The Lurker (imported) wrote: Thu May 20, 2010 2:19 am I am not sure I understand why any of you would be so malicious and juvenile. Can someone explain what benefit comes from any of the activities described above?

The credit card companies are equally as vicious (and self-creating of their current default mess) in extending unwarranted credit, that their greed is / was utterly reprehensible. Every letter sent back costs them a wasted dollar or more, a counterpoint to their irresponsible greed.

Right on Kristoff, well said, and a practice I intend to continue.

It does two things, it makes these greedy bastards pay a little back and keeps the USPS in business.

River

Why is it juvenile to engage in an activity that if enough people did it would discourage the sending of the copious amounts of junk mail that arrive at our door everyday?

These folks admit they only get about a 1% response rate to the junk mail, which means 99% of what they send out is pure waste. Perhaps if they had to waste money on postage return for say 10-20% of those return reply envelopes, the stream of junk mail and paper waste could be reduced?

I don't see anything juvenile in encouraging a slow down in this stuff. They are juvenile for sending this stuff out and expecting our refuse waste system to take responsibility for the 99% of the stuff they send out that gets trashed.

--LT

The Lurker (imported) wrote: Thu May 20, 2010 2:19 am I am not sure I understand why any of you would be so malicious and juvenile. Can someone explain what benefit comes from any of the activities described above?

i have just managed to buy my first house in may and have had no end of junk mail for the last owner so i went out an got a diy stamp kit for £1.99 and made it up to say "return to sender no longer at this address" when printed in a bright red ink on a envelope nothing says bugger off like it !

lookinginuk (imported) wrote: Thu May 20, 2010 11:23 am i have just managed to buy my first house in may and have had no end of junk mail for the last owner so i went out an got a diy stamp kit for £1.99 and made it up to say "return to sender no longer at this address" when printed in a bright red ink on a envelope nothing says bugger off like it !

AS I remember the rules on junk mail in the USA, you can't send it back marked "No longer here" or worse yet, "Deceased" without postage.

Having been through a few deaths in the family, I've been known to say really nasty and vulgar things about that rule in a loud voice. I could be wrong. they might have changed that...

Anyone that sends me a reply-paid envelope is liable to be sent all the junk mail that I receive in the same (and/or subsequent) posts.

Names/addresses and any reference numbers torn off, of course. And the window envelopes go in as well.

The cost to the originator of the junk mail itn't limited to the cost of the postage. Add in the time it takes for their (underpaid) clerks to open the mail and spend, say, 15 seconds to realise that the rubbish they're looking at is NOT an application for a credit card, or for insurance. Multiply that 15 secons by everyone who does this to them ...

Charities who send me reply-paid envelopes are different.

If I like the charity, I save their mailing and put it in a non-charity reply-paid envelope. I like to think I might be getting them a contribution from some poor individual employed by a junk-mailing company!

If I don't (or if I'm feeling particularly uncharitable that day), I just bin the stuff.

I have a little pot in which I keep all my 1p and 2p coins. If a doorstep charity calls, and if I want to subscribe, I go & grab a handful of coins, and I feed them ostentatiously into the slot on top of the tin! They feel the weight; I feel no pain!

Malicious and pathetic.

I also like to put some phone sales person on speaker phone,

excuse myself as I have to break up a cat fight and beg them not

to loose me -

and wait, and wait, - - - <heh-heh>

I am on the do not call list for what it is worth!.

Losethem, the motivation is to, fight back for my right to privacy.

Get it?

Moi

made me do it

With you on that one, Moi.

If I get a cold-call like that, I first ask who is calling me and where I should send my account to.

This usually confuses the caller.

I then point out that I charge £120 per hour, or part, for consultations, and I need to know where to send the bill.

Mostly, the callers sign off at once. But sometimes there is more fun to be had.

moi621 (imported) wrote: Thu May 20, 2010 2:39 pm I also like to put some phone sales person on speaker phone,

excuse myself as I have to break up a cat fight and beg them not

to loose me -

and wait, and wait, - - - <heh-heh>

I am on the do not call list for what it is worth!.

Losethem, the motivation is to, fight back for my right to privacy.

Get it?

Moi

made me do it

the best way to deal with phone sales and automated personaly is to get a call blocker it was £80 and has been worth every penny from getting 25 annoying calls a week to the odd one now and again and its a answering machine too