I have a PO Box that receives all of my bills, etc. because for some reason I felt that USPS would be reliable in this domain where they have failed in so many others. When I visit the post office to fish mail out of this box every two weeks or so it is invariable overflowing with direct [junk] mail advertising. I’ve used services like CatalogChoice.org to successfully end delivery of unwanted catalogs and some of the mail is from organizations that I’ve donated money or property to (which is sad because now when I get ready to donate to an organization that I haven’t donated to before I get a flash of my overflowing PO Box getting fuller yet). None of these junk mail sources, however, compare to the venerable American Express marketing machine. I am a card holder of their’s but am on the paperless billing system so literally none of the mail they send me has anything to do with my account. In fact, they often try to get me to sign up for the very card I carry in my wallet. I get probably 10-15 pieces per month from them ranging from credit card offers to vacation offers to mortgage offers.
Having recently been inconvenienced by this waste of paper and time spent at the post office, I decided to give their general customer service line a call (800-528-4800) to see if there was anything I could do to stop the flow. Their always-friendly agent responded immediately to my request to be removed from the direct mail list as if she’d been training for it for months. She then went into script mode and quickly read me the list of things I was being opted out of. Within seconds I zoned out and tried to politely let her finish (for some reason I feel guilty hanging up prematurely on overly-polite customer service people). A few key words in her monotone caught my attention, though, so I grabbed a pen and asked her to repeat the list, more slowly this time. Here is how it read:
“You are now being opted out of the following programs with American Express:
- Telemarketing
- Banking offers
- Offers from 3rd parties (little scary)
- Amex news (huh?)
- Affiliate sharing of credit history & report (WOW)
- American Express sweepstakes”
The entire call took about 3 minutes and after letting my mind wander on #5 for another 3 minutes, I decided to post this entry.
Incidentally, this got me search for other opt-out stories and I came across this nice and compact opt-out script.
Well, that is what credit card companys do.
They do share your credit history with one another especially the big ones.
I hate to break it to ya, but it’s not just Amex that does the items you listed. All credit card companies do those things you chose to opt out of with Amex. You should have asked the Rep to clarify item #5, and you’d learn that it’s nothting new, and other companies have been doing this stuff for years. Not saying it’s right or wrong, it’s simply not all that unusual, but to post a statement like this to ward others off from keeping their Amex account or to get an Amex account isn’t right either.
I’m sure other card companies do it as well – but American Express generates 20+ pieces of (paper) junk mail in my box every month – the others do not (to me). That’s why I called – to get that shut off.
My post was not to “ward other off” from anything – just letting people know how to stop the flow of junk mail from Amex.
By, the way, “Dan” – I know you’re an American Express employee based on your IP address (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:12.10.219.39)
Would you care to share American Express’ official position on this?
Just did! It should take about a month. Hope it works. I like AmEx but get tired of the marketing onslaught. Thanx for the nudge.
After opting out at the gov. site and at the top three credit dealerships
I still kept getting AMX mail and offers.
Found your comments and called.
Told it would take 6-8 weeks but am now on the “opt out” plan.
I asked how AMX got around the other opt out programs and dictates, the woman couldn’t answer that question.
PITA to have to take time out, but am hoping this resolves this nonsense.
I was told that they did not do credit “dings” when they sent these applications out, so it appears they are just a waste of paper and mailbox filler annoyance.
Thanks for the info.
To “Dan”…I read you were “not saying” if it was “right or wrong”, but the question is: Is it right or wrong? Does it play into so much of what is wrong and what makes our credit and information and names “insecure” in today’s arena.
Sadly, marketing sensitive information has become a “business opportunity” and moneymaker…and that data often falls into dicey hands.
When most of us find this site, it’s because of some type of abuse we’re trying to stop, so save your selective moralization. on consumers fighting back.
It’s nice and ayssa lot when companies don’t use the “everyone else is doing it” ethics-opt out excuse.
Thanks for the comment, Allie. I hope you have better luck with it than I did. While the mail from American Express seemed to slow down for a while, I still get a lot of crap from them.