Handle a catalog your roommate wants to keep
A catalog in a shared mailbox may belong to someone who asked for it. Before doing anything with a piece addressed to another person, find out whether they want it. Their preference decides.
How to handle it
- Read the label before assuming a catalog is junk. If it names a roommate, set it aside for them.
- Ask your roommate whether they want it to keep coming. Their answer decides whether anyone should act.
- If they want it, add the title to your household keep list so nobody submits it later.
- If they want it stopped, they should photograph it and submit the request themselves, since the mail is addressed to them.
Why this matters
Submitting a removal request for mail addressed to someone else overrides a decision that belongs to them, even when the motive is tidiness. A catalog arriving at your address gives you no authority over it. Each request should come from the person named on the label, or from someone acting with their clear consent.
Settle it once
Agree on whose mail is whose and write it down, so the question does not come back with each new issue. For help with the photo, see the photo guide.
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