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In the UK (again), there's a general opt-out service: http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ (Mail Preference Service). It works very well, I don't get any junk mail. There's also the telephone preference service, which stops junk phone calls.

The phone book is very slim anyway (1.5cm?), but I'm not sure where I would go to avoid getting it once per year.

Here are a couple of good opt-outs for the UK:

Telephone Preference Service - no more junk phone calls.
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

Mail preference service - no more junk mail (snailmail).
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

Anyone got any more?

UK folk:

Stop telemarketer phone calls by registering with the telephone preference service:
          http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

Also, stop your junk mail by registering with the Mail Preference service:
          http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

In the UK, we have a thing called the Telephone Preference Service. It's basically a list of people that don't want to receive telesales calls and the like, and it's illegal for telesales people to call anyone on that list. They are legally obliged to check that list and are not allowed to call anyone on it without your explicit permission.

As such, in the UK, if you are on that list then it is not only an invasion of privacy but an illegal act for them to call you. We're signed up and we get practically no calls, and any that we do get can be ended very swiftly by asking who they are and why they're calling and informing them that they are committing an illegal act by even calling us.

I think they do a fax service as well, to cut down on junk faxes too...

In the UK there is a list for opting out of junk snail mail:
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

And a list to opt out of telemarketer phone calls:
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

If only we could opt out of spam email too!

In the UK there is a list for opting out of junk snail mail:
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

And a list to opt out of telemarketer phone calls:
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

If only we could opt out of spam email too!

...the Telephone Preference Service http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/ are the people to get in touch with.
I registered with them a few years ago and haven't had any marketing calls since.

Not a lot of help if you're in the rest of the world, but still - this could be useful to somebody!

Under Government legislation introduced on 1st May 1999 and replaced on 11th December 2003 by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.

Have a look at UK Mail Preference Service, also see Fax preference service and Telephone preference service. I've found these to be effective blockers.

The key elements of their success are:

• It is unlawful to contact an individual on the lists without their prior consent.
• It costs money to get the data (e.g. GBP 3750 for the full fax file, GBP 375 for small number of area codes) or to get an official registration that a third party is filtering the list for you. (You could avoid paying by individually asking everyone on your list, so this is not a compulsory fee.)
• It's easy for customers to complain by mail or on the web. That costs an offender time and money to investigate as well as a possible fine.
• The businesses providing the goods or services are ultimately liable.

So far there is not the same backing for email. The US Direct Marketing Association's eMPS service provides a limited service for honest suppliers, but does not have the legal teeth of TPS, MPS or FPS.

I'm aware that trans-national issues could cause some problems of using a Do Not Spam list within another country. However, for most non-electronic services it's unlikely that most trans-national advertising would be profitable. From the UK I'm not going to buy US inkjet carts, US student loans, Taiwanese products that I can't even read - so such emails are a waste of time to the seller. A properly filtered list could even be a business advantage to a bulk emailer or their customers.

Have a look at UK Mail Preference Service, also see Fax preference service and Telephone preference service. I've found these to be effective blockers.

The key elements of their success are:

• It is unlawful to contact an individual on the lists without their prior consent.
• It costs money to get the data (e.g. GBP 3750 for the full fax file, GBP 375 for small number of area codes) or to get an official registration that a third party is filtering the list for you. (You could avoid paying by individually asking everyone on your list, so this is not a compulsory fee.)
• It's easy for customers to complain by mail or on the web. That costs an offender time and money to investigate as well as a possible fine.
• The businesses providing the goods or services are ultimately liable.

So far there is not the same backing for email. The US Direct Marketing Association's eMPS service provides a limited service for honest suppliers, but does not have the legal teeth of TPS, MPS or FPS.

I'm aware that trans-national issues could cause some problems of using a Do Not Spam list within another country. However, for most non-electronic services it's unlikely that most trans-national advertising would be profitable. From the UK I'm not going to buy US inkjet carts, US student loans, Taiwanese products that I can't even read - so such emails are a waste of time to the seller. A properly filtered list could even be a business advantage to a bulk emailer or their customers.

I don't know about such a treaty, but I do know that the UK has some anti-spam laws. You sign up to a list with your phone & fax numbers, and email addys, postal addys and the like, and it becomes illegal to start directing unsolicted advertising to those numbers/addresses. We're on it, and we don't get any ad calls or posted advertising junk. I don't see why you couldn't put a foreign fax number onto that list Infact, if I remember correctly, it's illegal to send unsolicited advertising faxes at all, but only to individuals... If you can find some details of this company... The Fax Preference service I can't see anything on there either way about registering an overseas number to not be faxed. Hope it helps

Here are the links that you want:

Telephone - http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/
Fax - http://www.fpsonline.org.uk/
Post - http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/
Email - http://www.dmaconsumers.org/emps.html

The first three are pretty effective, but as to how effective a national email preference service can be combatting an international problem... Well we all know the answer to that one.

Maybe send all those junk-mailers invoices for royalties?

Alternatively if you're in UK, you can register with the Mail [Fax|Phone) Preference Services, I have and it works.

Mail Preference Service
Phone Preference Service
Fax Preference Service

Whilst these are private sector they are subject to oversite by the UK Data Protection Commissioner.

Slightly OT but - Not many UK residents know that there is an opt out service for snail mail spam run by the mail preference service. I signed up about two months ago and my junk mail has been reduced to almost nothing. Also all the banks and utilities I've contacted so far have stopped sending me their junk.

• The Mailing Preferences Service for direct mail. Remember to sign up and block the names of you, your family, your dog, the previous owner's dog etc.
• The Telephone Preferences Service is the phone equivalent. Never really got much direct calling anyway, but I've had none since signing up for this.

Both services take about three months to fully kick in following registration.

There's a loophole in the mailing one though, and a comment in another thread some time ago mentioned a way round it. Junk mail may still be delivered to 'The Occupier' by the Royal Mail. Someone a while ago mentioned there was a service to stop this too - haven't been able to find that one. Anybody know?

Cheers,
Ian

I am signed up with the Telephone Preference Service and phone spam is practically a thing of the past. The occasional call I do get ends in abject apologies when I tell them (politely) that the number they have just called is on the list.

There is also the Mailing Preference Service, which does the same for junk mail - or at least junk mail addressed to me. Stuff sent to "The Occupier" and leaflets delivered in bulk by the postman are not halted.

If only Spam could be dealt with as effectively...

This is precisely the reason I haven't signed up for the UK's 'Do Not Email' list. It seems to be a guaranteed way of getting hold of live addresses, and it's likely that whoever sends the spam is doing so from outside the UK's jurisdiction.

Mind you, the UK Telephone Preferences Service works a treat, as does its Mailing Preferences Service.

Cheers,
Ian

Under Government legislation introduced on 1 May 1999 It is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.

When you register they send you a complaint form to use when you receive unwanted calls. Since I registered several years ago I very rarely get them.

To get rid of junk telephone calls and most junk mail in the UK:

• The Telephone Preference Service
• The Mailing Preference Service

I'm on both lists, and I was surprised at how effective these were. I used to be called most Sundays, now I'm never called. I used to receive an absolute torrent of junk mail, now it's barely a trickle.

Quick tip: when registering for the Mailing Preference Service, don't forget to register common misspellings of your name, your partner's name, your children's name, anyone who lived their previously for whom you still receive mail...you get the idea.

Cheers,
Ian