Below you will find contacts, specific addresses to write, and numbers to call to get off those nasty junk mailing lists and telemarketing lists across the U.S. It's easy to eliminate almost all of your junk mail. In doing so, you also reduce paper waste and help the environment!
This information was compiled over a number of years to help me keep off mailing lists. It became a pastime, not an obsession, yet the end result was this rather substantial repository of information. In order to help disseminate this information as widely as possible, you may copy and reproduce this information in any form, and of course link to my main page on junk mail. I have tried to keep information as current as possible, and would appreciate e-mail containing relevant updates. (Of course, I assume no liability for anyone's use of this information). Enjoy! Prepared by Fred Elbel.
Who maintains lists of your name? Who do you contact to be removed?
- Credit Bureaus sell your name
- Major List Brokers make big bucks at your expense
- Additional List Brokers - lots of them
- Miscellaneous Sources add to your misery
- Local Bulk Mailers - local offices
- Internet Domain abuse
EcoFuture ™ home
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Credit Bureaus
There are three major credit bureaus. They make big bucks by selling address lists, and they have records on everyone. As a matter of fact, you also might want to ask for a copy of your credit record. Be sure to provide information they request such as date of birth, and sign and date your letter. (See their respective websites for additional information).|
Federal Law and California Civil Code section 1785.11 requires
credit information firms to delete your name and address from mailing lists. Call: to opt out from the major credit bureaus: Trans Union, Experian, Equifax, and Innovis. The above numbers connect you with: National Opt-Out Center PO Box 97328, Jackson, MS 39288-7328 You will have an option to remove your name for two years. If you call this number, they claim you don't need to individually call the three major agencies listed immediately below. However, it would be best to also call the two Experian numbers provided below since they have two separate opt-out categories. |
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Experian (Formerly TRW) www.experian.com
Experian (Consumer Opt Out) PO Box 2106 701 Experian Parkway, Allen, TX 75013 Experian 901 W. Bond Lincoln, NE 68521, Attn: Consumer Services 800.520.1221 credit data 800.407.1088 opt out automated number - call this number If you need to talk to a real person, call the Lincoln, NE office at 800.228.4571 x4819 888.567.8688 pre-screened credit opt out - also call this number Note: if you don't want to enter your phone number at their prompt, enter all zeroes. 888.397.3742 800.527.3933 main office (800 numbers are changed every few months). 972.390.3000 target marketing 714.712.6512 714.385.5589 opt-out if you are a business Contact them every two years. They will notify Trans Union and Equifax for you. See Experian's ABCs of privacy. Also, you can order your credit report |
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Trans Union Corporation ( www.transunion.com) Trans Union, Consumer Relations 1561 E. Orangethorpe Ave, Fullerton, CA 92831 or at the following locations: Trans Union Corporation, Name Removal Option PO Box 390, Springfield, PA 19064 Trans Union LLC's Name Removal Option P.O. Box 97328, Jackson, MS 39288-7328 Call the following automated system to tell them to delete your name and address from mailing lists: 800.916.8800 consumer relations (call this number) 800.241.2858 They claim to forward your supression request to the other three main credit bureaus. Order your credit report |
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Equifax (www.equifax.com) Equifax (Options dept.) PO Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123 800.685.1111 800.270.3435 404.885.8000 Order your credit report |
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Polk Co. (www.polk.com/) Polk Co., Attn: Consumer Response / Name Deletion 26955 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034 800.873.7655 (Equifax. Press 0# to reach a receptionist) Department head: Mark Lukowski Other addresses: PO Box 77037, Detroit MI 48277, attn: List dept Polk Co., 37001 Industrial Rd, Livonia MI 48150 Polk sells automobile registration and other information. Most states used sell their public records, but in June of 2000, Congress passed a law making this illegal. You can still contact your county clerk and motor vehicle division to have a privacy block issued against all of your records. This can usually be done if you state that you fear for your safey. |
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Mail Preference Service |
| Also see Equifax information on identify theft and FICO credit ratings. If you are a victim of identify theft, call 1-877-IDTHEFT (877.438.4338). |
Major List Brokers
While you are at it, contact the following major list brokers:|
Abacus Direct, a division of Doubleclick PO Box 1478 Broomfield, CO 80038-1478 800.518.4453 call to be removed; also 303.657.2800 They have a national "alliance" of 1800 catalogs. If you get a catalog from one of these companies, your name is shared with other catalog companies through Abacus. Call to be permanently deleted from this database. Abacus says they use the DMA opt-out list, but it is best to contact them directly and give them your exact mailing information. |
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Acxiom (www.acxiom.com) 301 Industrial Blvd, Conway, AR 72302 Call their Consumer Advocate Hotline at 501.342.2722 /5 or send an e-mail to optout@acxiom.com. Marise Gardner 800.922.9466 501.342.1264 501.342.1000 Acxiom provides the White Pages database for Bigfoot (listed below). |
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ADVO-Systems (www.advo.com) Director of List Maintenance Consumer Assistance, PO Box 249 Windsor, CT 06095 860.285.6100 (Diane) 888.241.6760 Headquarters: One Targeting Centre, Windsor, Connecticut 06095 Also located at: 239 West Service Road Hartford Connecticut 06120-1280 ADVO is a large bulk mailer of cupons and Shopwise weekly grocery cupons in newspaper-like flyers. Call them to be removed from both for 5 years. |
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Americom / Harte-Hanks (www.harte-hanks.com 100 Alco Place, Baltimore, MD 21227 800.456.9748 or: Harte-Hanks, 2830 Orbiter Pl, Brea, CA 92821 They are a service bureau that does "resident" mailings on behalf of clients, similar to Metromail. Phillip Springer in sales can help get you off of specific databases that you receive junk mail from (for example, Kmart). phillip_springer@harte-hanks.com, 512.434.1370 |
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Consumer Preferred (National Merchandising Corp of Green Bay) 922 Oak St, De Pere, WI 54115 |
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Database America 100 Paragon DR., Montvale, NJ 07645-0419 800.223.7777 201.476.2000 |
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First Data Corporation owns a number of subsideraries:
First Data Solutions has integrated more than half a billion pieces of consumer and business information into a single source to provide ways to improve profitability and performance for clients in the financial, retail, catalog and other direct marketing industries. "First Data Solutions is not a list broker. We specialize in providing qualified businesses with information solutions to help them avert fraud and manage risk. We do not compile nor distribute mailing lists or consumer marketing databases for marketing purposes. As such, we do not believe we should be included in this list." -- Donna Pennington, Director, Marketing Communications, First Data Solutions, April 16, 2002 1717 Park Street, Suite 250, Naperville, IL 60563 800.545.1928 Corporate Headquarters: 5660 New Northside Drive, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30328 770-857-7120 Corporate Offices: 6200 South Quebec Street, Englewood, CO 80111 2121 N. 117th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68164 |
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Hogan Information Services provides information from public records. Consumer and business information is gathered and processed from federal, county, and municipal courthouses throughout the United States. Hogan is owned by Dolan Media. 14000 Quail Springs Parkway, Suite 4000, Oklahoma City, OK 73134 800.846.7338 405.278.6954 (Ginger Adair, Customer Relations) |
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Haines Criss-Cross Directory Director of Data Processing 8050 Freedom Ave. NW North Canton, OH 44720 800.562.8262 |
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Info USA / Donnelley Marketing Maintains a national consumer database. They claim to use the DMA suppression list. Be sure to insist they completely delete your information from their database. They normally do not delete suppression requests from their database, the only flag them as suppressed. Their full "List Install" clients purchase the entire database, including suppressed names. It's up to the clients to honor the suppression flag. This is an error-prone and questionable procedure. Write a letter to: Info USA 416 S. Bell Ave, Ames, Iowa 50010 515.956.8000 (Deb McKinley - very helpful; Don Muff, Dir. Database Operations) |
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MetroMail (now Experian) Lincoln, Nebraska 901 W. Bond St, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521-9989 800.228.4571 x5247 to be removed from direct mail lists (The same building as Cole Publications - the company that publishes databases of phone numbers.) MetroMail, 1100 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, #450, Atlanta, GA 30342 800.822.3282 800.253.4859 or: 800.523.7022 800.228.4571 David Hataway Metro Mail sells lists of new homeowners. Metromail is now owned by Experian. |
Additional List Brokers
This is a fairly complete list of companies that deal in mailing lists. Some companies listed here mail directly, but most of them are list brokers. Some of these companies also deal in phone number lists. Contact these companies when you believe they are selling your name.|
American Business Lists 5711 S 86th Cir, PO 27347, Omaha, Nebraska 68127 402.592.9000 They obtain names from the phone book. |
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American Target Advertising 703.802.3712 |
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Aristotle Publishig 205 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003 800.296.2747 202.543.8345 They purchase state voter files. Then they add add your phone number from a service bureau that uses published telephone directory information. They claim to sell the information to political organizations, but in fact they sell to life insurance companies and anyone else who will buy the info. Many states are no longer allowed to sell drivers' license data. Check with your County Clerk and Department of Motor Vehicles. |
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ARMA (Advanced Response Marketing Associates) Falls Church VA 703.803.9662 Pam Whitecotton |
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Atlantic List Co 2425 Wilson Blvd #500, Arlington, VA 22201 703.528.7482 |
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Bigfoot.com (www.bigfoot.com)
offers online lookup of email and postal addresses. Privacy and customer relations: 212.262.1118. Look up your address - if it is listed, select the Bigfoot link to delete your address. You may be required to enter a password. To obtain your Bigfoot password, click on the "forgot password" link and it will be emailed to you. Bigfoot updates their database every three months from Acxiom. |
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Chester Mailing List Consultants 703.934.2700 Rick Gorski 703.934.2705 fax |
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Cox Target Media / Val-Pak Coupons and Carol Wright Coupons 8575 Largo Lakes Drive, Largo, FL 33773 or PO Box 13428, St. Petersburg, FL 33733 727.399.3000 727.393.1270 Call Bob Waggoner or Brian Caolo to be deleted from their "resident" mailing list |
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CPC Associates 33 Rock Hill Rd, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 610-667-1780 Elizabeth Gorin Markets to new residents. |
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Dataquick (subsidiary of Acxiom) 800.863.4636 (call J.R. Griffith x239 to opt out) Dataquick tracks county data of homeowners and home purchases. They sell this information to anyone who cares to acquire it - typically mortgage loan brokers and mortgage companies. They will remove your phone number from their database (if you ask), but not your address. If any company needs prodding to be receptive to non-discloure requests, this one is it! Call them and insist they delete your name and address from their lists! |
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Dun and Bradstreet 899 Eaton Ave, Bethleham Pa 18025-0014 Also facility in Lehigh Valley, PA. Contact: Hugh Knight 800.999.3867 x7207 800.624.5669 (NJ) 800.333.0505 800.879.1362 Call them to keep your business off their lists. |
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Hunsinger and Jeffer 804 266.2499 Cheryl Martin |
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MPG 703.683.7755 703.383.7755 Holly |
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National Direct Marketing Service 892 Worchester Rd, Wellsley, MA 781.416.1700 They sell addresses and phone numbers. |
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New England Business Services (NEBS) 500 Main St, Groton, MA 01471 800.225.6380 978.448.6111 x3292 Mary Cullinan A widely used provider of names and addresses. |
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Preferred Lists 703.931.8000 Rhonda Bell |
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Acxiom Direct Media 1615 Bonanza Suite 205, Walnut Creek, CA 99596 Used by Great Expectations dating service with list code "40065 Lifestyle Selector". Direct Media used the company Lifectyle to produce their lists. |
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National Demographics and Lifestyles List Order Services, 1621 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202 800.525-3533 They collect and distribute warranty card information. Note that you do not have to send in warranty cards to be fully covered under product warranty!. |
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Val Pak Cupons Cox Target Media (www.coxtarget.com PO Box 13428, St Petersburg, FL 33733 or 8605 Largo Lakes Drive, Largo, FL, 33773 Cox Target Media is a provider of Valpak network products, is a subsidiary of Cox Newspapers, owned by Cox Enterprises Inc. Call Bob Waggoner to be deleted from their mailing list 727.399.3000 727.393.1270 800.237.6266 303.843.0943 in Denver or email Bob_Waggoner@coxtarget.com or Cari_Sontax@coxtarget.com Home office: Direct Marketing Systems 3300 W. Castor St, Santa Ana, Ca 92704 714.751.1998 Uses Americom for source database. |
You may wish to review the privacy policies of fourteen major information companies that are part of the Individual Reference Services Group (IRSG).
The Online Privacy Alliance is a group of over 70 companies that claim to be concerned about individual privacy rights.
Miscellaneous Sources
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American Express 200 Vesey St, Tower C, New York, NY 10285 800.327.2177 Be sure to contact all your credit card companies. |
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American Family Publishers PO Box 62000, Tampa, FL 33662 800.237.2400 Sweepstakes mailings |
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Day Timers 800.523.9474 Anyone who orders a Day Timer is automatically placed on their list |
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Dresden Direct 1127 High Ridge Rd # 344, Stamford CT 06905 203.329.3030 Phil, Mirian This company mails out product samples for: Johnson and Johnson / Merck, Ft. Washington, Penn 800.962.5357 215 233.7700 800.526.3967 info |
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National Magazine Exchange 800.772.6247 Call them if you get a sweepstakes card. Give them the sweepstakes number to be removed from future mailings. They get their names from the major credit bureaus. |
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Publishers Clearing House (mailed from 101 Winners Circle, Port Washington, NY 11054-0013) The business address is: 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 800.645.9242 800.453.0272 (fax) pch@ant.net Sweepstakes mailings |
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Readers Digest Readers Digest Road Pleasantville, NY 10570 800.234.9000 Sweepstakes mailings |
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USPS National Change of Address System 6060 Primacy Parkway, Suite 101, Memphis TN 38188 800.238.3150 If you ever filled out a US Postal Service change of address form, your name is in their database and is regularly provided to anyone who has your old address. |
Local Bulk Mailers
Bulk mailers are companies who are in business to send you junk mail. If you get mail addressed to "resident" or "occupant", its hard to get off their lists, but you can try. If the mail is addressed to you specifically, do indeed follow up on it.The following is a list of bulk mailers in the metro Denver area, along with some national addresses. Denver has been selected for this section as being representative of a large city. Each metropolitan area has its own bulk mailers. Some are national chains. Check in the yellow pages for mailers near you. To track down a specific mailer, check the fine print on material mailed to you. Thanks to our researchers for providing this local information.
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Action Innovations 303.756.5970 Karen Beamen Uses Direct Mail Services for source database. |
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American Advertising Distributors 6000 E. Evans #1-261, Denver, CO 80222 303.757.6216 |
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Americom 10600 E 54th, Denver, CO 80239 303.373.5323 Elaine Database source for Val-Paks. Uses Data Lists and Mailing for source database. |
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Arapahoe Gold Messenger 303.753.0155 Don Uses Graphic Arts, 303 297.9852 |
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Data Lists and Mailing 303.759.2121 Joe Main source of address lists. They claim they do not do moneymailers and valpacks. The USPS updates occupant lists every 3 months. They compete with Americom (smaller volume). (These are the only two who mail within Colorado). They use Experian in Denver for database source. They trade lists with Equifax (Experian's competition). |
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Embay Associates 303.795.1027 Produce Q-Pons |
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Information Register 303.781.6080 Janice They sell new homeowner, new and old business addresses. They cover the extended Denver front range, but are not national. |
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JB Assoc Money Mailers 303.329.3745 303.796.7302 Debbie Beaty Uses Americom for source database. |
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Money Mailer (national headquarters) 14271 Corporate Dr, Garden Grove CA 92643 714.265.4100 |
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Pocket Cupon Directory Response Marketing Corp, DDMC 303.690.6611 (Once claimed to use Americom for source database) Direct Mail Concepts They use a 3rd party company to provide lists: 232.5297 Bob Parsons. Bob claims that the USPS list is structured so that they have to get 100% saturation (ie, mail to everyone on the list) in order to get the 3rd class bulk rate. He suggested you try to get your carrier to mark your address as vacant on the "edit sheet", which is a list of all residences. This list is sent to Atlanta, where master lists by carrier route are prepared for sale. |
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Polk Formerly National Demographic Lifestyle |
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Red Hot Printing 303.795.2111 |
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Specialty Promotions 303.460.7600 Valu Ads Uses Post Office for database source. They and others get discounted rates if they mail to everyone in an area. They get labels from floppy provided by one of two companies certified (in Metro Denver) by the Post Office for these services. |
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Shoppers Window Englewood 303.773.2523 Kathy |
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Strategic Mail 3751 Revere St, Denver 80239 303.371.8400 Jeff Witteg Produce Colorado Cupon Book |
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Tri Mark Mailers PO Box 10530, Wilmington, DE 19850 303.843.6341 in Denver |
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Val Pak (cupons) PO Box 13428, St Petersburg, FL 34643 800.237.2871 303.843.0943 in Denver Home office: Direct Marketing Systems 3300 W Castor St, Santa Ana, Ca 92704 714.751.1998 Uses Americom for source database. |
EcoFuture ™ home
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Copyright 1995-2004 Fred Elbel. This material may be freely used and distributed only for non-commercial purposes, with credit. Nothing in this web site should be construed as legal advice. This web site is provided for information purposes only. Opinions presented are those of the author (or of other contributors as indicated). Trademarks and copyrighted items remain the property of the owner.