Letter to my Local Postmaster October 7, 2003

October 7, 2003

Postmaster
United States Postal Service
Woodbridge, VA 22195

Dear Postmaster:

I am extremely frustrated with the enormous amount of junk (bulk, third class, whatever it is called "officially") mail I am receiving. I have opted out of all information sharing I can. I have registered with the Direct Marketing Association Postal Mail Suppression list. I have opted out of the credit reporting agencies from sharing my name and address. All magazines and catalogs I receive have marked my subscription as "private." Yet, most of the mail I receive is stuff I have not asked to receive.

After having done a lot of online research, I have discovered Form 1500, "Application for Listing and/or Prohibitory Order," can be used to stop mailers from sending mail. The instructions for form 1500 refer Postal Service staff to publication C033. Publication C033, section 1.1, says that the addressee "may, by completing Form 1500, obtain a prohibitory order directing the mailer of the advertisement to refrain from making further mailings to that addressee."

So, I am now starting to fill out Form 1500 and will be submitting them to my local Post Office for processing. I am having trouble with one thing. Many mailers do not include their mailing address so I am unable to fill in that information. What should I do for those mailers? I am sure they must have an address on file somewhere at the Post Office for their postage bills to be paid. Can I simply put the Postage Permit Number? Can I look up online the address that match to a Permit Number?

I have enclosed the first of what will be many of these forms. I will be spending several hours this week completing these forms. Hopefully, this will reduce the amount of unwanted mail I receive. What would be the best time to bring the completed forms by the Post Office for processing? I came by the Post Office earlier, but the line was extremely long and I would rather not delay other patrons while this is being handled.

Also, please send me twenty (20) copies of Form 1500. I do not wish to continue to subsidize the printing of these forms on my own equipment. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Michael Clark

Enclosures: Six (6) Forms 1500

Tilting at Windmills for a Better Tomorrow.