j’s journal

(NOTE:  THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE.  I AM NOT A LAWYER.)

Well, boys and girls…

Today I wish to address you about some ongoing unsolicited mailing(s) you may have received, did receive, and will continue to receive.

These will, typically, arrive, for those that still receive ANY United States Postal Service mail, about once a season–autumn/ fall, winter, spring, summer.

If you are of that newer generation that prefers to deal with the internet, online, payment of utility invoices online, you may be receiving these types of communications in a different variable platform.

It has been previously hyped as an “opt in” or “opt out” option.

(NOTE: I am not speaking for or against any specific person, representative, contractor, vendor, employee, etc., that may represent any of these firms.)

Typically, they–the alleged firm(s)– procure mailing lists of say, in this case, possibly township residents, businesses, etc.

They will then send you by letter, usually it comes in a business envelope with a “grey” township logo affixed to the outside of the envelope beside the name of the name of the utility firm wannabe. what appears to be “junk mail.”

Heed that envelope and its contents well!

It is rarely, if ever, sent to you via United States Postal Service, First Class Mail.

Normally, in the upper right corner, it will have printed something to the effect, “….Presorted First Class U. S. Postage PAID, Permit Number–(Something listed here), a town, and state.”

If you are lucky, at times, the outside of the envelope, may have on it somewhere something printed to the effect–IMPORTANT–(Name of Utility Service) Aggregation Information.

Inside you will receive some information allowing you to discontinue your present utility service, and informing you that you may now sign up with them.

You will have to follow THEIR instructions very closely and timely to allow your present utility of your own free will and volition to continue onward as you currently have it.

It may be a single page letter, a multi-page letter, or a postal card.

However, if you DO NOTHING, throw out the envelope, fail to  sign off, date, and return the “opt out,” you will very soon find yourself receiving a specific alteration to your current utility service provider, billing, etc.

This is, always, very, extremely time limited.

In essence, do nothing and you are in the near future automatically changed over to this new, to you, firm.

And, wait for it, this will continue, typically, for every single season of the year.

It may involve this same firm, or others.

These chintzy marketing profiteers will never ever include or have attached current legal United States Postage attached or affixed–pre-paid postage,– to the correspondence that you must timely and immediately sign, date, and return to return your utility service as desired, if you ‘wanna “opt out.”

You gotta out-of-pocket it on your own– a few coin, zloty, pesos, sheckels, or any acceptable currency of their choosing,– sign it, date it, and mail it off back to them quickly–very quickly.

Do it all with great haste.

The choice is yours.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

RES IPSA LOQUITUR!