do you shred?

atari2600 · 04-07-08, 01:27 PM

i never used to care - id just basically tear all my junk mail in half and throw it in the garbage. but when i met my GF she is a shredder - she is afraid of identity theft and someone might go through the garbage and find names/addresses/CC applications/etc and do bad things. so she got me all paraniod about it and i started shredding.

the problem is i get so much junk mail i cant keep up. i have piles of paper on it with my info that is suppose to be shredded but its too much. id want to just throw it in a pile and burn it...seems quicker but i know i cant do that.

do you guys shred your documents and stuff like that?

wendersfan · 04-07-08, 01:33 PM

Yes. We keep a shredder by the table where we sort incoming mail. I get a special kick out of shredding birthday cards, a la Gordon Gekko.

spainlinx0 · 04-07-08, 01:37 PM

Yup, I love shredding stuff. And yes, I also shred birthday cards.

WCChiCubsFan · 04-07-08, 01:39 PM

I shred all unsolicited preapproved credit card applications and anything that has my name and an account number like utility bills and credit card statements.

Regular junk mail simply gets thrown in the recycle bin.

Brian Shannon · 04-07-08, 01:41 PM

I open my mail over the shredder

fujishig · 04-07-08, 01:52 PM

I wonder how necessary this is. I remember reading an article about a guy who tore a pre-approved credit card application in half, taped it back together, then sent it in and actually got the card. Partly because of that I do shred every application that comes in, but I wonder about the ones that happen to not find their way to my mailbox because of some minor address error?

Jeeden · 04-07-08, 01:53 PM

Names and addresses who cares, but as said above I shred bills and invoices with account numbers when I write the check for them. I also shred the credit card apps. The rest just goes in the trash. There is no need to shred something with your name or address on it, they can get that from anywhere. I just don't want them to have the account numbers or be able to open up credit cards with the applications that come.

Edit:

My advice is to shred as you go, don't let it accumulate. If you do, then make a big rubbermaid box for it and then take it to the community shred (they have them at schools around here every 6 months or so) and they will throw it in a commercial shred truck for you.

The Bus · 04-07-08, 01:54 PM

I took my name off of the credit report mailing databases about a year ago. I don't get any personally identifiable mail coming to me besides my name and address which is a public record so I don't shread any of my junk mail anymore.

wishbone · 04-07-08, 02:06 PM

Walter Neff · 04-07-08, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishbon3

It took nine posts for someone to post this? You Otters are slipping.

General Zod · 04-07-08, 02:12 PM

I shred everything. Old receipts, bills, dvd's, cd's, beef.. and anything with my name on it. I am a shreddin' maniac! It isn't so much that I'm afraid of identity theft as much as I just don't like the idea that someone might be interested in snoopin' around in my personal business.

Dr Mabuse · 04-07-08, 02:41 PM

i shred to confetti... my shredder alto does credit cards and CD's to confetti...

it takes 40 sheets at a time and cd's... so i can drop an envelope or stack of papers in no problem... and confetti takes up less room so the 5 gallon bucket in it fills slowly...

bear in mind if you shred to spaghetti, it's easy to get info off the strip stuff... try to get a confetti shredder...

Jeeden · 04-07-08, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse

bear in mind if you shred to spaghetti, it's easy to get info off the strip stuff... try to get a confetti shredder...

I didn't realize they still sold strip shredders anymore. I thought the only difference in them all these days were how many sheets at once and the size of the confetti

Mankal · 04-07-08, 03:11 PM

Anything with my name/address gets shredded

Mordred · 04-07-08, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishbon3

Jason Becker!

aintnosin · 04-07-08, 03:17 PM

Allegedy, they have invented a scanner than can read documents from a confetti scanner. Of course, it costs $100,000 or so, so it's not like every identity thief is going to have one. You'd have to steal Donal Trump's and David Beckham's identities to make it worthwhile.

prp2 · 04-07-08, 03:58 PM

I don't have a shredder, I have a burn box.

EdTheRipper · 04-07-08, 04:07 PM

I shred everything.

Walker Boh · 04-07-08, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdTheRipper

I shred everything.

I assumed you just ripped it up.

big whoppa · 04-07-08, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeeden

I didn't realize they still sold strip shredders anymore. I thought the only difference in them all these days were how many sheets at once and the size of the confetti

I still have and use a strip shredder. The cross cutter ones would jam a lot. Besides, who would go through the trouble of reconstructing or finding info after I've mixed the strips up? Mainly, I shred anything with personal info and account numbers like receipts, bills, CC statements, CC pre-approvals. I need to opt out of the pre-approvals.

shizawn · 04-07-08, 05:54 PM

I've been thinking of getting a shredder. I have a lot of documents in a box that I would like to get rid of and a shredder would do the trick.

dick_grayson · 04-07-08, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishbon3

that's actually what I thought this thread was gonna be about.

anyway, I use my fireplace to burn any junk mail or crap I'd shred.

Blade · 04-07-08, 06:19 PM

I shred any offer that I wouldn't want someone to sign me up for. I keep paid bills for a few years before shredding those.

If I get behind or need to do it in bulk then I bring it to my office where we have a shredding service.

Boba Fett · 04-07-08, 06:24 PM

atari2600 · 04-07-08, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeeden

Names and addresses who cares, but as said above I shred bills and invoices with account numbers when I write the check for them. I also shred the credit card apps. The rest just goes in the trash. There is no need to shred something with your name or address on it, they can get that from anywhere. I just don't want them to have the account numbers or be able to open up credit cards with the applications that come.

Edit:

My advice is to shred as you go, don't let it accumulate. If you do, then make a big rubbermaid box for it and then take it to the community shred (they have them at schools around here every 6 months or so) and they will throw it in a commercial shred truck for you.

had no idea these existed. how would i find out where my local one is - phone book?

04-07-08, 01:27 PM	#1
atari2600 DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 7,676	do you shred? i never used to care - id just basically tear all my junk mail in half and throw it in the garbage. but when i met my GF she is a shredder - she is afraid of identity theft and someone might go through the garbage and find names/addresses/CC applications/etc and do bad things. so she got me all paraniod about it and i started shredding. the problem is i get so much junk mail i cant keep up. i have piles of paper on it with my info that is suppose to be shredded but its too much. id want to just throw it in a pile and burn it...seems quicker but i know i cant do that. do you guys shred your documents and stuff like that?

04-07-08, 01:33 PM	#2
wendersfan Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Where homophobes don't get slut sauce Posts: 28,262	Yes. We keep a shredder by the table where we sort incoming mail. I get a special kick out of shredding birthday cards, a la Gordon Gekko. __________________ "Fifth Element may be as dumb and artless as Johnny Mnemonic, but since a frenchman made it it must be ART!" -Pants "...I think it's a low blow to draw attention to wendersfan's drunken state. " - dork "Just because their victims are still alive doesn't mean they didn't commit murder." - grundle "You concentrate on the sad wanna be hooliganism and let us worry about the actual soccer." - rocketsauce (final score: Columbus 2-Chicago 1)

04-07-08, 01:37 PM	#3
spainlinx0 DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: NJ Posts: 12,232	Yup, I love shredding stuff. And yes, I also shred birthday cards. __________________ 360: Scorpy Gkar

04-07-08, 01:39 PM	#4
WCChiCubsFan DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 1,075	I shred all unsolicited preapproved credit card applications and anything that has my name and an account number like utility bills and credit card statements. Regular junk mail simply gets thrown in the recycle bin. Last edited by WCChiCubsFan; 04-07-08 at 01:51 PM.

04-07-08, 01:41 PM	#5
Brian Shannon DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: USA Posts: 11,529	I open my mail over the shredder __________________ Brian Shannon Photography Brian Shannon Photography Blog Brian Shannon on 500px

04-07-08, 01:52 PM	#6
fujishig DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 1999 Posts: 13,720	I wonder how necessary this is. I remember reading an article about a guy who tore a pre-approved credit card application in half, taped it back together, then sent it in and actually got the card. Partly because of that I do shred every application that comes in, but I wonder about the ones that happen to not find their way to my mailbox because of some minor address error?

04-07-08, 01:53 PM	#7
Jeeden DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,351	Names and addresses who cares, but as said above I shred bills and invoices with account numbers when I write the check for them. I also shred the credit card apps. The rest just goes in the trash. There is no need to shred something with your name or address on it, they can get that from anywhere. I just don't want them to have the account numbers or be able to open up credit cards with the applications that come. Edit: My advice is to shred as you go, don't let it accumulate. If you do, then make a big rubbermaid box for it and then take it to the community shred (they have them at schools around here every 6 months or so) and they will throw it in a commercial shred truck for you.

04-07-08, 01:54 PM	#8
The Bus DVD Talk Godfather Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: New York Posts: 51,624	I took my name off of the credit report mailing databases about a year ago. I don't get any personally identifiable mail coming to me besides my name and address which is a public record so I don't shread any of my junk mail anymore. __________________ Movies: 2002 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 2013 "Too much disclaiming in this post." – Dr. Mabuse

04-07-08, 02:06 PM	#9
wishbone DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,719	__________________ "Wishbone is spelled with an E not a 3..... Be gone" - Minor Threat

04-07-08, 02:12 PM	#11
General Zod DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Where it all happens - SoCal Posts: 15,830	I shred everything. Old receipts, bills, dvd's, cd's, beef.. and anything with my name on it. I am a shreddin' maniac! It isn't so much that I'm afraid of identity theft as much as I just don't like the idea that someone might be interested in snoopin' around in my personal business. __________________ "Kneel Before Zod"

04-07-08, 02:41 PM	#12
Dr Mabuse DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge... Posts: 18,853	i shred to confetti... my shredder alto does credit cards and CD's to confetti... it takes 40 sheets at a time and cd's... so i can drop an envelope or stack of papers in no problem... and confetti takes up less room so the 5 gallon bucket in it fills slowly... bear in mind if you shred to spaghetti, it's easy to get info off the strip stuff... try to get a confetti shredder... __________________ "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

04-07-08, 03:11 PM	#14
Mankal DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Obama World, USA Posts: 1,665	Anything with my name/address gets shredded

04-07-08, 03:17 PM	#16
aintnosin DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,593	Allegedy, they have invented a scanner than can read documents from a confetti scanner. Of course, it costs $100,000 or so, so it's not like every identity thief is going to have one. You'd have to steal Donal Trump's and David Beckham's identities to make it worthwhile. __________________ "It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government." - Thomas Paine This sig should be attacked by bloodsucking monkeys. My Collection

04-07-08, 03:58 PM	#17
prp2 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The member formerly known as crazypetedotcom Posts: 850	I don't have a shredder, I have a burn box. __________________ My DVD Collection - Currently: 478 / Last.FM / Twitter / XBox Live

04-07-08, 04:07 PM	#18
EdTheRipper DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 11,035	I shred everything.

04-07-08, 05:54 PM	#21
shizawn DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Santa Clara, California Posts: 8,057	I've been thinking of getting a shredder. I have a lot of documents in a box that I would like to get rid of and a shredder would do the trick. __________________ Born to be mild.

04-07-08, 06:19 PM	#23
Blade Uber Member Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Overlooking Pearl Harbor Posts: 16,217	I shred any offer that I wouldn't want someone to sign me up for. I keep paid bills for a few years before shredding those. If I get behind or need to do it in bulk then I bring it to my office where we have a shredding service. __________________ -David My DVDs and HT

04-07-08, 06:24 PM	#24
Boba Fett DVD Talk Reviewer Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5,607