| How to opt out of (almost) everything |
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Similar to the National Do Not Call Registry, there
is a list for people who don't want pre-approved credit applications
or insurance offers. Started in December of 2004 and run jointly
by credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion,
the service is free and allows you to opt out either permanently
or for five years. Visit: www.optoutprescreen.com
or call (888) 5-OPTOUT or (888) 567-8688.
As with other lists, you might not see results immediately,
but signing up should greatly reduce offers of credit and insurance
products.
Junk mail
Mail box stuffed with junk mail? You can opt out of that, too. The
Direct Marketing Association, the trade group for the industry,
maintains a list of consumers who don't want to receive unsolicited
mail. The DMA prohibits its members from sending advertising to
anyone on the list for five years.
The DMA distributes the "do not mail" list to its members four times a year. Once you register, you should see a decrease in unsolicited mail within about three months, according to the group's Web site.
To opt out on the Web, you can register at www.dmaconsumers.org.
You also can register by sending a note to: Direct Marketing Association,
Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. In either
case, it costs $1. On the Web site, the group supplies a free form
you can fill out online and then print out and mail, if you don't
want to write a letter.
Telemarketing calls
One of the most popular consumer opt outs is the National Do Not
Call Registry. Established by the federal government in June 2003,
the list is managed by the Federal Trade Commission and enforced
by the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission and individual
state governments.
Call (888) 382-1222 or go online to www.donotcall.gov
and add your name and numbers to the list. (You can add cell phone
numbers, too.) Marketers who use phone solicitation are then prohibited
from calling you for five years. If your phone is disconnected and
reconnected, or if you change calling plans, you might need to re-register.
Since telemarketing companies are required to update their calling
lists every 31 days, you should see a difference in phone traffic
within a month.
Political organizations, charities and legitimate
marketing survey companies aren't covered by the do-not-call regulations.
In addition, if you buy something from a company, the company is
allowed to call you for up to 18 months. If you initiate contact
but don't buy anything, then the company can call for up to three
months.
Binding mandatory arbitration
Clauses that limit consumer access to the courts and, instead, require
binding mandatory arbitration are becoming more commonplace in consumer
contracts, from credit card applications to car purchase agreements.
The exact details differ with each contract and in each situation, so you have to read the fine print carefully to see how the clause will affect you. A true binding mandatory arbitration agreement will prohibit or limit your ability to go to court if you have a problem with the goods or services in question. Instead, an arbitrator will decide the matter. If the decision is truly binding, you have few, if any, avenues of appeal.
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