Keep service reminders while reducing coupon mail

Draw the line before you ask

1. Sort the mailers you have. A postcard confirming a visit you scheduled is different from a card offering a discount on an oil change at any time.
2. Find the shop's contact details yourself, from its own website or a past invoice, rather than from the coupon.
3. Ask whether the shop keeps a separate marketing mail preference and what it covers. A coupon opt-out might also affect reminders, or it might not, so get the shop's answer.
4. State which messages you still want, such as updates about a booked repair, and which printed offers you want stopped.
5. Keep the shop's reply. If a later card looks like it falls in the stopped category, compare it with your request before writing again.

When a coupon looks like a notice

A card saying a vehicle is due for service needs context. Compare it with a booked appointment, your service records and the shop’s explanation. A suggested extra service is different from confirmation of work you already requested. Ask the shop which category produced the card before changing a setting.

If the piece raises a recall or safety question, verify it with the manufacturer or a dealer you already know. Preserve the piece while that question is unresolved.

Sorting the next card

When the next card arrives, label it coupon or appointment before deciding what to do with it. For a coupon from a shop you have already asked, send the reference shown on it with a short follow-up. If the card's purpose is unclear, ask the shop which kind it is.

Official source

• NHTSA: Check for Recalls