| Author | Message | ||
     Slaughter |
When we get the junk mail from credit card companies, if we return the empty envelope, does the Postal Service still get paid for the return - or are the fees already paid? I'd like to send every last one back empty - but I have heard that the Postal Service has already been paid so it just causes the USPS more work for no additional income. Just wondering... and just HATING junk mail... and just wanting to do SOMETHING besides just shreding it. | ||
| Ironjim |
Do like I do and send them back with coupons and magazine subscription offers stuffed inside. | ||
| Dentguy |
Not a letter carrier, but I was told this some time back. The return "no postage necessary" mail gets charged when it is returned. They have a permit holder's name, permit number and barcode on them in addition to a few other requirements to keep track of them. (Message edited by dentguy on February 28, 2010) | ||
| Slaughter |
If I knew they were going to be charged, that'd make it that much sweeter - knowing they'd be charged for delivery of an empty envelope. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Do like I do and send them back with coupons and magazine subscription offers stuffed inside. Gonna have to do that! I hate getting that garbage. | ||
| Sifo |
They get charged by the PO when it gets sent back. Don't send it back empty though. Fill it with the rest of your junk mail that doesn't have a SARE. I'm not sure if they get charged by the ounce but at least they would have to deal with the garbage disposal. | ||
| Milt |
Can I tape the envelope to a brick? | ||
| Larryjohn |
Another reason to fill the envelope when mailing back is that they will have to open it, wasting their time. If the envelope is empty they would likely recognize this and toss it before opening. | ||
| Captcaz |
Like Sifo and LJ - I take the paperwork from one envelope and fill it with the paperwork from a different CC company ... they get junk mail they don't want, they get charged for mailing, they have to waste their time opening it, and my trash can doesn't fill up. Win? | ||
| Spiderman |
Can I tape the envelope to a brick? YEP!!! As for the general questions I did some research on this.... Yes the companies do get charged once the envelope is 'scanned' in The mail carries in larger areas get pain on the weight of mail they they deliver.... http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2gjKuM/officeofstrat egicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/ One question I have for the carriers, Why don't you walk on the dang sidewalk instead of tromping across my yard!? | ||
| Cityxslicker |
the stick a brik can be bought in bulk,... fits nicely in an envelope and should make it trhough the scanners without too much problem. What me and the nephew do run the offers through the shedder tape different pieces together from different offers, seal em and dump em in the box. we have sent them cereal box tops too kid wants to know if we can send em poo ....there is a product niche waiting to be had for freezed dried ground poo... coming to an envelope near you soon. Even by cutting down the mailbox, I still get it. Still 3-5 POUNDS of Junk mail a weak. WTF where is Al Gore on this abomination, I think Junk Mail is way worse than global warming. | ||
| Aesquire |
Yes, the post office gets paid to return the sase stuff from ads & magazines. Please do not put stuff in any paper envelope that sticks out or is thick, like a Buell pin or jewelry. Mail goes though rollers at speed & bits like that cause jams, and wreck other's mail. If you want to send a metal bit, use a bubblewrap tyvek envelope, as a parcel, it has a chance. Cereal box tops are ok, I love the idea of sending "comfort windows" the ad from "miracle siding". Please, no poo. I have a customer who had made a stamp that says "pay the mailman" and stamps & mails all the cards out of magazines. I thank him. I think it's a great idea. ( I would, that's how we get paid ) Why do you get a pile of junk mail? Because we get paid to deliver it, and it's still a very cheap way to advertise. It's not your mailman's choice. Mail volume is way down from a few years ago, yet the USPS has to drive to everyplace every day anyway. It's a non-profit, under govt. control. The idiot prices for stamps? A govt. committee. ( they get paid way more than I do ) It's still cheaper to send a letter across town than the gas to drive it there. Why do we walk across your yard? Because ( 3 times in the last year, for us in Rochester ) we get "inspected" every time they want to make us work harder. They have to justify cutting a job by "proving" that the remaining people can take up the slack. Amazingly enough, we always can. ( they tell us ) Average size of route/volume of mail carried by a typical carrier is up 150% from a few years ago, and there's less of us every year. So, multiple times a year, a guy with a stopwatch, clipboard, and tablet comp, follow your carrier around, and count the steps, # of seconds between boxes, # of seconds to deliver each piece, # of seconds to sort mail in the truck before walking to next stop...etc.etc.. All the time urging them to greater efforts and insisting he/she cut lawns to save time. You don't want your lawn walked on? Tell your postmaster, and we won't. Oh, and the Postmaster General when I was hired retired with a 14 million$ platinum parachute, with diamond studs. The next guy got $800k a year, when he left. I have a 401k. ( Uh, nope, it's a 101k, now to think about it...) Oh, yeah, and the PO has had to pay up front for some med insurance/retirement costs in odd ways only congress can explain, ( since congress stole the money...twice....so far ) And...we are supported by those silly stamps, not your taxes.....usually. ( and when we make a profit? congress keeps it ) Any more questions? | ||
| Woody1911a1 |
so we can REALLY return all that junk mail and they'll have to pay for it ? also Thank You to the postmen and women . cheers Woody ps what reason should you give when returning it ? (Message edited by Woody1911a1 on February 28, 2010) | ||
| Sifo |
One up side of all the junk mail that you get every day... Money paid for bulk mail postage subsidizes first class postage that you use for sending letters. At least that's how it was when I got out of the direct mail biz in the mid 90's. | ||
| Spiderman |
Tell your postmaster, and we won't. Ahhh my bad, I forgot about asking someone to be courteous and use the sidewalk.... | ||
| Slaughter |
I have absolutely the highest regard for the letter carriers... hope nobody took it wrong in my original question. I just really wanted to create a little bit of aggravation on the part of the credit card pimps AND get some needed change (small as it is) back to the USPS. (and yeah, I know that of the postage, something close to ZERO ever gets to the letter carrier - but I just want to cause some cost to the credit card companies) | ||
| Pammy |
I shred them and then put them back in the envelope. Sometimes I just cut my name off and put them back in the envelope. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I was informed that since I cut the mail box down, that the carrier has to try and deliver all post to the door .... solution... holiday hold on all my street mail. all of it is junk, cart sort, or filler ads. My friends email me, or have my PO Box. I have not received one valid piece of personal mail through the postal system in over ten years. I tell you what, there is a whole host of services that should be able to opt out of and realign budgetary constraints because of it. First up NEA, NOAA, National Parks (yep, if I cant ride in them, I dont see the reason to support them).... I would be very dangerous with a budgetary line item veto and a red pen. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
There is either a phone # or an address that you can contact to have ALL credit card junk mail stopped. I did that a couple of years ago and have received NO more junk mail from them. It lasts for 5 years then you just have to do it all over again. It's amazing how little junk mail we get now. I think it's posted somewhere on the paperwork they send. | ||
| Sparky |
Get a P.O. box. Post Office policy is to not deliver junk mail to P.O. boxes. At least in our town it is. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
My friend used to attached the post paid envelope to bricks and send them back. | ||
| Ourdee |
I have a new growing pile of envelopes on top of the fridge. This time I want to collect enough to not have to set the trash out one week. I do have a pile of bricks out back. hmmmm | ||
| 46champ |
I have been told that the box that the return envelope is attached to can weigh up to 60 lbs. I'm sure that a box that heavy would have to be taken to the post office. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Here's a pretty good story on the current mail issues: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic le/2010/03/02/AR2010030200912.html Bottom line... less service, higher rates are in our future. Still, we have excellent service when I consider the two other countries I've lived in and used mail service in (Canada and Turkey). Wayne | ||
| Vtpeg |
From my local solid waste district: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association PO Box 643, Carmel NY 15012-0643 Include your complete name, address, zip code and a request to "activate the preference service". For up to five years, this will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from. Really works, sort of like the no call list. Funny thing is I still get quarterly junk mail from the waste district reminding me to recycle | ||
| Crackhead |
City, what did you do to not be allowed to ride in the national parks? | ||
| Irideabuell |
Back in the mid-90's Money magazine printed the recommendation that you cut up the contents of that junk mail and place it in the SASE and return it to the place of origin. I've been doing it for nearly 15 years now. | ||
| Vampress |
Interesting stuff. We can just put a sign on our mailbox over here "no junk mail" and they don't leave any. I think it actually is regulated like the no call list. My Dad was a postal worker for 21 years (recently retired) so I know how little gratitude they can get sometimes. I always try and be nice to our postie guy  | ||
| Glitch |
Lucky postie guy | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Didn't I see somewhere that the US postal system is staffed by extra-terrestrials?  I've also been sending other company's mail back in the reply paid envelopes, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction, knowing I am helping to create jobs. |
