Junk Mail Shredding & Consumer Protection: What You Need to Know

It’s a great time to think about consumer protection and what’s happening with all of that junk mail you’ve been receiving.  Read on to learn more about our junk mail shredding services.

National Consumer Protection week is a great time to think about consumer protection and what’s happening with all of that junk mail you’ve been receiving.

Direct marketers thrive on your buying habits; every time you use a store loyalty card, subscribe to a magazine, sign up for a credit card or buy something from a catalog, your personal information is shared with one or more companies who collect marketing data. That means your mailbox is littered with more credit card offers, junk mail, and other solicitations.

While these offers may be considered trash, the last place you want to put them is IN the trash. Once you put your regular trash to the curb, it is considered public property and to an identity thief, your credit profile is the ultimate prize. Thieves can open lines of credit in your name and send your credit score down the tubes.

To protect yourself, there are some simple steps to take:

Reduce Junk Mail

Did you know you can remove yourself from as many national mailing lists? The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail Preference Service allows consumers to opt out of receiving most junk mail for a period of five years. You can sign up for free at www.dmachoice.org.  This method won’t work for all junk mail. There are companies that do not participate in the DMA, and therefore must be contacted directly. This can include magazine publishers and professional organizations.

Stop Those Credit Card Offers

Major credit bureaus compile lists of consumer characteristics and sell them to various bidders. These lists contain information such as salary range, payment record, demographics and other general information, but it doesn’t disclose specific financial information. Consumers can take their name off those lists by opting out for five years or indefinitely at www.optoutprescreen.com.

When In Doubt, Shred It

One of the best self-defense measures consumers can implement is to shred information before discarding it. Hiring a professional shredding company like Legal Shred can help you safely and properly dispose of documents that contain sensitive information, like bank records, personnel files, payroll records, and yes, even junk mail with credit offers.

We offer drop off locations in addition to mobile services where we come to you. Simply contact us and we can help you with our junk mail shredding services.

Additional resources on how Legal Shred can help with unwanted mail:

 

Junk Mail Shredding

Service Areas: Florida Shredding; Orlando Shredding; Tampa Shredding; Naples Shredding; New York Shredding; Westchester Shredding; Long Island Shredding and more!