WASHINGTON – Consumers who receive sweepstakes mailings now will have the option of asking to be removed from these mailing lists, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced Tuesday.

Effective Tuesday, Dec. 12, all sweepstakes mailings will be required to provide information to consumers that will allow individuals to have their names removed from sweepstakes mailing lists.

This new requirement is the last provision of the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act, which was signed into law Dec. 12, 1999, to take effect. The measure was sponsored by Collins, after several hearings and an investigation into the misleading marketing of many sweepstakes companies.

“No longer will sweepstakes companies be able to flood the mailboxes of individuals who don’t want these mailings,” Collins said.

Companies sending sweepstakes or contest mailings are required to display a clear and conspicuous notice in each mailing that includes an address or toll-free telephone number that consumers can use to have their name removed from future mailings from that company. Each company must have a system in place to remove, within 60 days, such names from future mailings.

Not only does the law allow people to remove their own names from sweepstakes mailing lists, but other duly authorized individuals, such as a conservator, guardian or person with power of attorney, may request the removal of names from sweepstakes mailing lists.

Collins heard from many individuals who had received hundreds of sweepstakes mailings each year and who had mistakenly believed they had won a major prize or that a purchase might increase their chance of winning. One individual, testifying before Collins, broke down in tears when describing the approximately $15,000 he had spent on unnecessary purchases, in response to sweepstakes mailings.