Stop Junk Mail and Phone Calls

Listed below are the schemes that allow consumers to register their wish not to receive unsolicited marketing material or approaches.

Unsolicited Addressed Mail

The Direct Marketing Association ( DMA ) has a self-regulatory preference scheme for consumers who do not wish to receive unsolicited addressed marketing mail. It can also provide advice on how to reduce the amount of unaddressed mail received.

Addressed Direct Marketing Mail
Mailing Preference Service
Freepost 22
London
W1E 7EZ

Web site: http://www.dma.org.uk/ (external link)

Unaddressed Unsolicited Marketing Mail

Door to Door Council Manager
Direct Marketing Association (UK) Ltd
DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London,
W1W 8SS.

Telephone: 020 7291 3300
Fax: 020 7323 4165
Website: http://www.dma.org.uk/ (external link)

Unsolicited Marketing Faxes

It is unlawful to send an unsolicited fax to an individual, which includes consumers, sole traders and except in Scotland partnerships, without their prior consent. There is a fax preference service, which allows businesses to register their wish not to receive unsolicited fax messages. Individuals may also register if they wish.

Registration telephone number: 0845 070 0702
For further information visit the FPS Online website (external link)

Royal Mail Delivered Unaddressed Leaflets

To stop unaddressed leaflets delivered by the Royal Mail, consumers should write to:

Royal Mail Door to Door Opt Out,
Room 130
Wheatstone House
Faraday Rd
Swindon, SN3 5JW

Tel: 0845 7905 950
Email: optout@royalmail.co.uk

Unsolicited Telephone Sales Calls

It is unlawful for a business to make an unsolicited telephone call to an individual, which includes consumers, sole traders and except in Scotland partnerships, if that person has registered with the Telephone Preference Service.

Telephone Preference Service
70 Margaret Street
London
SW1Y 4EE

Visit TPS Online to register over the net. (external link)
Registration telephone number: 0845 070 0707

Unsolicited Marketing E Mails

New controls on unsolicited commercial e-mails (UCE) came into force in December 2003. The Regulations require that UCE can only be sent to an individual with the prior consent of the addressee, but with an exemption for UCE where the addressee has already given his or her e-mail address direct to the sender in the context of the purchase of a product or service.

This opt-in protection will apply to individual, but not corporate subscribers. Complaints about apparent breaches of these regulations should be reported to the Information Commissioner's Office ( ICO ).

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545 700,
Fax: 01625 524 510

Email the Information Commisioner's Office 

There is also a non-statutory scheme that you can register with to not  receive Unsolicited Commercial E-mails. The EMPS (E-mail Preference Scheme) is operated by the DMA in the United States. Please note that the database is held in the US, and your personal data is not, therefore, covered by UK Data Protection legislation.

Unsolicited SMS Messages

New controls on SMS messages came into force in December 2003. The Regulations require SMS messages to be sent only with the prior consent of the subscriber, but with an exemption where the subscriber has already given his or her mobile telephone number direct to a company in the context of the purchase of a product or service. 

This opt-in protection will apply to individual, but not corporate subscribers. Complaints about apparent breaches of these regulations should be reported to the Information Commissioner's Office who can be contacted as follows:

Telephone: 01625 545 700 or you can Email the Information Commisioner's Office

Information provided by the Consumer Direct Website (external link)