Nowadays, telemarketers are a fact of life. The top complaint from consumers fielded by the Federal Communications Commission, unwanted calls and text messages from telemarketers can clog up your text screen and fill your voicemail box. So, what can you do about it? Make an opt out request!
Anytime you apply for credit with a company, your information may be passed along and you’ll be bombarded with calls, emails and texts from a dozen other places promising special offers. This is because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which allows consumer credit reporting agencies to add you to lists used by creditors and insurers for the purpose of making pre-approved offers.
So, when lenders pull your credit to get you approved for a loan, it’s not unusual to experience an increase in marketing calls from other providers. Fortunately, the FCRA also provides you the right to opt out of these offers by removing your information from those lists. You can make an opt out request, either online at OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 888-5-OPTOUT.
When you make your telemarketing opt out request, you can expect to be asked to provide personal information, including your name, date of birth and social security number to verify your identity. Once this is done, you can submit a request that will opt you out of offers triggered by requests through all major consumer credit reporting companies, including Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion.
While making a successful opt out request should reduce unwanted marketing messages, you may also miss out on targeted offers that aren’t available in other ways. Opting out will only remove you from marketing lists managed by the participating companies; you may still get offers from other lists. Additional ways to cut down on SPAM calls and junk mail include the National Do Not Call Registry and DMAChoice.org. Be sure to stick with the reputable organizations listed above. Others may claim to offer similar services as a way to collect your personal information.
Here’s hoping that this simple process will help you avoid unwanted phone calls and texts in the future.
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