Your Personal Data Is For Sale!

by JR Minor

Every aspect of your life, including your financial debt, bank accounts, how many cars you own, the value of your home, even what you eat for breakfast, has been collected and offered up for sale right now! And it’s all perfectly legal!

Is your mail box is being flooded with unsolicited credit card offers, insurance ads, lawyer solicitations, and just plain junk mail, every single day? Are you getting tired of trying to shred mounds of advertisements that have your personal data on them? All of which you didn’t want in the first place!

There is no one click fits all solution to this problem, but there are ways to curb and eliminate some of it! You can opt out of some of this data collection, but it will take some time, effort, and a lot of patience on your part!

How Do They Get My Data?

The way the process starts is usually through data you share online, and on forms you willingly fill out! Some of it comes from public records, some from contests you enter, even some from information you post on Facebook! There are Data Mining Companies who’s job it is to collect all the data they can on everything you do! The data comes from your grocery buying habits, social media friends, even from your school records if they are available!

Jane Doe Eats Cheerios!

Most of us have filled out a grocery store form to get a store rewards card promising savings on food purchases! Whenever you use that card, the system scans your items and often prints a discount coupon for one of the items on the receipt! However, the data doesn’t stop there! Pretty soon the store knows that Jane Doe buys Cheerios for breakfast, and eats Pizza at least once a week! How do they know it’s Jane Doe? Because you told them it was on the form you filled out to get the card in the beginning!

Who Else Has My Information?

All of this data is valuable to the grocery store, and to Data Miners (Data Collector Companies) who collect the data from the store and sell it to others! Of course, it is not just your grocery buying habits that they collect. These Companies use your name and search every connection they can match to build a Hugh data base that would shock you to the core if you knew what they really had!

What Do They Do With It?

Data Miners sell portions of your data to Companies who want to sell you something! If a Car Dealer wants to know if you qualify (can afford the payments) for a new car, they will get your registration card while you are out test driving, and run a check on your credit. When you get back, they will already know who you are, if you have a job, how responsible you are, and if you can afford the payment! This is just one example of many that your data is used for!

Who Are These People?

There are lots of Data Collection Companies around and some are larger than others! These companies collect, analyze, and sell every segment of your life for marketing purposes. They have no regard for your privacy or well being! The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is inundated with complaints against these companies every day, but all of it is legal and there is nothing they can do! It is a multi-billion dollar business and they don’t ever stop collecting or updating!

What Can I Do To Stop It?

First of all you don’t just want to drop off the radar because some of the information collected is to your advantage. You may want to know if there is a new Credit Card offer that pays you better cash back, or you may want a better deal on car insurance! You must first decide how good or bad this data is for your well being, and then decide if you want to opt out from any part of it!

Where Do I Start?

Let’s first address the credit card and Insurance offers and make a decision whether you need more than one card, or is that enough? You can opt out of the credit card and Insurance offers here: Credit Card & Insurance Offers Opt Out,

You may choose whether you want to do so for a year, or op-out permanently!

Stop Unsolicited Emails!

Next, lets work on the email – Although registration with eMPS (Email Preference Service) will help reduce the number of emails you receive, it will not stop all commercial emails. You may continue to receive emails from groups or advertisers who do not use eMPS to clean their lists. Email of a business-to-business nature received at your place of employment is also not affected through registration with eMPS.

Register your email here: Email Preference Service (eMPS)

Keep in mind that this doesn’t stop rogue spammers but it will reduce the email content you receive now!

Block Using Gmail

* Open Gmail and open the message from the sender you wish to block

* In the top right corner – Click More

* In the menu choose Block

* All future emails from this sender will be in the Spam folder

Other Unwanted Emails!

* Open the message and look for a “Unsubscribe” link in the email

* Click it and follow the steps given!

Direct Mail (Junk In The Box)

To curb some of the junk mail you receive in the mail box, and remove your name from these sellers, go directly to the source of the mail! The Direct Mailers Association.

The DMA has a service that cost $2.00 for a processing fee for 10 years. This service is offered by the DMA and it basically submits your information to all of it’s members to stop sending you junk mail! You can sign up for this service at this link: Direct Mailers Association Opt-Out Program

Again this won’t stop it all but it will curb some of the Junk mail that winds up in the trash anyway!

Get Rid Of The Phone Books!

How many times have you wished that these piles of phone books at your mail box would just disappear? Well they can by opting out for delivery in your area.

Lets get rid of the Yellow Page books first by opting out Here:

Yellow Pages Directory Opt-Out

The larger White Page directories can be cancelled by calling DEX directly.

Call: 800-747-3817 or Email: techsupport@dexpages.com

Just for your information you can lookup any local phone number by using the online DEX website found Here: DEX Digital Phone Directories

Click on your state and find your Local Directory – Search for the number.

A Digital phone book is much easier that a large pile of books in your house!

ValPak Coupons In The Mailbox

If you receive these blue Value Pak Coupons in the mail and don’t want them, fill in the online link to their website Here: ValPak Mailer Opt-Out List

Red Plum Coupon Magazine (Retail Me Not)

Another Coupon Magazine style book – If you want to stop receiving this click the link and fill out the form: Retail Me Not (Red Plum) Opt-Out

Catalog Choice

I am not totally sure about this organization but they claim to be a non-profit accepting donations. Their website claims to help you get off junk mailers lists at no cost! They supposedly work from donations only. If you want to try them out Click the link here: Catalog Choice Opt-Out Program

Data Mining Companies – Opt-Out

As stated in the beginning, there are many companies collecting and selling your personal data. There is an organization that lists many of these companies and provides information on how to remove yourself from these data collector’s lists. They provide a list of Data Broker Companies along with information about how to opt-out and remove your name. See Stop Mining Me below!

You’ll Have To Do The Rest!

Of course, it’s up to you to do the work, but it can be very rewarding to get yourself off these lists and enjoy some of the privacy you deserve! It’s not easy, and it will take time and effort on your part! But it will be worth your time in the end – along with a little peace of mind!

Click this link: Stop Mining Me Data Broker Master List

Start the process and follow the guidelines one by one until you are off the lists! May you enjoy peace and privacy in your remaining life!