Reduce advertising before a trip
Handle a few unwanted advertisers before leaving, then make a separate plan for mail delivery during your absence. Removal requests are not a substitute for a hold or forwarding arrangement.
Preparing your mail before you leave
- Choose the advertisers you want to contact and save one readable label from each.
- Review USPS's current hold and forwarding options separately, including what each covers and whether it fits your trip.
- Record the date and route for each advertising request so you can compare new arrivals when you return.
- Agree how important correspondence will be checked while you are away. Leave advertising follow-up for the review date you chose.
Why some mail still arrives
Your trip date does not set a sender's processing time. A request made before departure may still be pending when you return. Keep any estimate the sender supplies with your notes, and check the actual mail received later. Make delivery arrangements for the absence through the postal provider's own current instructions.
When you are back
Compare what arrived while you were away with the senders you submitted before leaving. A piece from one of them may simply have been in transit, and the guide to timing and follow-up has more on timing.
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