Community Operations

Consumer Affairs Tip Sheets

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Unsolicited Mail

Everyone likes to receive mail, but no one likes to have their mail box flooded with unsolicited mail.

Unsolicited mail is anything you receive by mail that you did not order. Usually unsolicited mail will be advertising material, magazine subscription forms, coupons for special bargains or promotional material for "door-to-door" direct sales.

If you do not want to receive this type of mail from Canadian companies, write to:

Canadian Direct Marketing Association,
607 1 Concorde Gate
Don Mills, Ontario M3C 3N6

Or from the United States:

Direct Mail Marketing Mail Preference Service
6 East 43 Street
New York, New York USA 10017

These associations can remove your name from mailing lists. You will not receive any more advertisements addressed directly to you. However, you could still receive mail which is sent to every household.

Some businesses may send products to your home. These products are not free unless it is specifically stated or marked on the product. If the product has been mailed to you as part of an offer to sell, you can, if you do not want to buy the product, refuse the parcel. Just mark it "refused", sign it and return it to the parcel office. Once you use any of the products, you have accepted the offer and must pay for them. So remember, if you do not want the goods, do not use them.

If you do accept unsolicited mail, be sure you read the offer carefully to understand all the conditions of the offer. Remember, it is your right to refuse any unsolicited mail that is sent to your home.

For more information, call collect or e-mail our Consumer Affairs Officer at MACA headquarters in Yellowknife at: (867) 873-7125.