Local Coupons, Super Savings, Instant Misery
Junk Mail - The Story Of One Mans Personal Crusade Against The Questionable Practice Of Direct Mailing

By Mike Tomkins
August 6th 2003

The junk mail industry currently sends out over 23 billion letters a year to US consumers. These epidemic proportions have caused some people to fight back.

Don't get me wrong, junk mail is a wonderful thing for some people, but when you don't want to receive it - It is very hard to get off their mailing lists.
I, like millions of other Americans, receive regular packages in my mailbox from SuperCoups, Valpak etc - direct mail franchise operations.
These companies send envelopes through my door with a wad of local advertising flyers in them - 28 flyers every month to be exact.

I neither need them nor want them and have told pretty much anyone at SuperCoups that would listen that this is the case.
But they keep sending them, the never ending supply of flyers, for swimming pools and diet tablets, for jet cleaners and pre-printed sticky labels

So I tried to get off their mailing list.
At first I tried calling the local number, 973 709 1300 number that is printed on the flyer.
I got thru to a gentleman who handles advertising - I assume he is the local franchisee and I discussed the matter with him.
When the true nature of my call became clear to him he just hung up, not just an accidental hang up however, but a cheery "Good luck sir" and then click.

Next I called the head office on 1 800 500 1294 and then onto 1 800 626 2620, whereby you are led into a voicemail system that doesn't really get you anywhere unless you know a last name - I guessed SMITH, but there was no-one with that name registered. Next I tried SERV, just in case customer service was registered under this - and sure enough I got a ladies voicemail. Her voice was pleasant enough, but announced that she was on maternity leave until November. As it was August 6th, I figured that by the time she got my voicemail she would have her baby and not be too interested in me helping me. I wished her good luck, hoping that she and the baby are well and continued on with the task at hand.

I did find an email address on the SuperCoups web site and in due course I got a response from someone officially designated "Customer Service"
The email informed me that to be removed from the dreaded SuperCoups plague I must register with the DMA to not receive direct mail any more.
Now, of course, this is familiar to me and because I am no slouch and had already done this 6 months previously - Just for the record I found that this action had reduced my direct mail advertising to just a trickle - But It didn't rid me of those darned SuperCoups, they just keep coming back.

I still keep getting those flyers for Acne Cream by ProActiv, home delivery of Poland Spring, special price on back adjustment by a local Chiropractor.
Things I am sure someone needs, someplace, just not me.

They do not supply a method of requesting that you no longer receive their mailings.
You can try calling all their numbers but you will find that they are un-responsive.

The URL is registered to the telephone number is 860 285 6363

So my endeavors to convince SuperCoups that they should provide a means to not get their advertising fell on deaf ears