If you are like me, not much arrives in the mailbox these days. My bills have been paid through automatic withdrawal for years – decades, really. Granted, I do enjoy sending cards now and then, and a few things require paper copies. Still, one would think the mailbox would get lonely.
We all know, however, that is not the case. Each day when looking at email, I peruse my Informed Delivery notification. (Informed Delivery is free through the USPS and tells me what to expect each day, including packages that are in transit via the US Postal Service.) When I see the delivery includes flyers, coupons, political announcements, and so on, I know I don’t have to worry about picking up the mail right away. On the other hand, if there is something personal or on rare occasions financially related, I make a point to walk down the driveway soon after Al, my postal carrier, leaves treasures in the mailbox (Occasionally, I leave him goodies, too!)
After many years of online activity, I still receive junk mail. Not as much as I did in the past, because I have registered not to receive it. Some things get through. Ever wonder why you get so much junk?
The USPS terms this “marketing mail” which is a bulk service for printed matter, flyers, circulars, advertising, newsletters, bulletins, catalogs, and even small parcels. These pieces are not charged the first-class rate, since they are sent by volume. There is no such thing as single-piece marketing mail. Did you know low-rate advertising mail was first available in 1845? No wonder there is so much of it!
There is a way to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. (Note, I said reduce). Interestingly, you can register up to three email addresses for free at dmachoice.org. Registration lasts for ten years. Yet, for “snail mail” the fee is $6, termed an administrative fee. Registration requires creating an account with an email address and password. Once your information is entered, including Pay Pal or a credit card number, your registration is good for 10 years. You will receive an email confirmation.
You can also register to stop promotional mail for a deceased person. The fee is $5. The USPS uses dmachoice.org for this purpose, especially if the deceased person lived at an address where others still reside.
So, if you want to reduce the unwanted promotional and marketing mail, register your address with dmachoice.org . Or, just enjoy the walk to the mailbox and recycle the junk.
Silver Sage Sisters 