Junk Mail - WTF is the point?

connundrum

I'm talking about actual paper junk mail. What is the point of it? I (cleverly) let the crap build up at the front door for about 3 months, and put it all in a bag last night and weighed it. 2KG's worth of junk mail!!

There were roughly 30 of those stupid stickers asking me for my clothes for the Africans, 20 leaflets from Dell, 50-60 between all the Pizza places, Chineses' and Indian restaurants, 2 TV licence reminders and 1 letter from a Polish girl who can apparently 'Provide good house holding service for good price' (??).

Has anyone ever benefited from junk mail? Like, have you ever found your dream product service by reefing through the crap that flies through your letterbox? I really don't think I'd stop the problem by simply sending the mail back to the originating company, as there would be 20 more new companies doing the same thing in the next week.

Can I fit an electric shock thing to my letter box to zap these backstards? The postman would be an unfortunate casualty, but I wouldn't mind dropping down to the local post office to collect my 'actual mail' every week.

How about a big sign with -

'If you leave unsolicited mail here, you will be killed. Promptly.'



Any practical/comical solutions?

Mods - I didn't really think this was a consumer issue as I'm presuming that there is fook all I can do about it

Archeron

Well I was cheered up yesterday. Guinness sent me a birthday card yesterday which I thought was cool.(tis my 30th tomorrow). Nice marketing campaign.

Also, last week the Fairy liquid people sent me a free 24 in 1 dishwasher tablet that will banish dirt to the land of ghosts and spirits. (can you not see that they are serious??) Now all I need is a dishwasher, and then thats what I call good junk mail.

Sky however can go and kiss my hairy ass. I get about 5 leaflets a day from them between newspapers, magazines and deliveries. Sometimes I'm afraid to yawn in case an ad for Sky comes flying out.

Why not save all those flyers asking for your old clothes for Africa and knit them into a jumper and then give it to one of them in their free bags.

arseagon

Archeron wrote:

Why not save all those flyers asking for your old clothes for Africa and knit them into a jumper and then give it to one of them in their free bags.

What about the ones that expect you to supply the bag as well as your old clothes?? The nerve of some charity organisations. :rolleyes:

GK¦ Ixion²

connundrum wrote:

Has anyone ever benefited from junk mail? Like, have you ever found your dream product service by reefing through the crap that flies through your letterbox? I really don't think I'd stop the problem by simply sending the mail back to the originating company, as there would be 20 more new companies doing the same thing in the next week.

Can I fit an electric shock thing to my letter box to zap these backstards? The postman would be an unfortunate casualty, but I wouldn't mind dropping down to the local post office to collect my 'actual mail' every week.

How about a big sign with -

'If you leave unsolicited mail here, you will be killed. Promptly.'



Any practical/comical solutions?

Mods - I didn't really think this was a consumer issue as I'm presuming that there is fook all I can do about it

A possible solution: There is no problem, all they are doing is providing kindling and fire sustaining material for the cold winter months,free of charge no less.

But i would definately take notice of the pizza ones:D .I single handedly keep Apache pizza in business in this country.:)

aidan_walsh

connundrum wrote:

Mods - I didn't really think this was a consumer issue as I'm presuming that there is fook all I can do about it

2.18 seconds with Google says you presume wrong.

Vinnie69

Sure, isn't keeping the new Irish busy between dole days, otherwise they would be walking the streets doing nuthing. Now as least they are getting pitances to walk the streets!

I save the J mail and offer it to J Witnesses when they offer me theirs !:D

Tabnabs

I printed out the 'No junk mail' pic from this site and expected no change but it has made a small difference (plus I can bollock anyone I catch putting in junk, "can you not read the sign"?!!!):D

http://www.mailbox-magnets.com/magnets.htm

I know at work the post man delievers junk mail with normal post, don't know if it's the same for domestic service?

petes

Dyflin wrote:

http://www.mailbox-magnets.com/magnets.htm

I wonder would the "No Bills" one work. Would certainly come in handy.

connundrum

aidan_walsh wrote:

2.18 seconds with Google says you presume wrong.

LMAO!

'(01) 830 4752....the voice-mailbox of The Irish Direct Marketing Association is full. Please try again later.'

Hobbes

Best way to deal with it.Share the karma.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=junk_the_junk

dahamsta

The sister in London has a "No Junk Mail" sticker on her letterbox, which she reckons actually works for a lot of it; there must be an agreement between Royal Mail and the GLA or something. I'm going to make one up for my letterbox.

I've done the business reply thing, always snicker to myself slightly when I get an envelope. They're not as popular these days, for obvious reasons.

adam

rondjon

I've put up a "no junk mail" sticker on my letterbox for the last 3 months and I've had nothing put through the letterbox that wasn't addressed to me since. It's worked perfectly.

Well, except for my local Fianna Fail TD who obviously thinks that his leaflets aren't junk. So I wrote to him, enclosing said junk mail, asking him to ask his staff to respect the wishes of the electorate and not post junk where they're asked not to.

Either that, or could he provide recycling facilities closer to my house than 5 miles and 2 changes on a bus.

Haven't heard back from him yet

Vinnie69

rondjon wrote:

I've put up a "no junk mail" sticker on my letterbox for the last 3 months and I've had nothing put through the letterbox that wasn't addressed to me since. It's worked perfectly.

Well, except for my local Fianna Fail TD who obviously thinks that his leaflets aren't junk. So I wrote to him, enclosing said junk mail, asking him to ask his staff to respect the wishes of the electorate and not post junk where they're asked not to.

Either that, or could he provide recycling facilities closer to my house than 5 miles and 2 changes on a bus.

Haven't heard back from him yet

Had local F F call recently, it went like this;

Elderly gent: Do you vote F F?

Me: No

E G: Would you like to meet our candidate?
Mw: No

E G: Will you vote for him at the elections next year?

Me: No

Pause, then Me: Well that was short and sweet!

Next moment, the candidate poped his head in from the porch next door,standing there in his shorts and tee-shirt and with a big grin says : Howya

Shag it ! He looked human and had a sense of humour. I will give a vote after all.:D

Nightwish

I had a No Junk Mail sign on my door in Dublin, and it made no difference whatsoever.

Peteee

GK¦ Ixion&#178 wrote:

I single handedly keep Apache pizza in business in this country.:)

Quite a bold claim there! Our house has gone through at least 5 pizzas in the last week!

As for Junk mail, I quite like reading the Dell stuff.