Had Enough of Marketing Hell? Opt Out

Ever since my credit card company, MBNA, was gobbled up by the corporate chimpanzees at Bank of America, I've been inundated with junk mail and telemarketing calls. It took some digging, but I finally found BofA's master opt out page.

No more calls from Bank of America!

Opt-Out Buried Treasure
While I was digging, I discovered a treasure trove of links that give me a way to put a wedge between me and telemarketers. For instance, there are specific sites to remove your name from credit card and magazine pitches, stop schools from releasing info about you, and put the kibosh on dopey commercial data brokers selling details about your life.

You shouldn't be surprised that some of the sites make you jump through hoops. An example: In order to use the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to stop your school from giving out details ideal for ID thefts (like your home address and phone number, all without your knowledge or consent) you'll need to get the FERPA form supplied by the school.

Another hurdle: The Direct Marketing Association, the folks who send catalogs and other junk through the mail, might discourage you from registering on their opt-out list by charging you a $1 processing fee. Geez…

World Privacy
The World Privacy Forum put together a massive list of spots to opt out and it's chock full of details and tips. (And thanks to Tom L. for these leads.) Below is a list of the more popular opt out sites:

Do Not Call Registry

Credit card and insurance offers

Catalogs and coupons

Deceased Do Not Contact

Banks and Financial Institutions

Schools, Colleges and Universities

Data brokers

Choicepoint

LexisNexis

Actual image of privacy advocate Steve Bass filling out opt-out forms