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Intro: |
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| Don't expect results right away once you contact these agencies. It can take 2 to 3 months for your request to be processed. If, after 3 months, you see no change in the amount of calls you receive, resend your letters with a return receipt requested (a postal record that proves the company received your letter). A return receipt can be used if you choose to take legal action, so this will let the company know you're serious. |
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Many of those phone and mailing lists mentioned in Step 1 feed into much larger lists under the auspices of large-scale marketing agencies. Again, you can get off these lists by sending a letter. In it, you should include your full name, address, and phone number, and clearly state that you want your name removed from their marketing lists and added to their "do not contact" list. Direct Marketing Association. This is one of the largest of the marketing agencies. Sometimes known as the DMA, it's a type of international club that businesses can join to get marketing assistance. By sending a letter to the DMA (or registering at its online site), you can wipe your name off its extensive list with one stroke. To contact them, check your phone book for a local chapter or type "Direct Marketing Association" into an Internet search engine. Note: The DMA performs this function in countries other than the U.S., as well. Selling and renting agencies. Certain agencies deal primarily with selling or renting your name to other marketers. The major players in the U.S. are Metromail, RL Polk, Database America, and Donnelly Marketing Inc. Try looking them up with a phone book or search engine to find out how to contact them. Credit bureaus. If you're getting a lot of calls concerning a "once in a lifetime" credit card or loan offer, your name is probably on the marketing lists of the national credit bureaus--three U.S. companies that together form one of the biggest sources of names and numbers for financial telemarketers. Again, to stop them, you need to send a letter requesting that you be removed from their lists. You may also need to give your date of birth and Social Security number. Check with each bureau's website to be sure. The three bureaus are Equifax, Experian (formerly TRW), and Trans Union Corp. Note: These agencies and bureaus also have a mail preference service that will remove your name from junk mail lists. Just add this request to your letters. But remember, not all businesses use these agencies, so while your effort will decrease the amount of calls, it won't stop them entirely.
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Contact the list makers
