Write a follow-up that includes the earlier request
A follow-up works best when the sender can find your first request from it alone. Give the date and method of the first contact, describe the piece that arrived since, and restate what you want.
How to structure a follow-up
- Cite the original request: "On [date], I sent a removal request to [address or contact used] asking to be removed from your postal mailing list. A copy is attached."
- Describe the mail that arrived afterward, with the approximate date and the title or type, so the sender can check it against the request.
- Restate the request in one sentence: "Please remove my name and postal address from your mailing list and confirm when the change will take effect."
- Ask whether the first request was received and whether any step is still needed from you. Keep the tone factual.
Timing and continued mail
Mail is often printed and sorted before delivery, so a piece arriving soon after your request may have been prepared earlier. That does not necessarily mean the removal failed. If pieces keep arriving after the processing time the sender gave you, that is a stronger sign of a problem. Before you write, check that the label on the new piece matches the name and address in your original request.
Ask for a reply
Say when you would like a response, such as two weeks from the day you send it. If nothing comes and mail continues, the comparison of postal opt-out options lists other routes you can try alongside.
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