Write a short postal-mail removal request
A short, specific letter gets further than a general complaint. It needs your name exactly as printed on the mailer, your address, and a plain statement of what you want stopped.
How to draft your request
- Copy your name and address exactly as they appear on the mailer label, including misspellings or initials, so the sender can match your record.
- Name the channel. Write "postal mail" or "paper catalogs," since "mail" alone can be read to cover email too.
- State the request in one sentence: "Please remove the above name and address from your postal mailing list." Leave extra conditions out of the first letter.
- Ask for a written or email reply, sign and date the letter, and keep a copy along with a note of when and where you sent it.
Name matching and channel scope
A removal request is matched against the name on file as well as the address. If the label reads "R. Morrison" and you sign as "Robert Morrison," the match may fail, so use the name as printed on the piece. If mail arrives at the same address under more than one name, send a separate request for each. If you also get email from the sender, ask whether a postal request covers it before you assume it does.
After you send it
Keep your copy with the date sent and the sender's address. If mail keeps coming after a few weeks, send that record along with a follow-up. Our guide at the comparison of postal opt-out options describes other routes to try if a letter does not work.
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