Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out" - Consumerist Comments

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

kahnvex — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:43:19 EDT

Hi all,

You can also ask to be opted out of global mailing lists, as well as third party sharing.

Convenience Checks, Third Parts, Statement Inserts, and bank related offers. All are different options, at least at the one I work for.

Keep in mind that stuff is prepared up to 90 days in advance, so if you opt out today, don't be surprised when something comes the next day.

If after 60-90 days there has been no change, then you have every right to be pissed. Otherwise, adjust your expectations, or ask for a timeframe. Every company is slightly different I'm sure.

also www.prescreenoptout.com is your friend.

kahnvex

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

david_consumerist — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:19:51 EDT

I started doing this, I take the junk mail and I stuff it full of trash. Basically I just empty my paper shredder in there and mail it back to them on their dime. Since I mix up the pieces who knows what you get from me!

I get two things,

->An empty shredder
->Free disposal

Post office makes money too, and frankly it makes me happy. Since I used to work for a junk mail processor all that will happen with the envelope is it will be pitched.

david_consumerist

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

gravedi66er — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:31:19 EDT

@qwickone - sorry to burst your bubble but the platinum card is just a standard old card these days and you have the same customer service number as every other cardholder. Glad that marketing ploy made you feel special though.

To the person in the story - when you call in just ask them to opt you out out of everything that it is possible to opt out of. I did this as soon as I got my Citi card and have had no problems whatsoever.

gravedi66er

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

rlee — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:15:43 EDT

@P41: Sounds like a great idea, but wouldn't decide they'd better change your account number if you do that? That would be a bigger pain.

rlee

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

MaytagRepairman — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:00:38 EDT

I had one credit card company that was sending me convenience checks on a regular basis. I asked them to stop (because mail theft was common in my neighborhood as well as the mailman occasionally putting mail in the wrong box) and they did. They just started printing them on the bottom of the bill instead! I cancelled the card and told them why.

MaytagRepairman

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

richcreamerybutter — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:55:08 EDT

@Ethyn: not a bad idea! I've done the "shredding or sending random crap in the postage paid envelope" thing, but I do have a bunch of extra porn magazines that could be put to good use.

Also, think of how you could really make some underpaid envelope-opener's day. Basically this is a 2 for 1 plan.

richcreamerybutter

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

econobiker — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:47:18 EDT

Key statement to make to them is " I opt out of every mailing you may provide. Please confirm my statement against your opt out list."

econobiker

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Meiran — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:12:45 EDT

@qwickone: Perhaps it's the difference between having a student loan with them and actually banking with them.

I have had nothing but stellar service from them, and I'm not a platinum member or anything. We just have some checking and savings through them. Not even a credit card.

But I've heard horror stories about their student loans, so maybe that's the problem? Who knows.

Meiran

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Meiran — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:10:34 EDT

You know, I got an email from Citibank a few months ago (I want to say January) that said "If you opt out of our mailings and go paper-free, we'll plant a tree in your honor!"

I filled out the form, because who needs paper statements these days? The only mail I've gotten from them since has been updates on a current fraud investigation.

If Bank of America would do something like that, I'd be ecstatic.

Meiran

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Troy F. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:03:49 EDT

@DeepFriar: And on a more personal level, I can't keep the shredder moving quickly enough to accommadate all the crap that gets sent containing PII. I need a freaking incinerator b/c I have to empty the shredder bin every 2 days. When I clean up around the house, the biggest mess is sensitive information sent to me by credit card issuers that comes in faster than I can shred it.

Troy F.

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

DeepFriar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:40:51 EDT

@less_is_best: So increasing the threat of identity theft and wasting millions of pounds of paper a year is nothing to get upset about, as long as the price of stamps stays low?
what a douche

DeepFriar

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Ben Popken — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:25:53 EDT

@less_is_best: *~El Bandito was here~*

Ben Popken

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

nytmare — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:19:26 EDT

@less_is_best: It's funny how your user name completely contradicts the content of your babyish foot-stomping whine-fest.

nytmare

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

qwickone — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:18:07 EDT

@SuffolkHouse: Really? I've had nothing but good experiences with Citi. All my cards are platinum though, and we have a different cust serv number to call. Not bragging, just wondering if they offer different service to different levels of customers.

qwickone

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

less_is_best — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:07:44 EDT

WAH WAH WAH! I got mail I dont want. What a bunch of sniveling wussies! Just throw it away! These companies keep millions of postal workers and their families fed and clothed and keep your postage costs down. If these companies did not spend BILLIONS of dollars a year on these mass maailings you would be paying $9.95 to send a first class stamp. Get a grip! Buy a shredder, whatever. But stomping your feet like a baby is ridiculous, its just a piece of mail, not an attack on your life.

less_is_best

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

jamar0303 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:49:30 EDT

I was going to sign up for a Citibank account... now I don't think so. That's just horribly sneaky and I don't want to have to deal with it. Plus their minimum balance is awful.

jamar0303

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

strangeffect — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:39:55 EDT

No no, please keep me on the list for "Sales and Marketing" and "Third Party Sharing.", I just wanted to make sure that you didn't send me important account notices or anything like that.

strangeffect

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

SadSam — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:39:31 EDT

Why continue to give them your biz? If CitiBank couldn't honor my requests re: marketing and couldn't understand the need to both go to a gas station and a grocery store in the same day (fraud freezes) I couldn't continue to be their customer. Problem solved.

SadSam

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

bohemian — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:52:01 EDT

Cross cut shred the contents, put in the postage paid envelope, cross out the tracking number on the envelope and place in the nearest outgoing mail.

Or you can leave the tracking number intact if you really want them to get the message, but you run the risk of them going after you for using the envelope for other than the intended purpose.

bohemian

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

P41 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:20:21 EDT

@schmeckendeugler: Don't cancel the card. Just report the checks missing a few times. They'll get the message.

P41

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Difdi — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:09:14 EDT

I trust banks about as far as I can throw them. This means I tend to trust clerks more than the institutions themselves (heh). I use the bank as little as possible, and the more I read the Consumerist, the more that seems to be a wise choice. I'm a little more sophisticated than stuffing my mattress with my savings though. If a burglar can find my money without a crowbar and a jackhammer, he's earned it. And my methods are quite fireproof as well.

Difdi

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

SuffolkHouse — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:58:36 EDT

Citibank sucks. They treat all customers like complete crap. I've got a student loan with them, and they have managed to screw up every single directive I've ever given them and question I've ever asked.

SuffolkHouse

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

rdm24 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:52:48 EDT

I had this problem with Charter Cable. I kept getting offers for all sorts of services I was NEVER going to sign up for. I called them and told them to stop sending me stuff perhaps 6 times over a year, and each time they promised that within 6-8 weeks I'd be off their mailing list.

They just don't care....

rdm24

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Ethyn — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:05:44 EDT

@Pfluffy: Yes. Yes. YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS! 9 months now I've been at it with Chase to stop sending me their god damn Visa applications and they continue sending them. Thinking about filling out one of those forms that were originally used for pornographic material sent through the mail.

Ethyn

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

drjayphd — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:41:59 EDT

@vastrightwing:

(Actually, I'm not sure how up you are on your Smiths, so it's kind of lost if you don't check the name of the video.)

drjayphd

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Pfluffy — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:13:43 EDT

Big damned deal! Chase does it to me EVERY month despite my opting out and calling them to tell them I've opted out. Jebus, I hate Chase. They are the devil incarnate! Did I mention I hate Chase? I hate Chase. Evil SOBs.

Pfluffy

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

azntg — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:22:22 EDT

Looks like the gentlemen was opted out of everything EXCEPT the things that would add significant volume to his mailbox!

azntg

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

Fist-o — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:13:22 EDT

The same thing may have happened to me...

I contacted them with the same requests, "I do not want to receive any balance transfer checks, or anything at all really, from you. It is a vector for identity theft and I will never use them."

Received the confirmation letter from them indicating all the stuff I've opted out of... and then THE NEXT DAY I got... You guessed it... MORE CHECKS!! Love it! Of course... it could be there's a lag time, but if I receive ONE MORE mailing, they're done. I don't use the darn thing anyway, as I'm attempting to become debt free and I don't believe that a credit card is any safer than a debit card.

If I get one more pack from them, I'm going to use it as my excuse to cancel the card.

Fist-o

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

WraithSama — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:57:52 EDT

I've heard of people opting out of junk mailing lists, then the companies begin regularly sending them junk mail stating that they've opted out of the mailing lists.

I wish there was some way to prevent yourself from ever receiving that garbage, but... on the other hand, I supposed it is awfully nice of these companies to send me free liner for my bird cage in the mail like that.

WraithSama

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

darkclawsofchaos — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:32:50 EDT

@vastrightwing: until your house goes ablaze or some buglar making of with your money, I mean only ten year olds hide stuff there

darkclawsofchaos

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

vastrightwing — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:15:37 EDT

Another reason to keep your money in your mattress: no junk mail or email.

vastrightwing

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

vastrightwing — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:12:00 EDT

Yet another reason to keep you money in your mattress: it will never send you any junk mail or emails.

vastrightwing

Citibank Uses Sneaky Way To Keep Sending You Junk Mail Even After You "Opt Out"

StevenJD — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:03:14 EDT

Better yet, don't sign up for any mailings.

StevenJD