# Returning junk mail to sender? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816 "2018-07-12T22:29:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/21 "2018-07-13T13:43:48Z")
Realistically, I know I’m not accomplishing anything, but for years I’ve sent any postage paid envelopes back to the people. I spend 5 minutes each day going through mail at work. Stuffing and sealing the envelopes has become part of my routine. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/22 "2018-07-13T14:03:57Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > I remember a customer complaining about bulk mail to my postmaster who responded “Do you know how many disabled people have jobs with mailers, who would be unemployed otherwise?” Exactly. We have a “mass mailer”/“direct mail”, aka “junk mail” business in my community that employs hundreds of people. We also have several printing companies that serve the industry. I have no problem with the burden of carrying junk mail into my house and depositing it in the trash can if it means jobs for other people in the community. And, frankly, I appreciate the revenue that USPS gets from junk mail. Perhaps I’m wrong, but it likely keeps first class postage a bit lower. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/23 "2018-07-13T14:47:50Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Exactly. We have a “mass mailer”/“direct mail”, aka “junk mail” business in my community that employs hundreds of people. We also have several printing companies that serve the industry. I have no problem with the burden of carrying junk mail into my house and depositing it in the trash can if it means jobs for other people in the community. Wow. Have you ever considered finding some other small burden to bear—one that might help members of your community find jobs that are actually socially useful and less damaging to the environment? ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/24 "2018-07-13T15:01:17Z")
If the junk mail has a return envelope I will tear up whatever they send, put the pieces into their own envelope and mail it back. That way they have to pay the postage. I know it does not do much to stop the number of junk mails I get, but I do get a small sense of satisfaction. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/25 "2018-07-13T15:39:08Z")
This is the most classic case of shooting the messenger I’ve seen in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/26 "2018-07-13T15:47:21Z")
I keep the recycling bin next to the mailbox for a reason. Junk mail, which is at least 90% of the snail mail I receive, goes directly into the bin. I’ve considered removing the mailbox and just writing “MAIL” on the bin itself, but I still need to get bills and other legit mail occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/27 "2018-07-13T16:01:07Z")
I like to write DECEASED, RETURN TO SENDER on the envelope and drop it back in the mailbox. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/28 "2018-07-13T16:02:57Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > If the junk mail has a return envelope I will tear up whatever they send, put the pieces into their own envelope and mail it back. That way they have to pay the postage. I know it does not do much to stop the number of junk mails I get, but I do get a small sense of satisfaction. They just pile these up and when they have a bunch they file a request for a refund on the inappropriate use of their business reply mail account for X number of pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/29 "2018-07-13T16:21:25Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I like to write DECEASED, RETURN TO SENDER on the envelope and drop it back in the mailbox. My father died in 1996. Let’s just say your solution isn’t 100% effective. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/30 "2018-07-13T16:32:16Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > I’ve gotten to the point where, while I don’t welcome it, I sure don’t resent junk mail. It’s literally a 10 second detour to my recycle bin. I also feel that having an affordable, reliable home delivery service, provided by the USPS is darn close to a civil necessity, so I’m more than happy to let advertisers waste their dimes to print and mail stuff to me in order to keep the service around. I’d much rather have someone send me a piece of junk snail mail, than a marketing phone call, or spam email. And because there are actual printing and mailing costs associated with physical junk mail, it eventually stops coming, unlike spam email, which has zero cost to the sender, and so is impossible to get yourself out of. > [@Atamasama](#): > > I consider junk mail reception part of the cost of having a postal service. Just like I put up with commercials during TV and radio shows, or ads on web sites. It’s a small inconvenience that helps pay for the convenience of receiving mail and packages from the USPS. > > Whenever I get upset at the volume of junk mail, I console myself thinking of the amount of money those organizations wasted to have that stuff printed, packaged, sorted, and delivered to me just to have it dismissed and disposed of. Each piece of junk in the bin is a win for me. At the risk of turning this into an IMHO thread—I heartily agree with all of this. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/31 "2018-07-13T16:32:25Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > My father died in 1996. Let’s just say your solution isn’t 100% effective. In high school some of my classmates used to do this after subscribing to music clubs like BMG and Columbia House. They’d get their initial twelve CDs for a penny each (or whatever the deal was) but when it came time to make their full-price selections, they’d mark the envelopes with “DECEASED” and return them. Whether or not this scam worked I can’t say—my classmates claimed that they had no further contact from the music clubs, but that might just have been empty bragging. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/32 "2018-07-13T16:32:43Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I keep the recycling bin next to the mailbox for a reason. Junk mail, which is at least 90% of the snail mail I receive, goes directly into the bin. I’ve considered removing the mailbox and just writing “MAIL” on the bin itself, but I still need to get bills and other legit mail occasionally. I know you’re joking, but in the interest of fighting ignorance: mail boxes are regulated and using something as a mail box without the approval of the post office is a federal crime. So don’t do it without talking to your local postmaster. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/33 "2018-07-13T16:38:30Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Whenever I get upset at the volume of junk mail, I console myself thinking of the amount of money those organizations wasted to have that stuff printed, packaged, sorted, and delivered to me just to have it dismissed and disposed of. Do you ever consider the societal cost of this wastage? All the forests that are depleted to get the raw materials, and all the fossil fuels that must be extracted and burned to turn the wood into paper and deliver it from the factory to the printer to your doorstep? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/34 "2018-07-13T17:14:20Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > In high school some of my classmates used to do this after subscribing to music clubs like BMG and Columbia House. They’d get their initial twelve CDs for a penny each (or whatever the deal was) but when it came time to make their full-price selections, they’d mark the envelopes with “DECEASED” and return them. Whether or not this scam worked I can’t say—my classmates claimed that they had no further contact from the music clubs, but that might just have been empty bragging. In college people would do this, except for the writing deceased on it. One guy, using an alias similar to his actual name, got a lot of stuff and skipped out. Since mail for previous residents was just stacked off to the side other students would order stuff from the companies that the first company had provided his fake name to. Then the collection threats began to pour in. It was around this time same that the dorm, in the sort of coincidence that only happens in bad fiction and real life, got a new head resident whose actual last name was the SAME as the alias of the guy who got this whole ball rolling. A couple of us called the collection agents and told them that the new head resident was the guys brother. “We think it’s terrible how Kevin ripped you guys off, gives students a bad name. We want to let you know that his brother, Martin, is now head resident of our dorm. He’ll deny it, but don’t believe it.” I feel kind of bad about it, _now._ ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/35 "2018-07-13T18:35:26Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Do you ever consider the societal cost of this wastage? All the forests that are depleted to get the raw materials, and all the fossil fuels that must be extracted and burned to turn the wood into paper and deliver it from the factory to the printer to your doorstep? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/36 "2018-07-18T01:35:55Z")
So I heard back from USPS regarding the complaint I filled against my letter carrier for leaving the refused junk mail in my mail box. They apologized for the carrier not picking it up and stated that as long as it’s unopened, clearly marked, & the metal flag is up it’ll be removed, but they won’t actually sent it back (it’ll be disposed of at the office, which I already knew). Apparently if I proved them with a signed letter they can stop delivering any Bulk Rate mail to me; that I didn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/37 "2018-07-18T01:51:51Z")
So now you have the post office providing trash collection services for you. Congratulations. That sounds like an excellent use of their resources. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/38 "2018-07-18T02:55:23Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Do you ever consider the societal cost of this wastage? All the forests that are depleted to get the raw materials, and all the fossil fuels that must be extracted and burned to turn the wood into paper and deliver it from the factory to the printer to your doorstep? of course a variation of the same holds true for the manufacture of computers and the electricity to run them.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/39 "2018-07-18T03:02:09Z")
Do whatever you want. You’ll NEVER get off those mailing lists. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816/40 "2018-07-18T03:25:13Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > As they told us in orientation it is not junk mail, it is 31% of your paycheck. True, but the summer I delivered mail I climbed a lot of damned stairs for the sole reason of putting junk mail in people’s boxes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returning-junk-mail-to-sender/817816.md?page=3)