Old article, but still very relevant today:

Getting junk mail and advertisements from companies I don’t do business with is annoying enough. But getting it from the companies which I have been a long-time and deeply invested customer is quite annoying.

This had always bothered me, but in the past couple of years it got so much worse that I finally decided not to put up with it anymore.

A year ago my bank started calling me up to sell me a new credit card (one that I couldn’t possibly afford, by the way). Of course, they always call during working hours, which makes their interruptions even more annoying. One day they caught me at a really bad time (and in a really bad mood), so I asked the sales rep to opt me out from all future offers, and to please remove my name from their marketing database. As far as I know, here in Spain they are required by law to oblige to my request.

Sure enough, a few days later I got another call from the bank, so I decided that was enough. I had been with my bank for more than a decade, but the very next day I canceled my account and went to another bank, one I was assured would never use my personal info to target me with unsolicited advertising. It wasn’t easy (it took me a few months to make sure I had transferred all my bills to the new account), but it’s been over a year and I am yet to receive a single call from my new bank. I am so glad I made the switch.

If a company I’ve trusted with my personal information abuses that trust, then as far as I’m concerned our business relationship is over. It really is that simple. There’s always another bank, another ISP or another cell phone provider. Sometimes that means giving up the cheapest plan or the fastest service, but I’m fine with that.

I’d argue that this isn’t an extreme reaction on my part. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is the only way we can hope to change this obnoxious practice. Unfortunately, the only time these big companies listen to their customers is when they speak with their wallets.