Get rid of pre-approved credit applications by mail

[Lucy]

Did everyone besides me know there was an opt-out list that all the credit agencies use that one can sign up for so that they know you don't want to receive those nuisance credit card applications?

Really dislike those because it means all those pages have to be shreaded. Have you noticed that they often print out your name on more than one page or even more than once to a page, and it's often hard to see them unless you look really hard?

Anyway, one always has to be concerned about these not making it to the intended receiver, and that leaves room for the wrong person to intercept this private information and misuse it, messing up one's credit.

Have GREATLY benefitted from the other opt-ops, like telephone solicitors, etc., but think this one's the MOST important for reasons just given.

Already fill out forms with any one I do business with to protect my privacy, but this doesn't prevent companies within their families of companies from contacting any one they have had a business contact with them, but usually, they're willing to forego giving the information out if a customer or potential customer requests it. Read today that one can call the customer service dept, and those are usually listed on the bills, etc.

Another source of loss of privacy is those special customer cards that some grocery chains run through their scanners. Did you know that these are used to do profiles on customers, and remember, you gave them your address, etc. to get the cards, so that you could get the price they shoulda charged ya in the first place. They can rent/sell all this information to companies, so they'll have your address to mail you stuff, like coupons for alternatives to the products you typically buy, and other ads relative to your buyin' habits and other profiling.

I may see if I can get my cards like this changed to "Jane Doe" status, and if not, may just hafta cancel em and shop elsewhere. Don't really shop those places much anyhow, but there are a few things that could be purchased elsewhere.

Same goes for credit card use at grocery, but figure if the big healthfood chain profiles mah purchases, that could well be a good thing for the time being. That way, they'll know that some of us shop there cause we're celiacs or other gluten sensitive, etc. folks, so they'll see how much we spend there, and want to be able to introduce more and more of the type of products we purchase.

Do a search and see how many things are on the net about protecting your privacy -- amazing reading, but be sure you double check the contact information (like with your local tv station, etc.) to make sure you're not giving your ss#, etc. to a bogus site or phone no.

Oh, and another thing one can do is to get off the reverse listing for those reverse address/phone no. phone books that some of the people looking for you use to find you or your personal information.
It costs money to get an unlisted no., but one can have only the name and phone no. and have em leave off the address if ya like, or else just use one or more initials. I like the idea of listing the first initial of, say, the husband and the wife (J&M Jones, for example). That way, if someone's legitimately trying to find you, they'll recognize the initials. If they call and just ask for J. Jones, then it'll be pretty obvious they don't know your full name, and that they probably got the phone no. from the directory.

Since I'm computer illiterate, guess I don't have to tell this astute group to clear their cookies often if you don't want to be profiled in terms of your interests and have all the advertisers after you.

If any one uses your SS# for an ID, be sure to get them to give you another ID#. All of our insurances don't currently use SS#s.

Be sure to write publishers of any magazines you take to not distribute your address or personal information.

If you ever order stuff by catalog, that's why you start to get other catalogs, so be sure to notify them not to do that.

Think there's more, but too tired to remember. Think I'll just skip the proof reading tonight, and be embarrassed tomorrow!

Yours, Luce