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Royal Mail's 'door-to-door opt-out' is a free service that will stop unaddressed items delivered by the postman. It is also a service few people know exists. Royal Mail has never done much to promote the scheme. As a result less than 0.5 per cent of British household is currently opted-out of receiving Royal Mail door-drops. In comparison, 15 per cent of households is currently registered with the Mailing Preference Service, the main opt-out for addressed junk mail.
Despite its obscurity, opting-out of door-drops delivered by Royal Mail is one the most effective ways of stopping junk mail. To do so, you need to contact Royal Mail directly and ask them for the 'stop door-to-door confirmation form':
Alternatively, you can also use our online opt-out form or download a form in PDF format from our website:
After the opt-out process has been completed you should stop receiving door-to-door items within six weeks time.
With your out-form you will receive a letter explaining that opting out of the door-to-door service will stop all unaddressed mail delivered by Royal Mail, including 'important information from local and national government'.
This warning has caused much confusion about the consequences of opting out. It took intervention by PostWatch, the watchdog for postal services in the UK, to get confirmation that election material is not affected by the opt-out and that 'another service' will be used in case local or national government really need to contact each and every householder. In practice, 'important information from local and national government' therefore seems to refer to the free magazines most local authorities deliver door to door only.
One thing the letter you will receive fails to mention is that the door-to-door opt-out will automatically expire after two years time. Royal Mail will not send you a new opt-out form, so you will have to remind yourself to re-register.
A final thing to note is that the opt-out does not necessarily stop mail addressed 'To the Occupier'. The opt-out will stop junk mail without a 'delivery point'. So, if an item only says 'To the Occupier', it will not be delivered. However, if the item also includes an address it will be delivered. To illustrate the point, an item with this address would not be delivered:
To the Occupier
But an item with this address would not be prevented by the opt-out:
To the Occupier
2 Mill Hill Road
NORWICH
NR2 3DP
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