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Comment by jacobkg | Hacker News Reader

You can try opting out using the DMA (Direct Mail Association) website

https://dmachoice.thedma.org/

Costs $2 to sign up to that site.

At first I balked but then I realized somebody would probably enter every single person’s name and address in the country if they didn’t have some kind of cost associated with it.

Still stinks to pay someone not to harass you. But I guess that’s been common throughout history.

It used to be free, so your logical justification for the charge is obviously spurious.

I would like to add that for those coupons from redplum/retailmenot specifically there is an opt-out: https://www.retailmenot.com/everyday/unsubscribe

After that unsubscribe, I've had to reach out to USPS several times when they still deliver the coupons to me and those coupons have someone else's address on them. I'm unsubscribed but USPS doesn't care and delivers anyway.

There is also a USPS service called Every Door Delivery Mail (EDDM) where USPS guarantees delivery to every address in a certain area. There is no way to opt out of EDDM.

You are incorrect, but only technically. You can opt out of EDDM at the DMA website, but the whole chain of custody for handling the opt-out is so convoluted that it's effectively pointless.

What happens is that the DMA maintains an opt-out list which the mailers are supposed to check. Then they add your address to a cover sheet called a facing slip which they pass to the local USPS when they hand off the ads. The USPS is then supposed to give those addresses to the mail carrier and the mail carrier is supposed to check it when delivering the ads.

In reality, since EDDM is intended for blanket coverage of local ads, practically no local advertisers bother or are even aware of the opt-out list, and even if they did the mail carrier will probably ignore the list, so signing up has little effect.

The best way to "opt out" is to be a dick to your mail carrier. Put a sign on your mailbox that says "NO EDDM: unaddressed mail will be refused" and then follow through on your threat by forcing your carrier to take back all EDDM ads the next day. My mail carrier quickly realized that there was no point delivering EDDM ads to my house.

How do you refuse mail/force your carrier to take the mail back?

You just write REFUSED on the unopened letter. It's best to scribble out your address to prevent their automated system from simply re-delivering it to you. I do this on postcards as well (which cannot be opened by definition) and they will take those. If it's first class mail they'll return it to the sender, otherwise they will take it back and discard/recycle it.

Do you know if this might work for a PO Box as well? I once spoke to an agent at the window of the post office where my PO Box lives about this. I asked if I could put some sort of notice like the one you're suggesting, but the person claimed there was no way to stop receiving fliers in my box because the companies pay a lot for them to be delivered (paraphrased).

At my post office they refer to the coupon crap as ADVO. I put a NO ADVO sticker in my box. Anything that doesn't have my address on it goes into the community outgoing mail slot. It gets better for a while then someone goes on vacation or quits and we go through it again.

It works surprisingly well. A few companies like Micro Center still sends out advertisements but the vast majority of my junk mail stopped after joining the do not mail list. Works much better than the do not call list.

I did this and it was worth it. I still get a few pieces of mail spam (AT&T is literally the worst, and I have called them repeatedly) but it's dramatically better.

Entirely nonsense that there's costs and whatnot associated with it. I am sure it's a PII goldmine for some script kiddie who gets lucky.

I spent 5 years trying to get AT&T Time Warner to stop sending monthly ads for their cable internet. I finally got someone to admit that they don't maintain a "do not mail" list and that every other CSR I spoke to had lied to me. What finally worked was threatening a lawsuit and restraining order. The ads stopped immediately.

I did this years ago and it helped a lot. Most direct mailers respect the list with the exception of a few credit card companies, and insurance associated with band accounts.

Some Charities do not respect the list and send me all manner of things. (Gloves was the most egregious from a charity I haven't given too.)

You can opt out of credit card offers here:

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

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