Reduce an unsolicited neighborhood magazine
Write to the publisher, not the advertisers inside. First check whether the magazine is free or paid. If it is free and you never asked for it, ask the publisher to end delivery to your address. If it is paid, find out who in the household holds the subscription before you ask for anything.
Work out who publishes it
- Find the publisher in the masthead, often near the table of contents or inside the back cover.
- Check the cover and label for a subscription price, a renewal notice or the word free.
- Copy the address label exactly, including any name or resident wording.
- Contact the publisher through its listed circulation or subscriptions contact and ask only about the magazine.
Why the advertisers are the wrong contact
The businesses advertising inside pay for space, but the publisher arranges delivery. An advertiser may have no control over who receives the magazine.
If the publisher mails by carrier route through EDDM Retail, USPS instructs it to list addresses that asked for removal on its facing slips. Ask whether the publisher can leave your address out instead of assuming it can.
Sample request to a publisher
Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.
Compare the next issue
When the next issue arrives, compare its label with the one you quoted. If the label or the publisher name changed, include both versions in your follow-up so the publisher can find the right record.
Official source
Have an unwanted advertisement ready?
Photograph one piece you are authorized to handle, with the sender and full mailing label visible. Review the details before submitting. The first request is free; the sender controls the response.
Try one request free