The often overlooked "unsubscribe" button in emails

[Ronni]

If you're getting unwanted emails from companies you ordered things from, or places that somehow got your email address, you can just "unsubscribe" to them. When my inbox starts getting cumbersome, I just scroll through and hit the "unsubscribe" button on any emails I no longer want to receive. Some unsubscribe buttons are at the top of the email, some at the bottom.

Companies are required by law to have unsubscribe buttons, so all your emails will have them, you just have to look.

The CAN-SPAM Act, a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

Here are a couple of screen shots of unsubscribe buttons in various email promotions I get, to help you find them in your own. Of course, the buttons are in the smallest print possible, no surprise there.

This one is at the top of the email



And this all the way at the bottom.

 

[Kaila]

I had once been told, that the "unsubscribe" buttons do not work as we'd want them to.

That rather, they let that sending entity know that someone IS receiving and opening and reading the e-mails, and confirms to them, that it is a working e-mail address, so that they will keep coming.

Is that incorrect info now, that I was given at that time?

I was told it is better to never open them.
Instead of openning them to find and use the 'unsubscribe' option.

 

[Kadee]

I’ve tried unsubscribing from a clothing shop several times as I said on another thread last night.

I used to spend in average $300+ buying new season skirts/ tops for dancing each spring in this store (s)

I even went into my account un ticked a box that’s has YES want to receive promotional emails
I’m still getting the emails / texts and mail outs

My main reason is the well known store ( that only sold clothing in the past ) like Many others got on the bandwagon selling masks and hand sanitises, they took my $70 for 2 x 500 ml bottles and refused to answer emails / give refunds / or supply the goods ( they have 413 negative reviews on a highly respected site ) regarding this issue
My biggest issue in stopping the promotional texts / emails is they also own several other clothing stores

I Will never buy another thing from them

They are now being investigated by ACCC for ripping Off 100’s customers
https://www.accc.gov.au/

 

[PopsnTuff]

I had once been told, that the "unsubscribe" buttons do not work as we'd want them to.

That rather, they let that sending entity know that someone IS receiving and opening and reading the e-mails, and confirms to them, that it is a working e-mail address, so that they will keep coming.

Is that incorrect info now, that I was given at that time?

I was told it is better to never open them.
Instead of openning them to find and use the 'unsubscribe' option.

I've been told this also by my grown kids.....better to stick it in Spam.....just don't open it.

 

[Ronni]

It always works for me. Greatly reduces my email traffic.

 

[Kaila]

Perhaps it depends on which type of source it's from.

 

[Ruthanne]

I unsubscribed to Costco's emails (3 times so far) and still keep getting them! They don't care, they'll harass you to try to get you to buy a refrigerator!

 

[Kaila]

Perhaps if you bought one ( a refrigerator)
then they would stop, @Ruthanne ?

NO, do not try that suggestion!

 

[Kaila]

I am sure it would work with some of the sources, so thank you for pointing it out, @Ronni

 

[Don M.]

Clicking on "Unsubscribe" lets that site know that someone actually acknowledged that message/spam. These companies might be obligated to delete your address, but, at the same time, they swap e-mail addresses among themselves. So, by "unsubscribing" you tell company A that you exist, and they then "sell" your address to dozens of other companies, before they delete you....thus insuring that you will continue to get more Spam...just from other companies.
The best approach is to delete the message without opening it, or moving it to your spam folder, they emptying the folder periodically.

 

[Linda]

After you unsubscribe on some of the sites you have to mark "Save Changes". The last year or two I've been able to get rid of any email list I want. I don't do the surveys the stores ask me to though as I know they just want my email address so they can flood me with their crap.

 

[Ronni]

I guess a lot of my mail goes to my spam folder, becuase I don't get unsolicited emails. All the email traffic that comes to my inbox from sites I've been too, given my email address too to get a discount or some information that isn't otherwise available. I do that knowingly, with the full understanding that at some point I'm gong to unsubscribe from most of these places. That's really the only stuff I get in my in-box, so the caution that I'm alerting some company that I'm on the other end of that email? Well I've already done that by giving my email address out.

The unsubscribe button works well for me. It lets me control how much email I get, and the spam filter does the rest.

 

[mike4lorie]

That's one button I often say to myself, just hit it, and things will get quieter in the inbox again, and I won't get all this annoying email about really nothing of my interest... But that takes time I usually don't have at the moment.

I did get an email back awhile ago, and it's one I wish I had, but it's for that exact reason we are talking about. If you wanted some information and you didn't really want to get involved or any other thing like that, there is a page where you can sign up for 10-minute email addresses... or different times allowed.

I've never used it, but it does sound like something that may just be perfect for some sites...

Here is the page, if you would like to have a look at it...

Mike

10 minutes or more email address...

 

[JaniceM]

I've been told this also by my grown kids.....better to stick it in Spam.....just don't open it.

Yes, what she ^ said.

Another potential complication, though: emails often look like they're from familiar, legitimate companies, but can be hackers trying to trick the recipient into clicking links.