My uncle sent me a thing about sending your junk mail back in their postage-paid envelopes, as well as leaving telemarketers on hold. Here’s my response. (Yes, I’m too lazy to write anything fresh!)
I find that getting rid of my home phone (using only the cellphone) has been really useful in killing phone spam. I hate it when the phone at work is for me ’cause it’s ALWAYS some dork trying to sell us computer equipment and I’m the “computer guy”.
The postal mail that bugs me the most isn’t the credit card offers, etc – but the “newspaper” garbage – ez saver, pennysaver, etc – that are usually sent out by the local newspaper despite the fact that I don’t subscribe and have asked them not to.
Or the ones from tree trimmers, roofers, etc. that they jam in my garage door handle or leave on my doorstep or doorknob.
Finally – I wish the post office would just raise rates a lot – say, to 50c or so – and then leave it there for a long long time. Ten years should be sufficient. And charge everyone that much – don’t give a discount to the spammers.
But a better idea is what I call the “letter rate” stamp – stamps that don’t have a dollar amount on them, but are good for mailing a letter – forever. Buy as many as you want (at today’s rate) – when the rates go up you don’t have to bother with penny stamps or worse, returned letters. Ditto for the $3 express mail envelopes – buy as many as you want – their stamp is good forever. The Post office would certainly make more money from people buying early. Probably makes too much sense though.
I remember a few years ago when I was at the post office (to have something weighed – now there’s a PITA) and I was looking at all the stamp collecting stuff on the walls, and wondering why the hell they bother – and I realised, every stamp they sell that they don’t have to deliver is pure profit. Now there’s a scam. What the hell is the government doing in that business?