Well, sign him up! Nothing like building a credit history early!
Or try the 888 number, above.
Don’t think I haven’t given it some thought. He get’s at least one offer a week.
Whenever I register a new carseat or wagon or whatever, we put his name on the registration. I did it purposefully because I wanted to see if any of the companies were selling their list. Evidently, they all are.
Well I’m sure that he’ll thank you for that when he’s 18 
pan
By then AARP will be sending him junk mail.
The Thoreau Lyceum in Concord, Mass. used to routinely get junk mail addressed to Mr. Thoreau, offering to sell him stuff or telling him how he can use the equity in his house. For all I know, they still do.
I hope they were nice enough to forward the mail to Mr. Thoreau. After all, maybe he could use a good second mortgage.
This makes me think of a story Wonko The Sane (I think that’s who it was) about how he put his cat’s name in the phone book, and it started getting all sorts of solicitations. Wonko answered the phone one day, and tried to get his cat a credit card as his guardian. Maybe I’ll see if I can get him to tell the story, it was very funny.
No the cat didn’t get a card, but it was a close thing.
AudreyK, I’m a Junior in H.S. and I’ve been getting CCC since before I was a freshman… 7th or 8th grade.
And CoffeeCat, there’s small coffee shop near me that’s called “The Coffee Kat”…
OK- it’s like this.
When you get a new phone, you can list it under any name you want, and any additional name for less than a buck a month (I think). So, my phone is listed under the cat’s name. I’ve gotten phone calls for the cat, and after a few minutes of describing the cat’s location using words like “scamper” and “licking himself” and “using the litter box” the phone phlunkie figures it out, hangs up, and promises to take “Jack” off of the list (and I never even asked). My cat has gotten Junkmail for BMG Music Club (twice), a local auto dealer sale (Jack can’t even reach the pedals), and yes, a credit card offer. I finally called the knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing chaps over at the “Very Fine and Totally Wholesome Credit Card Company Inc.” and explained that Jack could not get to the phone right now, but I could answer any questions on his behalf, as I, his guardian, provided for all of his material needs. The very polite young lady on the phone asked if Jack had a job. I answered in the negative. She then asked if he had a checking account- Nope. Did he have access to a checking account belonging to someone else in the house- No. Has Jack ever declared bankrupcy? Definately not. Does Jack have any credit cards? Nope.
I was then informed that Jack did not qualify for a credit card. The lady was very polite about that fact, as well.
(At this point, I started to get the giggles.)
I mentioned to the very nice, and totally wholesome lady, that there was something I found funny, and I thought she might find it funny too.
A pregnant pause followed.
I stated that Jack was my cat.
She asked why I hadn’t said so in the first place.
I told her that I wanted to see if I could get my cat a credit card.
She hung up.
An alternative to mailing junk mail back to a company is to mail back a different companie’s junk mail to them. Sorta confuses the envelope jockies.
Thanks for the heads up Eonwe.
Also, Zaphod Beeblebrox got a job offer (from my then employer) at my apartment.
I’ve found that getting Caller ID is the best thing since sliced bread. You always know when to answer the phone with a bizzarre accent, which is the first step to getting the Telemarketer to hang up on -you-. I got a call from the Slomin’s Security company last night. They wanted to give me a free security consultation. I informed them in a heavy accent, that I had been seeing a counselor, and that I was very secure in myself, thank you very much.
Needless to say, that did not stop the PhoneDroid ™, and the fun continued.
The PhoneDroid explained that she was referring to the security of my family and home, but after I mentioned that I lived alone, and that my home was an inanimate object, and therfore unable to experience either security or insecurity; or in fact, any emotion at all for that matter, she made her escape.
Whooot! Fun Fun Fun.
I used to get pissed off at those sales calls, but now they are just fun!
For me anyhow…
I can vouch for the fact that this is true. It was common knowledge at University of Wisconsin - Madison, where I went to school. In fact, one of the people running for student office decided to buy the e-mail list for the entire school, and subsequently spam them with messages to vote for him, so I doubt the price for (e-mail) addresses is even that high.
To be honest, though, I’d rather have had that than a bigger tuition hike.
I always shred the credit card solictations (even though I opted out I still get some), bills, credit card statements, receipts, first drafts of various death treats ect . . .
Best off not having those things show up in your trash.
Besides, the cross-cut shredder is fun-- shredy shredy!!
You can alway send the envelope back empty if your want to " stick it to the man" The real problem being of course, that the man doesn’t really care all that much.
-me
You only think you’re joking. I’ve been getting AARP junk mail (and the odd phone call) since I was 20.
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “early retirement”. I remember reading junk mail from them in college, and thinking, gimme a break, I need something to retire from first.
Hey, I’m a star! Where’s my royalty check?
A 4-year-old? A middle-schooler? Man, I got off lucky that they waited until college to bombard me.
fluiddruid, I hear ya.
I remember hearing a story about how a telemarketer had called someone’s house and asked for the 10-month-old baby I think the babay’s mother said to call back in a few years when the baby could actually use the product they were trying to pitch over the phone.
Then again, I also remember hearing some story that a woman got tired of all the junk mail she was receiving. so she changed her listing in the phone book to include a (fake) husband. She still got junk mail, but her “husband” got better junk mail and phone solicitations than she did! (a cruise trip to Europe, better rates on insurance, etc.)
I’m not so sure mailing credit card companies’ crap back to them is going to change anything, really… but for a lark, it can be fun. However, with the anthrax scare and other related items, it is probably not such a good idea.
I remember hearing a story about how a telemarketer had called someone’s house and asked for the 10-month-old baby I think the babay’s mother said to call back in a few years when the baby could actually use the product they were trying to pitch over the phone.
Then again, I also remember hearing some story that a woman got tired of all the junk mail she was receiving. so she changed her listing in the phone book to include a (fake) husband. She still got junk mail, but her “husband” got better junk mail and phone solicitations than she did! (a cruise trip to Europe, better rates on insurance, etc.)
I’m not so sure mailing credit card companies’ crap back to them is going to change anything, really… but for a lark, it can be fun. However, with the anthrax scare and other related items, it is probably not such a good idea.
**Wonko ** You are my hero! How does Jack feel about living credit card free? Maybe Jack could qualify for a mortgage. Or…hayyyyyyyyyyy now…social security disability payments should he suffer from a hair ball.
When I had a Teledroid ™ call me saying I won a free home security system, I laughed and said that a) I lived in the boondocks b) the only crime I had out here was mail box bashing and c) owned a fat yellow dog that barked at anyone who approached my house - and as a perk- barks at rocks too. Did their service offer protection from large rocks in your yard?! and finally, we solved the mail box bashing problem by - yes - removing the post box from the thing it sits on during the Sweeps Week of mail box bashing - Graduation, home coming and Halloween. No home security system is going to randomly crap all over my back yard like my dog. That is the ultimate home protection.
When I fill out those “Fill this out and you may win a fabulous prize” things at the stores, I always a) fill my name in backwards - looking mighty foriegn then b) put a note on the bottom stating " Do not put me on a mailing list ".
You can get your name taken off the mailing lists by the number provided by Johnny LA, the voice of common sense.
Or you could try a stronger mailbox. I’ve also heard of people using two mailboxes, either on opposite sides of the road (one fake box as a vandalism target and a real box for the lettercarrier) or a large box containing a small box plus concrete to fill the gap.