To be a bit gobsmacked at the sort of junk mail I now receive

[5foot5]

I have been reflecting today on how the type of unsolicited mail I receive has changed over the years.

I remember when I was young being sent numerous catalogues for clothes, nice fashionable clothes. Also offers of credit cards and other store cards.

When I became a parent then, not surprisingly, I started to get baby and child related mail. Clothes, toys, books etc. These continued almost until my "child" was at University.

The minute I turned 40 the seed and gardening catalogues started to arrive. Not to mention the ones where you can have a makeover before sitting for a portrait photo!

It seemed like only shortly after that the Saga brochure began turning up.

For a while now I have been getting regular leaflets from local developers advertising retirement villages and other assisted living places. Oh and in case I do want to stay at home I am regularly being offered stair lifts.

Today though I think we have reached a new low. My post brought me a catalogue from Damart (thermal underwear anyone) and, worse still, an invitation from a nearby natural burial ground to go and look around to see if I want to choose it as my final resting place.

Not sure what my AIBU is exactly but something like, AIBU, in my early 60s, to be a bit dismayed that while I consider myself a still active middle aged person with lots of hobbies, the marketing departments have me down as someone only interested in a nursing home for my declining years and a leafy spot for when it is all over.

Anyone else feel a bit put out at the sort of advertising material they receive?

Oh I assure you I mostly do, but it's usually obvious where it's from. I only opened the Natural Burial Ground thing in a sort of horrified fascination.

I remember being amazed that I started getting a flood of retirement living brochures literally the day after I turned 50. They obviously have access to a database with our birthdays on but its such ridiculous and wasteful marketing on their part. Who tf can retire in their 50s these days, and anyone that can afford to is going to be off to their villa in Portugal, not to the retirement flats in their local town. It all goes in the bin, I have 3 more kids to get through school and uni, I expect to die working or be so ancient when I retire that ill just collapse in a heap where I am.

I'm wondering where this all comes from

I don't get stuff targeted to my age (50)

Online, my algorithm seems to think I must be a gamer - I'm not so I can't figure that one out. I get very off the wall recommendations from Netflix and they never mentioned the things I'd actually enjoy watching.

I'm not on the edited version of the electoral register or whatever it is - is that connected? I'm trying to think why all these places would know your age.

What until the pure cremation literature starts showing up 😁

Got this in the post a couple of months ago. Not the nicest way to start the day. Don't mind Damart catalogues but junk mail about cremations are... unsettling!

Oh yes I had forgotten about that one, I have had that too!

I don't even look at my junk mail, it goes straight into the recycling box.

I assume that people sell your details on?

As to online algorithms I have long since accepted that Amazon will offer me all sorts of weird shit since, over the years, I have bought loads of stuff that is not just for me but presents for other people.

@5foot5 yes I assume people sell on my details

But I do 95% of my non-food shopping online. Possibly more. So you'd think I'd get more targeted stuff.

I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering why it's happening. That's why I wondered if it's linked to the electoral register.

Amazon suggestions are usually fine. But when I'm generally browsing and with YouTube, where I'm signed in and I watch a lot of art stuff, they will suggest gaming related content. There must be a link. Wherever there's a space online for ads, that tends to be what I get it. Oh and really expensive jewellery! Maybe I'm the subject of some kind of experiment.

My mum is 87 and she never gets stuff directly addressed to her that's about cremations or whatever.

we both always tick the boxes for opting out of things where possible.

funnily enough, I would be interested in retirement flats!

are you all talking about stuff that is personally addressed to you? Not just a leaflet that comes through the door?

are you all talking about stuff that is personally addressed to you? Not just a leaflet that comes through the door?

I was thinking of stuff that is addressed to me yes.

But, of course, we also get several acres of unwanted tripe that just gets stuffed through the door at random. That goes straight in the recycling. I think it is usually takeaway menus, tree surgeons and people offering to clear my gutters.

5foot5
The stairlift brochures are my favourite!
What with my dodgy knees
If I had the money I think I would!

I turned 50 and got Tena lady’s.

I'm 65. I get hearing aids, local 'we purchase your scrap gold' leaflets and endless sheltered housing adverts. But I also get a fair bit from Joe Brown clothing and Harry Hall trying to flog me more riding gear, which is fair enough.

I also got the Tena ads (and free samples!) when I hit 60. Slightly insulted by that one...

I’m 40’s. DH is 50’s.
We just get pizza/burger/kebab leaflets.
We never order from these places.

Once I hit 50 its all life insurance letters... always near my birthday!!!

Online is a lot worse though - pop up ads for stairlifts and funeral plans from age 40 onwards - think the algorithms are written by young people who think this sounds about right !

Yanbu. I'm early 60s and have the same rubbish through thr door.

The fact that I run 10km regularly, am practicing for my black belt in karate, still have a teenager at home and work full time, running a dept seems to have passed them. by.

For the record, I don't need thermal vests, magnifying glasses, walking aids or incontinence pads and I would rather drill my own teeth (of which I am still in full possession) than live in a retirement village. 😁

I came back from holiday to post about direct cremation🫣 I’m only 51!

I phone them up and try to track down the source to stop them. I try to get as much paper and email stopped as possible.

I recently had one from a “Mobility Solutions” company. Which came suspiciously soon after I had applied for my mum’s blue badge renewal (to be sent to me). The guy I spoke to there (who denied harvesting the Blue Badge data) told me he would put a hold on the source mailing list. If your data’s deleted (which I usually ask for) it can just get added again.

I get ones for luxury retirement villages in the style of McCarthy and Stone or whatever those shysters call themselves. I also get things about wealth management schemes/ HNW investment products etc.

I'm a broke benefits claimant under 50?! 🤣

Well maybe I should be thankful for small mercies as I haven't (yet) had anything from Tena lady!

Might be so.

I remember years and years ago a female cousin of mine, who was aged about 40 at the time, had been made redundant so was job hunting. A clever woman with good qualifications she was nevertheless finding it hard to find something. She described having a telephone interview with a youngish sounding woman and how things seemed to be going fine until she mentioned her age. At this point the interviewer sounded very doubtful and said "Oh dear, we do have a lot of stairs here." To a 40 year old!

Early 40s and haven't recieved anything weird yet. Just fast food, invitations to sell my home and an endless supply of people desperate to clean my gutters.