Why am I being hounded by junk mail?

Q I keep receiving letters from a company called Allscot Finance, offering loans to cover suggested debts I do not have.

I have no idea who this company is or how it got my name and address. Can I find out this information and insist it removes my details from its files?

MP

A Allscot Finance is a personal loan and mortgage provider, based in Scotland, which specialises in debt consolidation. In other words, it targets people who might have several separate debts and offers them a single loan to pay these off. It's a bona fide company, regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Allscot probably knows less than zero about you - it will have picked up your name and address either from a bought-in mailing list or from the edited version of the electoral register. This version is available for general sale, and is very popular with companies that rely on direct marketing methods to drum up trade.

If you don't want to receive any further mailings from Allscot Finance - or any other junk mail, for that matter - register with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS). This free service lists names and addresses of consumers who don't want to receive unsolicited mail, and direct mail companies are obliged to respect its restrictions. Once you register with MPS, you should stop receiving these unwanted letters within four months.

You should also contact your local authority and tell it that you don't want your details to appear on the edited electoral register. With rolling registration, the register is updated monthly, so you don't need to wait for the next electoral register form to drop through your letter box.