You Can Opt Out of Credit Offers
Some credit reporting agencies use information from a consumer credit report to target marketing to consumers without their express permission. If this bother you, you may wish to block your name from being sold by credit bureaus and can “opt out.” of these types of offers. Later, you decide to be put back on these marketing lists and can always opt back in.
There are different levels of opt out. You can request to opt out from pre-approved offer lists for either five years or permanently. Keep in mind that the opt out is not immediate as these requests get routed to all the bureaus, Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion and take affect within five days. An immediate reduction in the offers you receive may not be apparent right away. This is because some companies who have your name may not have mailed offers to you yet.
Removing your name from these pre-approved lists does not affect your ability to apply for or obtain credit or insurance.
For the purpose of privacy and ID theft prevention, and because many collection agencies can use these lists to locate you, it probably a good idea to opt out of prescreened credit offers.
Opt Out Prescreen
Opt Out Prescreen allows you to remove yourself from credit card offers. You can do this by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or online by visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.
The credit bureaus offer this toll-free number which allows consumers to take their names off the list given to credit and insurance marketing companies. This will ultimately lead to less unsolicited ads and pre-approved credit card offers showing up in your mailbox.
When you opt out by phone or online, you are automatically signed up for 5 years. After 5 years your information will be back in circulation and you will start receiving pre-screened offers again.
To opt out permanently, you’ll have to sign and mail in a printed form which is also available on the Opt Out website.
Junk Mail Opt Out
By registering yourself with the Direct Marketing Association’s Junk Mail Opt Out www.dmachoice.org, you’ll stop receiving unwanted advertising in your mailbox. This registration lasts for five years.
You can also opt out of commercial email on the same website. Bear in mind that opting out with the Direct Marketing Association for both postal and electronic mail only applies to members of the DMA.
Opting out of Telemarketing
To stop receiving unwanted telemarketing calls, put your phone number on the national Do Not Call Registry. Call 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov to register. If you are calling the toll-free number, be sure to call from the phone number you want to be put on the do not call list.
You can choose to remove your number from the do not call list at any time. Your number will be automatically removed if your number is disconnected and assigned to someone new.
It’s important to remember that the Do Not Call rules do not apply to every telemarketer. The Do Not Call Registry also won’t stop scammers who are operating illegally or committing fraud (if they’re already criminals, the Do Not Call list won’t deter them). To file a complaint against someone who violates the Do Not Call list, call 1-888-225-5322 (888-CALL-FCC). You can also complain online at http://www.fcc.gov/complaints.
