I've been doing this for years and I know if everyone did it, it would have a big effect on the prepaid envelope-type junk mail - maybe even eliminate it. What I do is put everything that came in the junk mail back in the prepaid envelope....and here's the best part....I also include the envelope that the junk mail came in. Net result is I have zero items left in my posession. Now, think about the junk mail processors who receive this. If everyone did this, they would be flooded with mail of which maybe a few percent would be legitimate responses. What a complete waste of time and money it would turn out to be. They'd have to open, say, 95 bogus responses for every 5 real responses just to see if they're real or not. When you factor in the increased postage they'd have to pay aswell the would surely be cost-prohibitive.
I agree
No opinion
I disagree
Add your comment
I did this for years. What works better is contacting the company sending the stuff and telling them you do not wish to receive their mailings. I get half of the junk mail I used to get.
You're missing the point. The main intention is not for me to stop receiving junk mail (althoufg that would be the ultimate result). The idea is, if everyone did this, it would hit the junk mailers in the wallet and make it unprofitable for them to send out the junk email indiscriminately.
As I understand it junk mailings cost the sender next to nothing. And the costs associated with the mailings are considered advertising that are built into the product. Sooooo, if retailer X sends out 10,000 mailings and generates enough sales to cover the initial cost (I've been told as little as 5 sales. . .) anything after that is profit.
So by sending back the trash you are in effect raising the cost of the goods. And trust me, somebody is buying.