This is very welcome but long overdue: a web site that lets you opt out of receiving telephone directories. Be honest now, when was the last time you used your White Pages or Yellow Pages in print format?
The Directory Select site lets you cancel future delivery of directories to your house. It only actually implements the cancellation for a three-year period, which is annoying (but I suppose allows for you moving house and the next person wondering where their phone directories are). It also has pretty wide margins for when cancellation will take effect, so it might well be 2011 before the scourge of unwanted directories kicks in. But it’s a lot better than the familiar stack of unwanted books on a one-way trip to the recycling bin.
David
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 2:57 PMInteresting, I have been thinking that it was only me that did not use it any more. I wonder if it corresponds to age? I don’t think my daughter (18 hrs) knows how to use one. Very quick to google it though!
Mike
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 3:11 PMI hate having to rely on a clunky search engine.
Give me a hard copy reference any day. That way if I can’t find something, I only have myself to blame; not some poorly implemented technology.
Roberto
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 3:44 PMIt’ll be interesting to see if this actually works — I have been trying for 10 years to stop delivery of directories — every year I ring Sensis and ask them not to deliver. Every year they deliver them anyway. Last time I phoned, they told them they had added my name to their “non-delivery” database. I then rang back a month later and asked them if I was on their list for directory deliveries. They waffled on and kept saying I could order directories if I did not get one, but refused to answer my question simply of whether I was scheduled to get directories or not — which makes me confident that the “do not deliver” thing is nothing more than a PR scam and they just deliver them anyway and don’t even keep a database–they just answer the call, tell you they will suspend delivery, discard you details and deliver them anyway. What an obscene waste. They should be fined in a BIG way.
Tyris
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 3:50 PMMy parents use the yellow pages all the time… which is embarrassing… and also very annoying since I use one of the yellow pages as a bed leg (its just the right size).
Tim Foote
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 4:27 PMThey make good monitor stands
Rich
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 6:00 PMAbout time!
Pete
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 7:53 PMThe ability to opt out has been around for several years. Sensis just didn’t make it as well known previously.
astrogirl
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 9:29 PMI still use mine sometimes, but our paper directory is small compared to other regions. I remember when I was younger my nan used to get the Sydney yellow pages delivered and it was two -HUGE- volumes. Our yellow pages however is in the same book as a our white pages and the book itself is about a third of the size of ONE sydney book.
While I do use mine I might opt out for a while and just get a new one every couple of years.
Neil Phillips
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 10:19 PMI called them a few weeks ago to confirm I’d rather not have unaddressed junk mail delivered.
I got no fewer than 6 emails from them confirming various trivia about my request.
I suspect I should call them now to pick up the (as yet undelivered) books that will no doubt arrive in the next few days. Time for legislation to make them opt-in.
Wobble
Monday, September 6, 2010 at 11:46 PMAlways useful when the power goes out or internet is down. Try finding the phone number for your electricity provider when there is an outage. (if you don’t have a iphone)
Virus__
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 8:33 AMDad uses them all the time because he doesn’t use a computer.
Also I hardly ever use the telephone books because I never have any need to call any body.. But they’re handy when your ISP decides to cut you off due to an apparently “overdue” bill & you need their number.
Maxim
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 9:27 AMI wonder how much paper is wasted every year to print “Yellow Pages”. I’ve also wrote about a service to cancel Yellow Pages delivery to your address.
http://www.kozlenko.info/blog/2010/01/25/why-i-cant-opt-out-of-getting-yellow-pages/
“But they’re handy when your ISP decides to cut you off due to an apparently “overdue” bill & you need their number.” – there is a mobile connection for this particular case… :-) Helped me when IINET cut me off for whole week due to technical issues at phone exchange
DeeWhy2099
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 8:16 AMThis is nothing other than a Public Relations exercise by Sensis and is TOTAL BS!
They DO NOT even keep a database of people to request non-delivery of books–Yellow Pages or White pages. I have registerd for this every year for FIVE years, rang them every year to DEMAND that they not deliver books and they come anyway. Again this year (last week in fact) they delivered SIX sets of white pages to my address — and there are only three units in the building. Why SIX you ask? That’s because there are six mailboxes at this address (three of them not used). All they do is count the number of mailboxes and deliver that number of directories. They deserved to be publicly shamed over this BS. THey are lying to everyone outright to attempt be viewed as ecologically correct when they are callous, polluting, wasteful corporate villains.
Dave Lord
Saturday, November 13, 2010 at 6:33 AMThe “Opt Out” option doesn’t work! This is the third year that I have opted out, and Sensis has delivered the White and Yellow Pages every issue. The “Opt Out” policy is nothing but Green Wash.