment it is assumed that you want to receive 'further information' every time you sign a guarantee card, register with an online service or donate money to a charity. The only way to opt out is by searching the small print for the opt-out box. This is an aggressive form of marketing that undermines what could be a good system.
If you have registered with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) and have asked an organisation to send you advertisements, you will receive those mailings from that organisation. Giving permission to an individual organisation overrides the MPS. This of course explains why there are so many tick boxes and why they are always so small and difficult to find.
If you receive regular unwanted mail from a specific company despite being registered with the MPS, you have probably forgotten to tick the opt-out box. To stop such mail you have to contact the sender directly and ask to be removed from its mailing list. By law, organisations are obliged to respect such a request.
» Step 7 - Return to sender