| Reducing Unwanted Mail The Direct Marketing Association Can Help LINCOLN - Consumers can greatly reduce the amount of junk mail they receive in their mailboxes by taking advantage of a free service offered by the Direct Marketing Association. Registering with the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service will remove your name from Direct Marketing Association members' mailing lists. This service can substantially reduce the amount of national advertising mail you are now receiving. The Telephone Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association will remove your name from members' telemarketing lists as well. The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office can provide post cards addressed to the Direct Marketing Association to assist in getting your name removed from mailing and telemarketing lists. Registering with the Mail Preference Service and Telephone Preference Service will not eliminate all unwanted mail and telemarketing calls, but it can reduce the number of contacts significantly. Businesses who are not members of the Direct Marketing Association may continue to contact you through the mail and telephone. Local and home based businesses may not be DMA members. Any time you complete a warranty card, purchase a magazine subscription, order from a catalogue or complete a market research survey you run the risk of having your name added to another list of names that may be offered for sale to other businesses. If you do not want your name and other personal information to be sold by the companies you do business with, request that your name be removed from customer lists that may be rented or sold to other marketers. Information about how to opt out of marketing lists is often provided on companies' materials and order forms. Those marketers who are operating contest scams or other scams are not likely to belong to the Direct Marketing Association. This means that even after you register with the Mail Preference Service or the Telephone Preference Service, you may continue to receive scam attempts through the mail and over the telephone. You may tell telemarketers who call you to put you on their "Do Not Call" lists. Keep a list by your phone with the company name, name of the person you talked to, and date of the call. If a telemarketer from the same business calls you again, make a note of the date and report it to the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 6th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Room 240, Washington, DC 20580. The phone number is 202-326-2222. If you would like to register your name with the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service or the Telephone Preference Service call or write to the Consumer Division of the Nebraska Attorney General's Office for a pre-addressed post card or contact the Direct Marketing Association at P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. A card should be filled out for each member of the household. For more information about this or any other consumer issue, contact: Attorney
General's Office |