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Junk mail, telemarketing calls, spam – No thank you. I’m providing some information that can help you opt out of most of the spam, etc. that is coming your way. None of this is guaranteed to work. Some companies will not obey the rules and you could also just get random people who somehow get a hold of your information.

Email Spam

DMAchoice.org – A service of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Helps reduce unsolicited commercial emails. $2 for a period of ten years.

Unsubscribe – Look for an “unsubscribe” link at the top or bottom of the emails. Click on the “unsubscribe” link and follow the instructions.

Junk Mail

OptOutPrescreen.com – Opt out of most credit card and insurance offers. The only website authorized by the major credit companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion) to opt out of offers of credit or insurance.

DMAchoice.org – The DMA’s Mail Preference Service. You can opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial mail from many companies. Lasts for five years. Will not stop mailings from companies not part of the DMA.

Telemarketing Calls

DoNotCall.gov – The federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry. Free. Reduces the number of telemarketing sales calls you get. You still may receive calls regarding politics, charity, debt collection, informational, and telephone surveys. Starts taking effect within 31 days of de-registering your number.

  • Ask telemarketers to stop – when a company calls you and you don’t want them to call again, ask them to not call you again and to please remove you from their list. Reputable companies are supposed to honor your request.
  • Companies are allowed to still call if you’ve recently done business with the company, or if you’ve given the company written permission to call you.

Spam Text Messages

How to Stop Unwanted Text Messages – a solid article on the subject with steps to stop spam text messages.

  • Many wireless companies (including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) help out with this. You can report spam messages by forwarding them to 7726.
  • Try to not give your phone number whenever possible. I usually just say “I’d prefer not to give my phone number, is that okay?” and while they often act a bit surprised, they are usually okay with it.

Internet Ads

Install Adblock Plus – while there are many browser plugins that block ads, Adblock Plus is the one I use and have been happy with, so I’ll just skip the others. You can install it on most major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) and it will stop most ads from popping up or being shown on most websites.