Credit crunch? Wot credit crunch?

I know the Credit Crunch™ is about banks loaning money to each other and not about consumer credit, but it still strikes me as funny that in the last couple of days I've received two credit card applications through the post.

Naturally I've given them both the 'Stop Killing Trees' treatment - ripping up all the bumf they've sent me and returning it in their prepaid envelope. The two recipients this time were Barclaycard and Citi. The Citi one in particular came with a load of junk like a booklet of terms and conditions, several smaller leaflets covered in more terms and conditions and their application form.

I imagine the thought processes in the marketing departments are 'everyone's worried about money - it's a good time to tempt them with some credit'. Or possibly 'oh crapola, people are starting to realise they can't put stuff on the never-never for ever, we'd better find some new suckers...'

Whichever way, they're getting their rubbish posted back to them.

Stop Killing Trees - the latest

I've sent another torn up credit card application back to Citifinancial. When will they get the message? This time I wrote "Stop Killing Trees!" in red marker pen on the back.

Seriously, if I set up a website devoted to returning junk mail to sender, would you sign up?

Now this is just irritating

I gave another junk mailer the Stop Killing Trees treatment yesterday, but how's this for annoying? It was an 'associate' from my credit card company asking me if I'd like to sign up to a scheme which would give me discounts like a third off at restaurants I don't go to and cinema tickets.

The first 3 months were free, but then they'd bill me annually at £69.99 to my credit card. For a third off cinema tickets, I'd need to go 35 times to get my money back. What a waste of space. As I ripped off my details and tore up the form ready to post back it made me wonder what kind of idiot would sign up for something this dumb.

My personal junk mail campaign

Another junk mail miscreant has been given the "Stop Killing Trees" treatment. My buddy Matt (of Life is Mootiful fame) has promised to print me some stickers.

The culprit this time is Citi Financial. I hope they like their credit card pre-approval form ripped up and sent back to them... I was particularly annoyed by the 16 page booklet they sent with the application form, which had four blank pages in the the back of it. Surely they could have printed a 12 page booklet instead?

If you'd like to join the campaign, I'm thinking of setting up a website.

that week went quick...

2 more things through the door yesterday from our friends the Liberal Desperates.

I also got a junk mail credit card application. I carefully tore out my name from the form, ripped it up and put the bits in the reply envelope. I wrote 'Stop Killing Trees!!' on the back and then posted it.

It's the only way we'll stop junk mail, I think.