Avoiding Unwanted Calls and Catalogs

Things that annoy me: junk calls and junk mail.

Two things to consider so as to avoid unnecessary excess in your life.

First, the national Do Not Call registry started about 5 years ago to help consumers get off of telemarketer's lists. However, it's not a permanent solution. If you signed up when the program started, your registration might expire soon. To find out, go to the Do Not Call registry to confirm if and when you registered, and consider re-registering to avoid those *pleasant* dinner-time calls starting "Can I speak to the head of your household?"

On a similar note, Green Girl in LA, who now writes for the L.A. Times blog Emerald City, brought catalog relief to my attention. I hate all of the unwanted catalogs I get in the mail. I always mean to call companies and ask them to take me off of their mailing lists, but it doesn't always happen. When I do, it's a chore. Name, zip code, address (exactly as it appears), source code, customer code, blah, blah, blah. They're usually pretty nice about it, as am I, and they tell me I might get a few more catalogs since...whatever. It's all automated. They should be able to update things sooner than a few months.

Given the chore it can be to call some of these catalog companies, some of which have silly hours (e.g., 5PM EST), the online alternative is tempting. You have to give Catalog Choice your information (e.g., name, address, etc.), but they claim they'll remove your name from the mailing list of the company in question. I suspect the information has to be exact since that's the feeling I get whenever I've called, but the website doesn't suggest precision. Though I hate to give out my personal information, I tried it. We'll see what happens.