Junk Mail Magic

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.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated .

How to check an invoice-style mailer against your records

  1. Search your purchasing records, contracts, and accounts payable files for any agreement with the named company before you treat the amount as owed.
  2. Look in the small print for wording that calls the piece a solicitation or advertisement and not a bill. Many such mailers include it, though not all.
  3. Contact the company using a phone number or address from an independent business directory, not the details printed on the mailer.
  4. If it is an unsolicited solicitation, photograph it for Junk Mail Magic, review the sender it identifies, and submit a removal request after signing in.

Your records settle the question

An invoice-style mailer creates urgency by looking like a real bill. Whether you owe anything depends on whether you or your business made an agreement with that company, not on how official the document looks. If you manage accounts for a business, compare the mailer with purchase orders and signed contracts before you forward it for payment.

Confirm the obligation in writing

Pull the relevant contract or purchase order, confirm the named company is the correct payee, and ask for written documentation of any amount owed before you send payment.

Instructions for the next step

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