Opt-out of receiving unwanted mail solicitations

[Larry_OHF]

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t

For US citizens...This is the official website to opt-out of getting credit or insurance offers in the US mail. It is seperate from the opt-out for phone-call solicitations. You can choose to be free of mail for five years or permantently, If you do not want to use the internet to enter your information, you can also call the phone number that they provide on the website to do the same thing. Just for a side-note, you can also reactivate your mailings on the same page, or same phone number if you decide you like that sorta thing.

[Chewbacca]

Good find, thanks Larry. I've recently learned that once you get an excellent FICO score, these offers come in the mail at a rate of 3-4 a day sometimes.

A total waste of paper to be sure, because I use Bankrate.com to compare rates and features and chose the cards I want, not the ones they want to give me. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Now before I enter some seriously confidential info at that opt-out site, are we certain it is legitmate? I couldn't find a link to the homepage. I'm overly cautious about entering my SS # anywhere that I can't triple-cross check legitimatcy.

[Chewbacca]

Nevermind, Bankrate mentioned this site in an article about opting-out here:

http://www.bankrate.com/gookeyword/n...20050803b1.asp

[krunchyfrogg]

Are you guys sure this is safe? I don't feel too comfortable giving out my SS#.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by krunchyfrogg: Are you guys sure this is safe? I don't feel too comfortable giving out my SS#.

If you want to be absolutly certain contact one of the credit agencys listed directly via phone and ask.

I think it's legit, I may check it out some more before I sign-up though.

[ 08-20-2005, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[sageridder]

This link gives you what some people have experienced with this service.
http://www.gripe2ed.com/scoop/story/.../11/11737/1557
Here's what Snopes has to say about it
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/pending/credit.htm

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by krunchyfrogg: Are you guys sure this is safe? I don't feel too comfortable giving out my SS#.

Good call. But 'sageridder' has supplied the snopes say on this.
Now, another way to think about it. If you choose not to use an automated system, and wish to speak directly to individuals, you have chosen to introduce the possibility of your SSN being written down, kept, and or tossed out in regular trash.

SSNs, bah. It was my service number for 22+yrs, it is my VA account number along with my Retire Dental, and Tricare for life account number, for, well life. So, it's not like it's posted on all corrospondence, all program cards, and again on my retiree ID card. So, bah whats another agency? - Good Call!

[Larry_OHF]

Clark Howard, a financial advisor on national radio is the person that first pointed me to this site and telephone number.

Looking over the snopes report, I did not see that they say anything about it being unsafe...just that contrary to popular belief, credit info is not given to anyone who wants it...and that the guidelines for doing so have become stricter recently.

I still believe that this system will reduce the amount of trash that comes to my address. Mostly because I trust Clark Howard, who some of you may have heard of. Half of his show and website are devoted to protecting people from scams and ripoffs.

quoting from his website:

Mar 18, 2005 -- Eliminate credit card pre-approvals
It’s important that you shut down credit card pre-approvals in general to prevent identity theft, but it’s even more important if you’re planning to move. That’s because the companies continue to send pre-approvals to your address even if you move. Identity thieves can simply grab those forms out of your old mailbox and fill them out, pretending to be you. They then rack up all kinds of charges on “your account.” So, be sure you OPT OUT of those pre-approvals now! When you do, you can either opt out permanently or for five years. You can either call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT or go to optoutprescreen.com. It won’t eliminate every pre-approval. Frequent flier cards and hotel points cards are not blocked, for example. But it will take care of most of the offers you would have received.

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/40/

[ 08-24-2005, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Ziroc]

Yeh, I was all into it until I saw the SSN thing. no way.. yet. I'll check into this before I do that. Shit man, I still get visa and crap for my DAD and he passed in 1993. come on..

I wonder just HOW many trees are wasted daily on this damn junk mail. such a waste of resourses.

[Larry_OHF]

I've been able to confirm the usefulness of this website opt-out service now. On my credit report, I have the following message listed on TransUnion's report for my wife.

PROMOTIONAL OPT-OUT: This file has been opted out of promotional lists supplied by TransUnion (Note: This statement is set to expire in 08/2010.)

I registered in 2005, and it says that the opt-out will expire in 2010, five years from when I set it up because I have not yet opted out permanently.

[ 03-06-2006, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]