Stop your parents junk mail now before it's too late.
Posted by AustinGearHead@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 45 comments
Hey all, I was going through the process of signing up for all the services that kill junk mail and it made me think about my grandfather who would write checks for any "Good Samaritan" letters that came in the mail. My parents didn't catch it quickly and we have no idea how many thousands of dollars he gave away to scammers.
So do it now before our parents get to the age where they don't know any better.
https://www.dmachoice.org/register.php
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
Those won't stop everything but it's a good start.
I'm also thinking about setting up a Incogni family account to kill any data they have floating around.
Bourbon-No-Ice@reddit
Great post and thank you. Are there anymore links that we should know about? Thank you.
Fast_Soil1376@reddit
I get more junk mail addressed to the woman who lived in my apt before me, than I get for myself. Based on what I see, she must have donated to everyone possible. It's slowed down a little in the last year, but it's still soooo much stuff.
handsomeape95@reddit
I really wish I knew how to stop this. I swear I just transfer it directly from the mailbox to the recycle bin.
Inevitable_Pride1925@reddit
Nearly everything of importance that might get in the mail has been set to paperless delivery. Basically all that mailbox gets that’s important is the occasional mail in ballot and packages. It’s also not close by since it’s a community mailroom and a few blocks away.
Needless to say I don’t check it often if I’m not anticipating a package or specific mail. Most things that I really want are delivered directly to my door anyway. Well it had been about 6 weeks maybe 8 since I checked it last.
In the entire mailbox there was not one single piece of mail outside a single primary ballot that was something that was relevant. Everything was junk. I just can’t believe it’s allowed or even profitable to do so.
I honestly think it might just be junk mail propping up the mail service though given the volume that does go through. It’s like the original add based free subscription app. It’s free almost free but you have to deal with the frequent intrusive add interrupting service
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
I really do think that if junk mail was banned the USPS would absolutely collapse. I wish we could reset the whole mail system and outlaw junkmail, streamline the USPS and let them become optimal at package delivery.
USAF_Retired2017@reddit
My daughter is 10 (mentally about 4 or 5) and she gets the mail after I get her off the bus. Even she knows what’s junk and what isn’t and she throws it away in the outside bins before we even get in the house. 😂
Cashewkaas@reddit
Us too! For years we kept getting mail from all kinds if charities that she donated to. We just started sending it back and now, almost ten years later, we’re surprised if we get something for her instead of annoyed.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
My wife donated to the national forestry service or national parks cause she wanted some free saplings. She got about half of the saplings she was promised, but man alive they signed her up for every bit of spam they could. It's without a doubt the bulk of the mail we get in our house.
monarch-03@reddit
Yeah, that happens a lot more than people realize. One donation or signup can end up putting someone on a ton of mailing lists for years. DMAChoice helps with some of it, but a lot of the info also spreads through people-search/data broker sites.
I work with Optery, so just disclosing that upfront, but this is honestly one of the most common reasons people start looking into data removal services, especially for older family members getting flooded with junk mail and spam calls.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
Optery was one of the other options I was looking into. Seems like there's a free option but you have to put in the work to remove yourself from databases. It's an interesting approach. Incogni was my other thought because I can do the whole family in one whole swoop.
tultommy@reddit
It's hilarious because it's always the tree hugging hippies that waste the absolute most paper sending you all of their junk.
saison257@reddit
I've owned my house for over 13 years and I still get mail every week for the people who lived here before me. It's insane.
-Odi-Et-Amo-@reddit
Same! 80% of my mail is addressed to her.
medievalkitty2@reddit
Same - I’ve also been getting junk mail from healthcare companies for the previous tenant. I tried calling several times to get my address off the mailing list, but it keeps coming.
kathatter75@reddit
I still get Kroger rewards coupons for a tenant that lived in my apartment before me. I bring them to a friend at work who shops there.
Broad_Tie9383@reddit
You really don't need to donate much to get on the lists they sell to each other. I will never run out of return address stickers and little grocery list pads for charities I would literally never send a dime to.
OskeyBug@reddit
My dad wired 10 grand to some rando. His name has been taken off all the accounts now.
frustratedComments@reddit
I’d love to opt out of political ads in the mail. Fuckin A.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
I want this, but with text messages. Let me tell you the absolute LAST way I want my political information is through text message.
frustratedComments@reddit
Fortunately I don’t get texts or calls. But I do get a shit ton of direct mail
Darc_vexiS@reddit
It’s way worse when grandpa has them on auto pay for donations. Just on 1 of 4 credit cards my grandpa racked up close to $6000 for about a year. $40 here…$30 there…shit all adds up even worse the mortgage wasn’t being paid off fast enough. If it weren’t for donations his house would have been paid off years ago but it wasn’t just the donations however no one knows why he even borrowed off his house anyways…🤦🏻♂️…mans got 3 pensions coming in each month so it’s like he doesn’t have money but he’d been giving it away for many years. Yes it will be a touchy subject to bring up to anyones elderly grand parents.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
Once my parents figured out what was going on, they intercepted the mail before my grandfather got to it. They knew that everyday he'd walk to the mailbox at 6pm (after jeopardy). My dad would swing by the mailbox on his way home at 5pm, clear out all the junk they didn't want him to have, then leave the rest in the box. At 6pm, my grandfather would get the filtered mail and was none the wiser.
No_Custard_6481@reddit
I know my dad falls for life insurance, window replacements, car loans and mortgage rate adjustments. He is always up for a deal!
That is smart of your dad. They get pissed if you insult their intelligence by questioning anything they do. lol.
HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit
Penny wise and pound/dollar foolish
My dad is that way
Already (late 60s) I'm hearing "but the sales guy sounded honest" - he's a fucking salesman of course he SOUNDED honest, it's the nature of the job for most....legalised lying....
Neither he nor my mum would listen so not my problem honestly ....why get my stress levels higher for no reason ?
My grandad once bought a mattress from a guy in a van claiming someone had refused delivery and to save him taking it back would my grandad want to buy it at a discount....of course he forked over the cash, can't remember if it was handed over or not. . If it was it was probably a recovered mattress intercepted from waste streams or from house clearances (big big big scam in the UK for a while....apparently sprayed down with something to kill any odours, new cover put on top and sold as "new"
Some were cut open by trading standards and found to be ridden with mould, piss and who knows what else
GROSS
worse the same guy was in my street trying the same scam, I reported him to the cops...don't think they did shit though as plod Scotland are idle, disinterested and incompetent
No_Custard_6481@reddit
Yes!
Every salesperson that offered something for free if they could give an estimate of whatever they were selling, would be at our house. I never went home. lol.
It was also my dad and dogs. Someone would talk him into a dog from a litter. That was terrible bc they were mostly inbred. So the pups had screws loose. 😂.
My Oma fell for it one time when the travelers would visit. She wouldn’t give them what she wanted so they spit on the stoop to curse her. My uncles would have to come over to calm her and chase them away from messing with her.
imtooldforthishison@reddit
You're a hero because I am going to stop mine because damn, leave me alone.
Ineedavodka2019@reddit
My mom feel for the bitcoin scammers. She gave away over $100,000 just because they called her and would talk to her.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
Damn man, I'm sorry to hear that. Scammers can go right to hell.
Ineedavodka2019@reddit
My mom feel for the bitcoin scammers. She gave away over $100,000 just because they called her and would talk to her. Thank you
Conscious_Home_4253@reddit
Another option if the junk mail continues-
Have their mail go to a PO Box that someone else can access and give them only their essential mail.
Weasel_Town@reddit
I've never been so grateful my parents are self-centered jerks. They won't be giving away any money to good causes, real or fake.
Significant-Rush-129@reddit
This is not a bad idea. My dad, who was always Mr Watchdog on the look out for scams recently has seemed so much more naive to me about these sorts of things.
Makes me also think about how you know, we monitor our kids internet use? This probably sounds degrading and I don’t mean it to, but as they get quite a bit older and have smart phone use and internet use, I almost wish there was a way we could monitor that. A lot of scams come in that way and they can’t always spot it.
cheerful_cynic@reddit
I swear it's lead damage plus covid brain damage plus the lack of regulation/enforcement about running scams. We probably need child lock level safety nets in place but the very nature of the brain damage means that these elders don't want to acknowledge how gullible they've become
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
I constantly think about the kids and their internet usage. We grew up into this mess so we've seen just about all the dumb/horrible scams there is to see but these kids just don't know anything yet.
Significant-Rush-129@reddit
Oh I meant for the aging parents.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
oh. Yeah that makes sense in reference to what were talking about LOL. It's a good idea, but man I don't know how we'd do it. My dad was in tech for years, I'm sure he thinks he knows more than me.
No-Banana247@reddit
You can also go to Lexis Nexis, they sell info, and opt out. It's a bit of a process because they make sure you've you and that you've at that address but it stops almost everything!
As a heads up though it will also make some governmental process harder. For instance, I bought a gun and my background check had to be 'manually' run because LexisNexis is their background check provider. Not sure what that actually entails but I had to come back the next day to finish the process.
Lexis Nexis
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
Thank you, I'll add that to my post!
roonilwonwonweasly@reddit
Man, I can't even stop my own junk mail! My parents are on their own for this one
Zulers_Sausage_Gravy@reddit
Dad throws it straight into the shredder so I should be fine.
AJ14847414@reddit
My grandpa was still getting some of his dad’s mail 30 years after his dad died.
medievalkitty2@reddit
My parents still get mail at their current place addressed to my dad’s mother who died in 1984. And they’ve moved 4 times since. Crazy.
AustinGearHead@reddit (OP)
That is nuts. I'm not surprised tho.
AJ14847414@reddit
They were farmers so a lot of it was mailing lists for farm supply companies. It was funny though getting it for what would have been a 115 year old.
Ordinary-Violinist-9@reddit
My mom gives out my email for shit she wants to be notified like city government, stores and so on. She checks my/our account and always ask about what's what or what's this and so on. Told her to always check the mail address from sender and also go directly to the site like city/bank/provider (for which i've added shortcuts to the browser for her)