Party Literature

exspes

Anyone else getting this, i have a no junk mail sign on my door and i am getting flyers and party information leaflets being put in letterbox. I think by doing that they are posing 1 of 2 ideas, 1 they don't respect my expressed wishes or 2 they can't read. I'm not exactly going to be voting for anyone when i know that one of those two points is true. Is their actual legislation against junk mail? I would be delighted if there was a law against it.

gandalf

I was talking to a guy I know who is canvassing for Labour at the moment and he says as far as they are concerned their literature is not junk mail and they are ignoring the "No Junk Mail" signs. I suggest you add a sign stating no canvassing and political literature for the next couple of weeks.

exspes

It's junk mail by my definition of it. It's information i can freely find out by myself being posted in my letterbox that i have to pay to have thrown away. I'm sure they wouldn't be happy if i went around and collected them all and posted them back to them. Also where are they getting the names and addresses for this? I'm assuming it's the voters register but i am pretty sure that that information is confidential.

gandalf

Well there is nothing stopping you in crossing out your address and writing return to sender on any mailed correspondence and posting it back to them.

I agree with you I would consider it junk mail, but obviously from talking to one of the canvassers they don't (they probably consider it the most important information in the world). As I said for a short term solution I would put up a sign stating you don't want this specific information as well.

samhail

Would you hold it against a whole party if local canvassors called to your door.
(we already have our sign up on our gate too )

P. Breathnach

exspes wrote: »

It's junk mail by my definition of it....

They, as Gandalf has told you, have a different definition. Why not make things more clear? Add a few words to your notice indicating that political/election literature is not wanted.

I don't think it will stop delivery of stuff sent in the post, because An Post have a duty to deliver things entrusted to them.

The electoral register is not confidential, although there are restrictions on using it to assemble mailing lists. I think there is no rule against using it for the purposes of sending election material.

Most of all: why let it annoy you? Stick it in the recycling bin.

exspes

I know it's easy to throw away and i just put a sign up on the door saying no political literature. It annoys me because it shows the fundamental lack of respect that political parties have in general. It's not going to break my back to put it in the bin, it's also not going to fill up my bin to the point where i can't dump anything for the next 2 weeks, but the fact of the matter is that if they have that attitude then everyone could. For example, religious groups posting literature could put something in my door and say it's not junk because they are "spreading the word of god" or "it's important to know this" which is exactly what political parties are doing by ignoring the sign. Again for example Airtricity could equally argue that they're providing information within a leaflet and as such it doesn't qualify as junk mail. It's not up to the person providing the information to decide whether it's junk mail or not.

Kasabian

Why not just pick it up look through it, and then throw it in the recycling bin.

P. Breathnach

exspes wrote: »

... It's not up to the person providing the information to decide whether it's junk mail or not.

How are they to understand your definition if you don't tell them what it is?

exspes

P. Breathnach wrote: »

How are they to understand your definition if you don't tell them what it is?

Um knocking on my door and asking if i'm interested in hearing about their political party? You know, the way it was done for years?

takun

The best definition of junk mail I have found is 'unsolicited promotional material distributed in large quantities'

In every sense political leaflets fit that definition.

If those distributing it applied a little common sense they would just skip doors that ask for no junk mail. These are a minority, and given that the posting of such a notice takes at least some effort on the part of the occupant they should surmise that the chances of p***ing off the occupant was higher than normal and pass by.

But then common sense is not all that common really.

Cookie_Monster

exspes wrote: »

It's junk mail by my definition of it.

Exactly. its junk mail if it not from An Post, end of.

Reilly616

exspes wrote: »

Um knocking on my door and asking if i'm interested in hearing about their political party? You know, the way it was done for years?

Why not just put up a sign saying "No Party Literature"? That'd be clear and avoid what seems to be anoying you so much.

Kasabian

Reilly616 wrote: »

Why not just put up a sign saying "No Party Literature"? That'd be clear and avoid what seems to be anoying you so much.

Then you run the chance of missing out on the session of a lifetime. :pac:

exspes

Reilly616 wrote: »

Why not just put up a sign saying "No Party Literature"? That'd be clear and avoid what seems to be anoying you so much.

Do people read threads any more or just read the first sentence and scroll to the end?

As i said, i have a sign up, it's not annoying me that much because As i said it's not too hard to throw them out as i said it's not to do with the actual literature itself as i said it's down to a lack of respect from them and as i said it's junk mail in my book.

Now as other people have said if it's not from an post or it is promotional literature distributed on mass it's covered under the term 'junk mail' So as i said i shouldn't have to do anything of the sort, throw them out, return them or anything.

Would you like me to summarize the thread again or did you get it on the second read?

Also i'd like to point out the irony of you not reading this post about people not reading signs about post.

Reilly616

exspes wrote: »

Do people read threads any more or just read the first sentence and scroll to the end?

As i said, i have a sign up, it's not annoying me that much because As i said it's not too hard to throw them out as i said it's not to do with the actual literature itself as i said it's down to a lack of respect from them and as i said it's junk mail in my book.

Now as other people have said if it's not from an post or it is promotional literature distributed on mass it's covered under the term 'junk mail' So as i said i shouldn't have to do anything of the sort, throw them out, return them or anything.

Electoral literature is generally not classed as junk mail; those delivering it obviously don't class it as such. It clearly is getting you wound up, or you wouldn't go to such lengths to denounce pragmatism.

gandalf

We have read that you have a sign saying "No Junk Mail" but as I already said these canvassers don't consider their literature as Junk Mail. So what is the harm in putting up an additional temporary sign stating you want no election literature for the next couple of weeks if it is grating you so much?

Cookie_Monster

I'd love to know how they consider it not junk mail or why tbh?

It's basically nothing more than propaganda, containing vague promises and commitments which generally aren't kept and a list of past deeds of greatness, always failing to mention of of the downsides of whoever it for.
What function does any of it serve other than hunting for votes, none that I can see.

Its the "junkiest" of all junk mail to me

RGDATA!

exspes wrote: »

Anyone else getting this, i have a no junk mail sign on my door and i am getting flyers and party information leaflets being put in letterbox. I think by doing that they are posing 1 of 2 ideas, 1 they don't respect my expressed wishes or 2 they can't read. I'm not exactly going to be voting for anyone when i know that one of those two points is true. Is their actual legislation against junk mail? I would be delighted if there was a law against it.

third possibility -
canvassers stuffing your boxes with their opponents literature?

AdMMM

I know that we respect any signs that say no junk mail or canvassing etc. However, we'll still knock on the doors of people who say no to junk mail when we're canvassing and have found that they still want to talk to us rather than be stuck with a leaflet.

BizzyC

There's legislation against volumes of junk mail.
The most the An post can deliver on given day is restricted to 5 pieces, anything more they'll discard at the PO.
Since each candidate is giving you 1 piece at a time, there's no law against it.

exspes

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

What function does any of it serve other than hunting for votes, none that I can see.

wasting tax payers money :P

Reilly616 wrote: »

It clearly is getting you wound up, or you wouldn't go to such lengths to denounce pragmatism.

disregarding my expressed wishes is pragmatism since? did i miss a meeting?

AdMMM wrote: »

I know that we respect any signs that say no junk mail or canvassing etc. However, we'll still knock on the doors of people who say no to junk mail when we're canvassing and have found that they still want to talk to us rather than be stuck with a leaflet.

Who are the "we" you refer to?

Reilly616

exspes wrote: »

disregarding my expressed wishes is pragmatism since? did i miss a meeting?

The reference was to pragmatism on your part.

whore

I had a politician come to the door the other day, Paul Kehoe is his name. I asked him why i had been receiving junk mail from his party. He denied ever sending junk mail. I showed it to him, he denied it was junk mail stating that the address was on it. I said 'it's unsolicited mail coming to my house, aka junk mail'. He said if you want to not receive that mail i suggest you sign off the voting register and he then laughed in my face. This is a person who says he is fit to govern our country and called to my door looking for my support, then refused to listen to the tiniest of concerns of mine. This morning i googled him and found his address, cut my address off all the junk mail that i received and put it in an envelope and posted it to him. I enclosed a letter saying 'if you want to stop receiving letters like this i suggest you stop being a politician' pissing people off when your address is a matter of public record is not exactly the wisest thing Mr Kehoe.