Mail guides
Offers that need a closer look
Identify what arrived before responding or treating it as ordinary advertising.
Pause before treating a check-shaped mailer as a coupon
A check-shaped mailer may be a discount voucher, a rebate, or a real financial instrument with conditions attached. Identify the sender and read the fine print before you do anything with it.
Check an advertisement marked final notice
Urgent wording such as final notice can signal a real obligation or a marketing tactic meant to prompt a reply. Your own account records are the most reliable way to tell which.
Review a mailed free-gift offer before responding
A mailed free-gift offer can carry costs in its conditions, such as shipping charges, a required purchase, or automatic enrollment. Read what is required before you reply.
Identify who sends a multi-business coupon envelope
An envelope of coupons from several local businesses is usually sent by a distribution company that sold ad space to each business. The sender and each advertiser inside are separate parties.
Verify a magazine renewal from another company
A renewal notice may come from a company whose name does not match the publisher. Confirm who receives your payment and whether your subscription will be credited.
Verify an ad that uses your lender's name
A mortgage mailer that shows your lender's name is not necessarily from your lender. An advertiser may use public property or loan data to personalize an offer from an unrelated company.
Read what a preapproved offer actually says
Read a preapproved offer as an offer with terms to check, rather than as an approval you can assume is final. Use the official prescreened-offer guidance linked below when deciding how to reduce that mail.
Check an offer to sell a property record copy
Some companies mail official-looking offers to sell you a copy of your property deed or assessment record. The same documents can often be had from your county office at little or no cost.
Check an advertisement formatted as an invoice
A mailer formatted like an invoice, with an amount due and payment instructions, is sometimes an unsolicited advertisement. Check your own purchase records before you take any action.
Check vehicle service-contract advertising
Vehicle service contract mailers often name your vehicle's year, make, and model. These contracts are separate products sold by private companies, not extensions of your factory coverage.