DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

A recent piece of Cingular junkmail contained something I’ve never seen before: an opt-out notice. In boxed, boldface type, on the front page of the letter, it declares:

You can choose to stop receiving “prescreened” offers of credit from this and other companies by calling toll-free 1 (888) 567-8688. See PRESCREEN & OPT-OUT NOTICE on the other side for more information about prescreened offers.

What would possess a multinational telecom firm that relies (at least in part) on buying personal contact information to send out unsolicited and generally unwanted junkmail offers, to allow its victims to request that they stop? I have no idea, but I approve.

The telephone number belongs to the credit reporting agencies’ automated opt-out mechanism, which can also and probably more easily be accessed here: http://www.optoutprescreen.com

They’re now offering a lifetime opt-out. My fuzzy recollection is that in years past they offered only a 5-year term.

In any case, as despicable as I find it that these folks trade my personal information like kids trade baseball cards, I’m grateful they allow me to opt out at all, even if I have to keep doing it for every imaginable variation of my name, my wife’s name, the previous residents’ names, etc.

I’m also grateful that the junkmailers of the world have not yet discovered that we have a baby. (Sshhhh!)