Save the official instructions used for a request
When you follow a sender's opt-out instructions, save the page address, the date you visited, and the channel you used. Instructions change, and a record helps if mail continues.
How to save your source information after submitting a request
- Copy the full address of the opt-out or privacy page you used and note the date, since a later visit may show different instructions.
- Write down the channel you used (postal mail, web form, email, or phone) and any confirmation number the sender gave you.
- Keep the address, date, channel, and confirmation together in a notes app or folder, since browser history can be cleared.
- If mail continues, return to the saved page and see whether the instructions have changed before you contact the sender again.
Instructions can change after you submit
A sender may update its privacy page, change its opt-out address, or move the process to a new system after your request. Without a record of what the page said at the time, it is harder to show you followed the right process. You do not need to save the full policy text. The address, date, channel, and any reference number are enough to work from.
Check the source if mail arrives again
Before you send a second request to the same sender, open the saved page and compare it with what you followed. If it has changed, follow the current process and record that too. The guide at the comparison of postal opt-out options covers other routes if a repeat mailing arrives.
Instructions for the next step
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