US Post Office Selling Personal Info?

This is precisely why I did not fill out a change of address form when I moved last month. I was mercilessy spammed with junk mail the last time I moved and filled out a change of address form ...


Brian

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2...acy-concern/

Another group who keep the mail service in business are lawyers and auto repair services. Several years ago, I was rear-ended, very little damage to my vehicle. Over the next 4 weeks, I received (yes I counted them!) 147 pieces of mail from lawyers who wanted to sue on my behalf and from auto repair services who would provide world-class repair of my vehicle's damage. What gripped me the most was that they could send all of that mail at at bulk rate price.

If Police reports are filled out at an accident no matter how minor, all that info is now public record and can be accessed by anyone!

In today's world there isn't an organizsation that doesn't sell your information. Your bank, your credit card people, your magazines, your newspaper, your telephone company, you name it they sell it.

It's also funny how I receive mail under my brothers name and he lives in New York and I live in Florida and vice-versa. I also used to receive mail under my mom's name and she shuffled off this mortal coil 12 years ago and never lived in Florida.

Ray, I had the same thing happen when I moved previously and turned in my change of address forms. Prior to that move, I had my deceased mother's mail forwarded to my address ... most of it being spam or old bills (AARP and related). When I moved, I used my name only on the change of address forms, yet I continued to receive mail addressed to her (and two siblings) for the duration of my residency. I hope to avoid it, this time around.

Also note that for anyone who used the now-defunct Borders Books, customers received an e-mail from Barnes and Noble that they bought the customer information and unless one specifially chooses to opt-out, expect to be bombarded by e-mails from that business:

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=cagopre...ry&csid=Cago

In business everything has a price.

What must go for a record is that in the past couple of years, my grandfather received a piece of mail. He died in 1973.

Now if it was from a lawyer telling you about an inheritance, that would be something entirely different ...

In this day and age, expect your name to be sold to others from any business in which you give your personal info. More often than not, the big store chains have those loyalty/customer/discount cards and you know they are saving all that data.

I get all sorts of philatelic information from assorted dealers and other organizations that I never dealt with. The only source they could get my information has to be the APS. But some of the philatelic "junk mail" is interesting and they tend to use stamps so I don't mind.

The one you really have to watch is the OnStar GPS units which are collecting data on your driving habits and where you travel. Apparently, the Danish police is using this info to let them know good spots for speed traps.

As for odd mail, I get alumni mail for my father from University of Alabama. He went there in the late 1950's for only a couple of years and dropped out. He's also been deceased since the 1980's nor do I live in Alabama or a state in which he lived. My own alumni association has tracked me down no matter where I've moved despite that fact I've never donated nor given a change of address card, etc. They must have some sort of CIA/KGB tracking facility on campus or I was "chipped" during that "vaccine" at the campus health clinic - j/k.

I fully expect to get spammed with junk mail, et al, whenever I give out my personal information ... it's the norm. This article is interesting in that it points out that it's illegal for the US government to give away, rent, or sell my personal info.





So how and why are they getting away with it?

Here's one way they are getting away with it. The USPS website has a direct link to another unrelated website where you can actually provide your personal information and get "freebies" mailed to you! While most of us may not want to do it, there are still some people that would gladly exchange their personal information for such freebies ... and it appears the USPS is only more that willing to point you in that direction (being paid a fee from "startsampling.com" in the process):

https://www.usps.com/manage/free-pr...-samples.htm?

I guess this is where it was test-marketed "as a revenue source for the financially strapped organization" (the USPS).

http://www.dmnews.com/postal-servic...icle/167697/