Ask which source supplied your mailing address

Write to the sender and ask two questions: what source supplied the record used for this mailing, and how you can stop its postal marketing. Ask plainly and do not accuse the sender of anything. The sender may name a list provider or its own records, or it may decline to answer. The second question makes your postal marketing request clear even if the source remains unknown.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated October 2, 2026.

Gather the details and write

Copy the name and address exactly as printed, plus any source code, offer code or key line. That code can help the sender find the record. Leave out account numbers and payment details.
Find the sender's contact or privacy route on its official website. A logo or return address does not show who owns a list or where your address came from, so describe the sender without guessing.
Send both questions in one message, worded as requests for information.
Write down the date and the route you used. Note any response time the sender states. You may ask for a reply by a date, but that request does not establish a guaranteed or legal deadline.

Reading the reply

An answer covers that one record. Another mailer may come from a different source, and one company can hold your details as a customer and as a prospect at the same time.

If the sender names a data broker and you are a California resident, DROP may be relevant. It sends deletion requests to participating registered data brokers. It excludes first-party data, exempt information and public records, and it does not guarantee that postal mail will stop.

Sample source inquiry

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

I received a promotional mailing from [sender name], addressed to [name as printed] at [address], with the code [code on piece]. Please tell me the source of the record used for this mailing, if you can share it. Please also tell me how to stop postal marketing mail to this address, or apply that preference now if you can.

Choose the next request

If the sender names an outside provider, look on that provider's official site and ask whether it offers a postal marketing opt-out. If the sender says the record is its own, ask it to apply your postal preference to that record. Keep the reply with the mailer so you can check any later piece against it.

Official source

CalPrivacy: How DROP Works

Ask whether a postal preference covers partner sharing Find postal marketing language in a privacy policy Ask about promotional mail after a data-deletion response Request less mail without requesting every customer record Privacy and marketing lists All practical mail guides

Choose the route that matches the mailing

Use the official route described in this guide for this kind of mail. For a separate ordinary advertisement, Junk Mail Magic can help prepare a sender-specific removal request.

Compare removal routes