Junk mail tide set to rise

Fed up with receiving junk mail? Well, things are about to get an awful lot worse.

The recent settlement between the Royal Mail and its unions includes a clause buried away in the text which removes restrictions on the amount of un-adressed rubbish that the poor old postman has to push through your letterbox. Previously, this junk mail was limited to three items per household per week. Not any more.

But you can opt out of the junk mail torrent. Royal Mail bosses and junk mail producers don't like the term “junk mail” and prefer to call it “direct marketing.”

To let the Royal Mail know that you don't want to receive un-adressed items write to:

Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTS
Royal Mail Door To Door Opt Outs
Kingsmead House
Oxpens Road
Oxford
OX1 1RX

Or email: optout@royalmail.com.

A letter is probably best, as you will have proof that you actually asked. See more information at www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400126&mediaId=500081

A postman was suspended once for telling people on his round about this opt out service, so you aren't going to find the information on opt outs being promoted by Royal Mail. After you make a request you will be sent a letter asking for confirmation and after this has been sent back it will take about six weeks for the junk mail to stop.

Of course, if junk mail generators have your address then Royal Mail legally has to deliver it. To try and stem this flow you need to contact the Direct Marketing Association. See their website at ttp://www.dma.org.uk/information/cps-introduction.asp You can also use this site to opt out of annoying marketing phone calls and other irritations.

But there is nothing you can do about the flyers pushed through your letterbox by businesses that employ people to do so.

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