Review a sample request before giving a mailing address
A free sample needs a shipping address, but giving one for delivery is a different decision from accepting later advertising. Before you submit, read the form for a separate promotional choice and decide on delivery and future mail one at a time.
Sort the form into two parts
- Read what the page says the address is used for. The shipping label needs it, and the same field may also be used for marketing.
- Look for a promotional box or a sentence about future offers, and check whether it covers paper, email or both.
- If the box is pre-selected, decide whether you accept it before submitting.
- If no choice is offered, ask the business whether the sample address is also used for marketing mail and how to decline it.
- Note the business, the date and what the form said.
Choose while the form is open
A promotional box on the form is the simplest place to decline, because the choice is recorded with your request. Do not assume the business shares the address or offers separate settings by type of mail. Read the form and any privacy policy, and ask where they are silent.
If a small business has no written policy, you can send a short message asking it to ship the sample without adding your address to a mailing list.
Sample request worksheet
Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.
Decide whether the sample is worth the address
If the answers do not suit you, skip the sample. If you already submitted the form, send your request through the contact details on the business's own website and include the date you asked for the sample.
Official source
Keep personal records with the organization that handles them
Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.
Compare removal routes