Mail guides
When mail keeps arriving
Compare the new piece with the original request before deciding what to do next.
Find out why email stopped but paper continues
If you unsubscribed from a sender's emails and paper mail still comes, the postal list may need its own request. Unsubscribing from email may not reach it.
Correct an opt-out confirmation with the wrong address
A confirmation that shows an address that is not yours suggests the sender matched your request to a different record. The mail you receive may continue until the right record is updated.
Handle an old opt-out after a second move
A removal request applies to the address it named. If you move again, a sender can pick up your new address and treat it as a new contact, so your earlier request may not carry over.
Read a mailing that arrives after confirmation
A mailing that arrives after your confirmation may have been printed and sorted before your request was processed. The date on the piece can help you judge which it is.
Review donor mail that returns after another gift
If appeals from a charity start again after you give another gift, the gift may have reset your mailing preference. Contact the charity and ask it to stop mailed appeals while leaving your donation record alone.
Review marketing mail that returns after a purchase
If catalogs or flyers start again after you buy something, the purchase may have created a new marketing record. The seller's privacy terms and any choices you made at checkout affect what you can ask for.
Respond when a sender cannot find your record
A sender may search for a name or address that differs from what is in its system. The exact text printed on your label is more useful to the sender than a general description of the mail.
Handle a household opt-out that missed one person
If you stopped a sender's mail but another person at your address still receives it, the sender may keep a separate record for that person. That person may need their own request.
Check a catalog that returns under a new label
After a request, a catalog may show up with a different brand name, return address, or customer code. Comparing the new label with the one you first submitted tells you whether you are dealing with the same mailer.
Follow up when a sender says it does not own the list
When a sender says it does not control the list your name is on, ask it to name the organization that does. That gives you a specific place to send your request.