# Business reply mail & junk mail returns **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360 "2004-11-06T16:32:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/1 "2004-11-06T16:32:50Z")
Like a lot of perople on this board, I get a lot of credit card solicitations. I usually shred them. Would it be illegal to shove all the inserts back into the business reply envelope and send them back to the sender? ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/2 "2004-11-06T16:39:20Z")
\ Well, you could paste that baby on a brick and drop it in mail.šŸ˜ƒ \ ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/3 "2004-11-06T16:45:51Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Like a lot of perople on this board, I get a lot of credit card solicitations. I usually shred them. Would it be illegal to shove all the inserts back into the business reply envelope and send them back to the sender? I do this all the time - I leave out the stuff with personal info and send the rest back. ā€¦gives me a small amount of satisfaction somehowā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/4 "2004-11-06T16:52:55Z")
There is [a thread in MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284978) about this very subject, which refers to [Cecilā€™s take on the matter](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_356.html). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/5 "2004-11-06T16:53:20Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > I do this all the time - I leave out the stuff with personal info and send the rest back. > > ā€¦gives me a small amount of satisfaction somehowā€¦ I got another solicitation from Capital One. I cut out any reference to me including the ā€œcustomer locator codeā€ on the envelope and Iā€™m going to send it back. Of course, this wonā€™t help stopping them from sending me more (I usually get 3-4 EVERY WEEK from these people), but maybe if everybody did this, theyā€™d stop. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/6 "2004-11-06T16:56:50Z")
I usually just write ā€œREFUSED, RETURN TO SENDER, MOVED NO FOWARDING ADDRESSā€. Oddly sometimes it just getā€™s delivered right back to me, so I started scratching out my address and the barcode. What I HOPE happens is that it getā€™s back the whereever it came from and they take my name off the list. What really happens I assume is that the PO just throws it away. For some (ie Discover that I used to get several of each week), I just called and asked them to stop sending them and they stopped. I just explained that I wasnā€™t interested in a Discover card right now, and if I do decide to get one Iā€™ll get it off the internet. And I havenā€™t received one in months. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/7 "2004-11-06T17:04:38Z")
> [@Joey P](#): > > I usually just write ā€œREFUSED, RETURN TO SENDER, MOVED NO FOWARDING ADDRESSā€. Tried that. It worked for about a month. I may write to that address in Cecilā€™s column. Youā€™d think Capital One would have gotten the message by now. Theyā€™ve killed at least a whole tree trying to get me to to take one of their cards. Of course, if they were to actually check my credit rating, they would stop immediately. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/8 "2004-11-06T17:50:30Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > \ > Well, you could paste that baby on a brick and drop it in mail.šŸ˜ƒ > \ Well, what would happen if you really did something like that? I dunno, put scrap metal in the envelopes, and mail a whole bunch of them off. Do these business envelopes have weight limits? Iā€™d guess the mail office would just not deliver them, but what would they do with them? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/9 "2004-11-06T20:43:17Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Well, what would happen if you really did something like that? I dunno, put scrap metal in the envelopes, and mail a whole bunch of them off. Do these business envelopes have weight limits? Iā€™d guess the mail office would just not deliver them, but what would they do with them? 1. The local postal worker will throw it away as soon as itā€™s found in the mailbox. 2. The Post Office will charge you with ā€œabuse of the mailsā€ (unlikely, but possible if you do this regularly and they catch you). All this is explained it the ancient\* Cecil column on the matter (cited above), which you apparently didnā€™t bother to read. \*Ancient enough the the postal rate is referred to as 20Ā¢ ā€“ itā€™s well beyond that now. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/10 "2004-11-06T21:17:22Z")
But the column is refering to labels of some sort, yes? As in, using the business reply envelop as a kind of label. Iā€™m totally enclosing whatever Iā€™m mailing the in the envelope, so that rule wouldnā€™t apply. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/11 "2004-11-07T02:09:29Z")
Thereā€™s not much point to that, plus you donā€™t want to be spreading your personal information (of which there is often some in credit card solicitations) around. I donā€™t see anything illegal about it though. Personally, every time I get one I put a funny newspaper comic, nifty optical illusion, or plastic cereal-box toy in it. Donā€™t know what happens to them afterwards, but I like to think it makes it to the desk of someone who opens thousands of these a day for minimum wage. I always imagine theyā€™d need it. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/12 "2004-11-07T02:53:11Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Like a lot of perople on this board, I get a lot of credit card solicitations. I usually shred them. Would it be illegal to shove all the inserts back into the business reply envelope and send them back to the sender? I do it all the time. Iā€™ve shreded everything but the return envelope and sent that, I always every last scrap of paper they sent me, including the outer envelope. ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/13 "2004-11-07T03:34:01Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I do it all the time. Iā€™ve shreded everything but the return envelope and sent that, I always every last scrap of paper they sent me, including the outer envelope. Yep, Iā€™ve always done thatā€¦ I send everything back that has a postage paid envelope. I mix them up if there is more than one and send everything they sent back to them or the other. They have to pay first class postage on mail back to them. I wish there was a way to make spammers pay for every spam message. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/14 "2004-11-07T04:28:50Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > But the column is refering to labels of some sort, yes? As in, using the business reply envelop as a kind of label. Iā€™m totally enclosing whatever Iā€™m mailing the in the envelope, so that rule wouldnā€™t apply. > > Right? Wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/15 "2004-11-07T05:19:10Z")
If your goal is to get off the list, why remove all identifying information? If you want to get no junk mail, do as Uncle Cecil says and contact the DMA. If you just donā€™t want junk mail from the sender, contact the sender. Hereā€™s the secret folksā€¦ legit businesses _want_ to purge dead leads from their lists. It costs them money to send this stuff, and if youā€™re never going to open it or buy anything, theyā€™d just as soon lose your name. Spammers, spimmers, and e-scammers donā€™t particularly care, since theyā€™re not paying postal rates. But even postal scammers want hot names, not dead leads. And yes, whoever opens your mail is getting a wage, not a salary, and is not a key decision maker. But with a few keystrokes she can probably get you off the list. So if you want to send something funny, ok, but take the time to write something along the lines of ā€œPlease remove me from your mailing list and donā€™t send anything to me againā€ on it. For my money, that counts as legitimate business correspondence, and therefore falls within the law for return mail. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/16 "2004-11-07T10:58:32Z")
You could always try sending the stuff back with bricks attached. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/17 "2004-11-07T13:37:35Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You could always try sending the stuff back with bricks attached. Now _thereā€™s_ an original thought. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/18 "2004-11-07T13:44:43Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > Hereā€™s the secret folksā€¦ Sorry. That should have been ā€œHereā€™s the secret, folksā€¦ā€. As far as I know, there are no secret folks. Then again, how would I know? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/19 "2004-11-07T16:33:46Z")
You could always send back a brick. What? In a previous job we sent out a couple of mail shots. (To business addresses). The worse we got back was an old telephone directory. Still costs us excess postage. We viewed it as just one of the risks of the project, you canā€™t _make_ people only send back exactly what you want them to. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360/20 "2004-11-07T16:47:36Z")
I just got laid off from a job opening returned mail . There were hundreds of totes of the stuff. We, there were about 25 of us, opened the letters, later it was opened by machine, and took out the letter that had a barcode at the bottom and threw the rest away. FWIW I alone counted over 30 to the same guy. This was just part time work through one of the temp agencies. Sometimes there were notes inside.Pretty funny. They were mixed from credit card companies. One I remember was from the democratic party discover card IIRC. It had a note scribbled on it stating that there were no baby killing democrats living at that address. šŸ˜ƒ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-reply-mail-junk-mail-returns/273360.md?page=2)