Can a company refuse to stop sending me marketing?

No. The Information Commissioner's Office says the right to object to direct marketing has no exemptions or grounds for refusal.

How long does a company have to stop?

They should act without undue delay and within one month. Some mailings are prepared up to three months ahead, so a few more may still arrive.

Can they keep my details?

They can keep a minimal record so you aren't contacted again. The ICO says a suppression list is generally preferable to deleting you outright.

How to tell a company to stop sending you marketing

You have a legal right to stop it, and companies have to listen. Here's what to send and what happens next.

It's your right

Under Article 21 of the UK GDPR, you can tell any company to stop using your personal data for direct marketing. The Information Commissioner's Office says this right has no exemptions and no grounds for refusal, and companies have a month to respond.

Who to send it to

Look for the data protection or privacy contact in the company's privacy notice, often an email address starting privacy@ or dpo@. Send it in writing, so you have a record of when you asked.

What to say

Copy this, fill in the parts in brackets, and send it:

Dear [company] data protection team,

I object to the use of my personal data for direct marketing, under Article 21 of the UK GDPR. Please stop sending me direct marketing, by post or any other channel, and erase the personal data you hold about me for marketing (Article 17(1)(c) of the UK GDPR). You can keep a minimal record so I'm not contacted again.

My name and address, as on your post:
[name and address]

Reference on your letter: [reference, if any]

Please do this without undue delay and within one month, and confirm when it's done.

[your name]

If it keeps coming

Some post may already be printed, so a few more may arrive. If it keeps coming after a month, remind them, and keep a copy of everything you sent. If that doesn't work, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Robin does all of this from a photo: it finds the right contact, sends the request and chases anyone who goes quiet.

Good questions

Can a company refuse to stop sending me marketing?: No. The Information Commissioner's Office says the right to object to direct marketing has no exemptions or grounds for refusal.
How long does a company have to stop?: They should act without undue delay and within one month. Some mailings are prepared up to three months ahead, so a few more may still arrive.
Can they keep my details?: They can keep a minimal record so you aren't contacted again. The ICO says a suppression list is generally preferable to deleting you outright.

Let Robin do the writing

Dear Sender is free. Snap your post and Robin takes it from there.

Coming soon to iPhone