UNWANTED MAIL SHOTS - HOW TO GET RID OF THEM

[FLYING COLOURS]

This method does work !!

I was sick and tired of receiving sackfuls of advertising mail and unaddressed mail, and only receiving one or two "proper" letters a week.

I wrote to the Royal Mail opt-out, (only for unadressed mail) and duly signed the forms they reckon they require. The opt out people send you a nice letter to inform you that you will also NOT receive Local Authority or Government Information, - to which I told them that that in itself was the best reason i needed ! After six weeks, my incoming mail halved, then mysteriously started again, a couple of months later. On making enquiries, it turned out that the Royal Mail form is only for a period of six months, and they expect you to sign the form EVERY SIX MONTHS ! - - I gave them fair warning, that i had signed one form, and that should I wish to receive adverts etc etc, I would contact them and withdraw it. I also informed them, that from now on, I would save the unadressed mail, and once a month I would post it to their offices.

I did this last week, with an accompanying letter to say this was the first lot, and the next lot was being prepared. Today, I received a letter from them, stating that they had put me back on the opt out, and let my local sorting office know!!

THE SECOND METHOD

Save all unwanted advertising mail, including the pizza leaflets etc etc, - when you receive an advertising letter with a REPLY PAID ENVELOPE, put ALL the mail and pizza leaflets you saved into the reply paid envelope, and post it off.

It took three months, but I DO NOT RECEIVE advertising letters from Insurances, double glazing, gas boilers etc etc etc.

More to follow on THOSE TELEPHONE CALLS FROM ABROAD later.

[Paul Anderson]

Been there, done that, got the badge!

It's an uphill battle trying to defeat the corporate sales machine. I've been through more or less the same here, and what ever you do you'll still get some junk. If it's not the Royal Mail's crap, it's the pizza leaflets, the 'Earn a second Income' or estate agents shite, oh, and several 'free' newspapers a week.

Well, I just save all this wasted ink on paper for a couple of weeks and stick it all in the first Royal Mail post box I drive past. I've also donated them some really useful stuff, such as old telephone books, and argos catalogues. Fight fire with fire I say!

And then there's the International phone call that starts with "CONGRATULATIONS, you've won..."

[FLYING COLOURS]

Which leads nicely into how to deal with unwanted telephone calls !!

(Morning Paul !)

Heloo - my name is Angela - can I spik to ther 'ouseholder please? --- Firstly, write off to the places you have main financial dealings with - BT, Bank, Building Society, Car loan, - whatever - tell them nicely, that due to the high volume of unsolicited calls you are receiving, not neccessarily from them, that ten days after the date of your letter, you will under no circumstances be discussing financial affairs or giving out personal details over the telephone.
Now stick with the calls for another ten days.

Time up - NOW you have to go against ALL your ethics and good manners - Phone rings - you know straight away its the Bangledeshi double glazing company - or the Bombay Telephone company - - - PUT THE PHONE DOWN. -- Excuse me?? -- Yes, you heard right - PUT THE PHONE DOWN. No ifs, no buts, - cut them off. If you get soft on them, or your resolve melts a little - Rudely interupt them - if you are ex directory, ask them where they got the number from - OR tell them to take it off the database - the next call you get from them will result in THEM getting a call from your solicitor, for harrassment.

For the ones who ring you after normal working hours - ESPECIALLY in the middle of the film ( !!! ) - - tell them you are interested but busy, give me your PERSONAL number, and i'll ring you back in half an hour. Wait until THREE IN THE MORNING - then ring and say, "Sorry, I forgot to return your call!"

Next one - HOW TO SHUT DOWN THE CALL CENTRES. (Get jobs back to England).

[FLYING COLOURS]

My apologies to you guys - I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE!! (TWO!!)--

Don't forget! YOU can ring the Bank - as you know who you are calling. If your bank does call you by mistake - explain nicely that although you can prove over the phone, who YOU are, THEY cannot prove who they are. When I have to ring the bank or one of the others, when they do the "security" checks - only give them your date of birth. They will say "We need your number for security checks" Tell them to give you the last four digits of the number they have got, and you will confirm it if its right. "We can't do that" they say. YOU SAY - "Goodbye" and put the phone down.

THE IMPORTANT ONE - - "This call may be monitored or recorded for your security or training purposes" -- When you get through to a Human - tell them that before you go any further - YOU MAY BE RECORDING THIS CALL FOR THEIRS AND YOUR CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY. After the stunned silence, 8 out of 10 will say, just a minit, (silence for two) - then - "My supervisor says I have to terminate the call if you are recording the conversation" Ask why - or ask to speak to the supervisor. Ask them what difference does it make, as they are recording it anyway, but their recording my mysteriously get wiped - so you'll have a copy for them.
The chances are, you won't even get that far!!!

Lastly, if you want some fun, or have a sense of humour, when the recording warning has been given, and the human answers, say "Sshhh, - - Can you hear that?" - - -When they ask what -- - say " That little voice saying "Kill 'em all" ??