11.15.2010

PSA: Stop the Washington Post Shopping Guide

For years, every time I open my mailbox I have anger at the Washington Post for the bulky, waste-of-paper that is their weekly shopping guide. Crammed into my mailbox and blocking mail that I actually asked for, this giant news print monstrosity goes straight into my trash. I don't even think I've ever opened it. I didn't ask for it and there's no way listed it to unsubscribe.
My nemesis...

My Googling turned up several blog posts of people detailing their SMH (smacking my head) moments trying to get removed from the mailing list. Well, hat tip to Hobnob Blog who actually got an email from the Posties with a phone number to remove yourself. I just called and got a voice mail that assured me if I left my address with apartment number and zip code, I would be removed and only receive one more mailing.

I'll report back if it doesn't happen. In the mean time, if you'd like to opt-out of the Washington Post Shopping Guide, call 202-334-7730.

This has been a public service announcement by me.

14 comments:

Ponywriter said...

Tammy - I LOVE that you did this! I have a similar nemesis in Tampa, only I call it "the paper that has no purpose" which goes directly from the driveway behind my car to recycle.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting information. I have requested to be removed from receiving this bulk of wasted paper - and burden to the post office - more than once; to no avail.

Anonymous said...

I love you!!! Thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for passing along this number - just called it! I am also a FL girl in DC!

Anonymous said...

One of these dreadful things just landed on my driveway. Thanks for doing this research and giving us this phone number, which still seems to work!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for posting! I too am fed up with this waste of paper and of time having to deal with it! I am opting out of as many of these horrible bulk mailings as possible.

Anonymous said...

The number works for a while, maybe a couple months? Then like a zombie it returned. :(

Anonymous said...

Now they don't even put it in the mailbox. they have their WP carriers drop it in your driveway or on the street. I saw one on a neighbors windshield this morning. So far i've been unsuccessful in being removed from this litter. Not sure what my options are other then calling the police and having them issue a littering ticket to the driver.

Anonymous said...

Thanks.. may try to give this a shot next week. I just posted to them on Twitter and Facebook to see if they could tell me what I can do about these things just being dropped in our driveway. Told them if there was no resolution, I was just going to report them for littering. At least when it was in the mailbox, they paid the postal service to deliver them and it was just "junk mail".

When it gets dropped in our driveway, it invariably gets kicked into the street or something (foot traffic in front of our house) so half the time, before I even see it, it's been stepped on, run over, etc. It's filthy and beat up and I have no interest in having it. It's great that they still have people paying to be featured in it, but dropping something on the ground that nobody wants isn't delivering something, it's littering.

Anonymous said...

Oh, thank you for this number to call to opt out of the Washington Post Shopping Guide. I have been trying to stop delivery of this commercial flier for months. Calling the number printed on the front page was to no avail.

The gentleman who answered was polite and promised it would stop after this Thursday. I got the impression that was his job, to take in opt out calls. Perhaps there is hope out there, after all. Thank you, again.

SgtCheeseNOLS said...

I'm a Florida guy in DC, and I gotta say these things have been annoying the hell out of me. There is an opt out number on the back 202-334-6100, or you can call the main WaPo subscription number and they will unsubscribe you. For a liberal organization, they sure do love to waste paper...

SgtCheeseNOLS said...

Now to unsubscribe from the other ad paper, redplum.com ....

Anonymous said...

Tammy, you are my hero!

Anonymous said...

Just to keep this updated. the 202-334-6100 number does connect to a point of contact who states they will remove the address from the distribution list. Will post back if it still continues to arrive. Thanks Tammy for the original post as well as everyone for the info!