How can I politely ask friends to stop sending me forwarded messages?

Question

I have a couple of good friends who send me stupid forwarded emails, like sign this and forward to ten friends or illegal mexicans will take over the country or cutesy little stories that are nice but have FW: FW: FW : FW: FW: FW: fw in the subject line so they've been forwarded a hundred times. How can I politely ask them to stop? I would put them as spam, but I do get other emails from them as well. It's starting to annoy me and clutter my inbox.

Answer 1

Just tell them that you get a lot of e-mail and don't really have time to read the FW: e-mails. If they don't get the hint, then be more direct, Please stop forwarding e-mails to me, I don't have time to read them. If that still doesn't work, block their address cause they really aren't your friends if they don't respect your wishes.

Answer 2

I used to have this problem and most of my friends/family still do because they won't tell the people doing it but at the same time they are getting more and more annoyed at the person doing it... which doesn't seem fair.
Anyway this is what I did. I sent an email to each of these people first saying how much I enjoyed getting personal email from them about their day, family, work, school... whatever. People like to hear good things so this puts them in a receptive frame of mind and at the same time lets them know I still do want to hear from them (ie not fw's from other people). Than I tell them that so many people find the items they've been forwarding funny/touching/ ect... that I keep getting the same ones over and over again and they are filling up my email box so much that I end of deleting anything with fw, fw in the subject line. I also went on to say that the hoaxers are getting so tricky now a days in spreading misinformation that there are sites to check whether they are true or expired... than give a few of these sites (check the other answers to this question). Then I throw a bone- since these are my friends and some of the fw do apply- and say if every month of so they run across something really specific to us (fill in the blank with your connection to them) would you just cut and paste it into one of your personal emails so I'll be sure to get it.
This has worked with everyone I sent it to and not only do I get personal emails from these same people now (they are usually just doing it to keep the lines open anyway) but no more than once or twice a month a funny or applicable story.
Which I can handle and usually enjoy the way the fw's were originally meant to be all along.
Most people appreciate it if you are direct but nice versus dropping vague hints, being sarcastic, or not saying anything.

Answer 3

Most of those emails are hoaxes, so I found it helpfult to go to this site: http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBSearch.html and search for the email. You will get a page describing how the email is a hoax and that anyone forwarding it is just doing what the person who started it wanted. Copy the url from that page and respond to all on the email saying something like "don't you know these things are not real?" Do that a couple of times and people start to think twice about sending those things. You can also set up a filter on your email to put anything with more than one FW: in the subject into a specific folder, so at least they are not in your inbox.

Answer 4

Just simply tell your friend that you never read the emails that have the FW: FW: FW: a million times in the subject line, and that you would appreciate it greatly if he/she stopped sending them to you.

Answer 5

I absolutely HATE that. I don't even read it anymore-I just delete it all. You can ask people not to send you forwards very politely. Simply send out an email to everyone stating that it makes you feel good that so many people think of you during the day, but that forwards are filling your inbox and you want to keep your email strictly for necessary correspondence.

Or you can simply re-forward EVERY ONE YOU GET to EVERYONE WHO SENDS THEM. lol

Answer 6

Hey there, I get the same exact thing but what I do is, I just delete the ones with the FW: on it & then just read the normal ones from my friends :) that's what I do

Answer 7

You just say the same thin I told my friend that was sending me those stupid forwarded text messages on my cell phone - I was getting charged for those! I sent her a text and said "Please stop sending forward mail, I don't like it"
She called me not even 5 minutes later to confirm it. I told her the same thing I typed to her. I just don't like forwarded emails. And that was it. You don't have to make a big deal about it, just keep it casual and let them know you don't read those emails.

Answer 8

The first method is simply to be direct, but polite. Send out a widespread email with email addresses hidden (BCC:), and explain that you are getting so many forwards that it is clogging your Inbox. Tell them that while you appreciate that they think of you, could they please keep the forwards to a minimum. This is common netiquette these days.

The less direct route is to forward something worthwhile yourself with the caveat, "I don't usually forward emails as I know how frustrating it is to receive forwards all day, but...". Most people will probably get the message.

Answer 9

Just simply send them an e-mail message from you saying in a polite manner that you really don't like forwarded messages being sent to you and asking them to e-mail you ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR forwarded messages.

Answer 10

I know what you mean. I just asked my friend to not send them. I told her I prefer to read e-mails that are written by my friends to keep in touch.

She did stop. I only get a few now and again. But usually the really funny ones.