I often find advertisements and flyers in the mailbox of the apartment building where I currently live.
Certainly, some advertisements, such as those for pizza delivery, are fun to look at.
However, most of it consists of unnecessary advertisements and ends up as trash.
Since I can't just take it out of the mailbox and throw it away, I bring it inside the house first.
However, I've always felt stressed about having to bring home trash that I'm certain will be thrown away.
This time, I'd like to introduce a sticker designed to prevent flyers from being placed in your mailbox.
What kinds of advertisements are most common?
While it may vary by region, the most common type of advertisement is related to real estate.
These are advertisements that state that a new apartment building has been constructed in such-and-such a location, and that a 4LDK apartment costs a certain amount of money.
Some of the flyers that are delivered are completely out of place, and you can't help but think, "Can't they consider the demographics of the people who live here?"
These kinds of flyers might pique someone's interest, but I don't think that just because you received a flyer, it will make you think, "Okay, maybe I should contact them."
Because it's such a big purchase, I think it's important to thoroughly research information online and elsewhere.
In addition, as mentioned at the beginning, there are advertisements that include discount coupons for delivery pizza, sushi, and other items.
These kinds of food advertisements are interesting to look at.
However, in this day and age, if you want to order something, you can simply look it up online.
I've never bothered to keep flyers and then actually used them when the opportunity arose.
In the first place, even if coupons or discount vouchers are included, they almost always have an expiration date.
The fact that it's about to expire and you might feel it's a waste not to use it could potentially cause a slight amount of stress.
Other types of solicitations include those for nearby tutoring centers, beauty salons and massage parlors, and plumbing issues.
Anyway, since I use it almost every day, the quantity is large.
If you leave it as is, mail will pile up and look unsightly, and there's also a possibility that truly important items will get lost.
Therefore, I tried to think of any good solutions.
Possible countermeasures
I considered contacting the distributor and asking them to stop, but I figured it would be like dealing with spam and would never end, so I decided against it.
The people handing them out are probably just part-timers or something, so I didn't think they'd bother to differentiate between people.
Therefore, the first thing that came to mind as a way for people to distinguish between us and our customers was a "No Flyers" sticker.
I've seen similar stickers on other people's mailboxes, so I think it's a fairly common practice.
You can buy it for less than 1,000 yen on Amazon and other sites, so I decided to buy it and try it out.
Purchased a "No Flyers" sticker.
As I posted at the beginning of the article, this is the kind of item I bought.
There were various types of inscriptions, but I chose the one that looked the most impersonal and detached.
We made sure to avoid phrases with exclamation marks, such as "No flyers or promotional materials whatsoever!!", and emotional fonts that might evoke intense anger.
I didn't want to come across as desperate, and I thought it would be best to use something easy to read so that the other person could easily distinguish between different things.
Salespeople and others who try to solicit customers will see the sticker and"Ah, the people here have trouble saying no, so that's why they put up signs like this."They sometimes think that this makes it a good target.
The product itself is a lightweight plastic sheet, about 1-2 millimeters thick.
It had double-sided tape on the back, so I was able to easily attach it to the mailbox.
I think anyone should be able to install it without any problems.
Actual effects and considerations
After purchasing and applying it for a week, the effects were immediately noticeable.
In one week, I received only one flyer outside of the mail.
Before we put up the stickers, an average of 3 to 5 stickers were being delivered each day, so the effect is clearly evident.
I sensed a strong intention behind this handout—that it was neither a flyer nor a promotional publication.
Leaving that aside,The reason for such a remarkable effect is likely because advertisers are providing such training and guidance to their distribution partners.
If you put flyers in houses that have deliberately put up these kinds of stickers, you never know what kind of complaints the advertiser might receive.
Furthermore, distributing printed flyers to homes that are unlikely to use them is a waste of paper.
If you dislike flyers and advertisements, expressing that preference would likely be beneficial for everyone involved.
summary
If you're bothered by flyers and advertisements in your mailbox, buy a "No Flyers" sticker and put it up.
By doing so, you can block out most of the flyers.