How to Get Your Name off a Direct Marketing List

Last Updated: January 14, 2021

People in the United States receive a large amount of direct mail every week. Names and addresses are gathered from phone books, public records and business accounts. They are then bought by other companies who are looking to expand their customer database. If you have been receiving a lot of catalogs, credit card offers, mail offers and magazines, then you can take steps to remove your name from their lists for at least 5 years. You may need to also contact the companies directly, in which case they are required to remove your address if you opt-out of offers. Read more to learn how to get your name off a direct marketing list.

Steps

1
Save your unwanted direct mail for a few weeks to a month. You will need to contact some of these companies directly in the process. You should also have some idea of who is currently using your name and address.
2
Go to the Direct Mail Association's (DMA) mail preference website at www.dmachoice.org. This site allows you to choose what direct mail you want and do not want. 3,000 organizations are part of the Direct Mail Association, and they use the mail preference website to update their listings.

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3
Click on "New User? Register" in the upper right hand corner of the website.
4
Fill in the form with your name, address, email and a password. You can add more than 1 address and name to your account. Click the Submit button.
5
Look in your email inbox or junk mail folder for an activation link. Click on the link to activate your account. You will also be taken to the DMA website.
6
Login to the website with your email and password.
7
Click on the "Manage My Mail" box on the left hand side of the page.
8
Click on "Credit Offers." This page will take you to the site OptOutPrescreen.com, which manages pre-approved credit offers from the major credit bureaus and companies.
- Click on the "Opt-out or Opt-in" button. Choose to opt-out of pre-screened credit offers for 5 years via electronic submission or choose to start the process of permanently removing your name and address by mail.
- Complete the process of opting out via the website for 5 years. Afterward, you can submit a permanent opt-out request by printing a Permanent Opt-Out Election Form, signing it and submitting it.
- You will need to submit your social security number in order to be removed from the Experian, TransUnion and Equifax marketing lists. The records associated to your credit history are also associated with your social security number.
9
Return to the DMA website window. Choose the "Manage My Magazines" tab. You will see a list of magazine titles in alphabetical order.
- Select the option to stop all magazine offers and click "Save."
- If you only want to stop specific offers, then gather all the magazines that you have in your junk mail pile that you no longer want to receive. Find them on the list and click on the title of the magazine.
- Call the customer service line of each individual magazine. Ask the magazine to remove your name from all lists and to not to sell it to any other organizations. It can take 30 to 90 days to be removed from all mail campaigns.
10
Return to the DMA website. Choose the "Catalogs" tab. Repeat the same procedure as you did with your magazines in order to opt-out completely or contact the catalog company directly.
11
Return to your DMA account and click "Other Mail Offers." This should provide a list of DMA companies that use the website.
- Select the option to stop all mail offers and click "Save." This will mark your address to be recorded as an opt-out address for all offers.
- Select the companies individually if you only want to stop the direct mail offers that you have recently received.
12
Gather any flyers and advertising supplements. Many of these are dropped off at your door instead of arriving through the mail. In this case, find the address, look up the phone number associated with the business in the phone book or online, and then call and ask to be taken off the distribution list.
13
Understand that new direct mail lists are always being created. Store loyalty programs, charities, sweepstakes, surveys and product registrations can all lead to your name being added to new lists. Avoid joining these programs, if possible, and set a date every 6 months to call new companies and remove your name.
14
Return to your DMA account to find information about specific companies who keep sending you offers or to update your preferences. You will also need to return in 5 years and every time you move to remove your name and address anew.