Wow...this is downright wasteful

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:53 am

Ok, I, like most everyone else get brraged with snail mail ads promising "Pre-Approved" platinum credit cards and the like, but thats ok usually. Paper is easily recyclable and those pre-paid business class envelopes are great for sending "DONT SEND ME ANY MORE F***ING MAIL OR I WILL RIP OUT YOUR INTESTINES WITH A RUSTY PLASTIC SPOON" opt out letters, but what I got today from Capital One suprised me.

They sent me an actual card. Its not a full fledged credit card, but its plastic, and it has a place in the front to write down a credit card number and expiration date in the front so you could use the telephone or internet to get one anad have a place to store the number.

Why do companies do this sort of wasteful marketing? Most people hate snail-spam as much as any other direct marketing. I think most everyone has recieved at least 10 wasteful AOL disks of some kind in the mail. So great, now we have to put up with wasteful plastic cards too? Pathetic....and people wonder where they get the evidence that were the most wasteful nation on earth.

I'm going to chop the card into little bitty pieces and stuff the envelope with something so they have to pay extra for the return shipping.

This wastefulness is just STUPID.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Mon May 03, 2004 10:10 am

Welcome to capitalism and the rule of percentages. They wouldn't do it if it didn't lure thousands if suckers.

Thousands.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:00 pm

You just now got one of these?

I've been barraged with wasteful nonsense like this for months now. Capital One is definitely a biggie, but there was also one affiliated with Disney that keeps arriving at my door. Inside, a letter with copious boldface print and two pre-approved cards in my name.

And they wonder how it is that identity theft is so rampant in this country.

Not only is that a danger, but it's also tremendously annoying to have to cut up the stupid little plastic cards. It's horribly wasteful. We really oughta crack down on these companies that do this. Is it just me, or have postal rates kept going up while junk mail keeps increasing as well? Apparently, the postal service must cut them some kind of break.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:17 pm

Who knows...most of these things I keep, unopened, and just toss in a fire somewhere. I think I probably ave at least 3 unopened capital one spams laying around, plus numerous offers to consolidate my student loans.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Mon May 03, 2004 2:05 pm

Somewhere?! Do you have random fires burning throught the house/neighborhood?

I havn't got any of htese yet. Probably 'cause I have no credit. I pay cash for everything.

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Mon May 03, 2004 2:57 pm

Testiculese wrote:Somewhere?! Do you have random fires burning throught the house/neighborhood?

I havn't got any of htese yet. Probably 'cause I have no credit. I pay cash for everything.

That's the smartest thing to do.

Liquid Fire · Post by **Liquid Fire** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:05 pm

I'm certain there are people in the heart of Africa, who don't even have steel, let alone mailboxes who receive aol disks.

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Mon May 03, 2004 4:42 pm

Maybe that's why gas prices are so high...all of our oil goes into pre-approved credit cards and AOL CDs

.

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:02 pm

Look on the backs of those CC addies. Somewhere on them is a 1-800 number you can call and have yourself removed from the CC spam (Kinda like the do not call list)

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:24 pm

And you think they'd really honor that? Junk mailers are only a couple millimeters above e-mail spammers. I wouldn't be surprised if more spam mail resulted from giving them a response.

roid · Post by **roid** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:33 pm

haha that would have to be one of the "20 signs you are a geek".

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Mon May 03, 2004 8:40 pm

Kyouryuu wrote:And you think they'd really honor that? Junk mailers are only a couple millimeters above e-mail spammers. I wouldn't be surprised if more spam mail resulted from giving them a response.

Yeah its like the "Do not call list" they can get fined for it..

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Mon May 03, 2004 10:10 pm

That card they send you costs about 2 cents to produce at the quantities these companies order. The printing, envelope and postage is the real expense.

I wouldn't consider it wastefulness either. Those direct mail campaigns pay off in spades for credit card companies. Spend 25,000 on a direct mail campaign and make hundreds of thousands in interest on the poor saps who sign up for the cards.

Like it or not, direct mail works.

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Mon May 03, 2004 11:39 pm

send them coupons.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:13 am

Testiculese wrote:Somewhere?! Do you have random fires burning throught the house/neighborhood?

Well...no. But I know people who have fireplaces and stuff

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:19 am

Like Ferno said:
http://maddox.xmission.com/junk_the_junk.html

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Tue May 04, 2004 8:29 am

Liquid Fire wrote:I'm certain there are people in the heart of Africa, who don't even have steel, let alone mailboxes who receive aol disks.

rofl!