"Or maybe it goes into your spam folder where you waste your time reviewing the messages to ensure there were no false positives. It also penalizes other users

"Or maybe it goes into your spam folder where you waste your time reviewing the messages to ensure there were no false positives. It also penalizes other users who actually do want to receive the email since that email has a higher likelihood of getting delayed or undelivered because of your actions." I don't check my spam folder, if it's really important and by some fluke chance their email gets marked as spam, they can call me, my number is just as readily available as my email address to those who need to know it. I use Gmail, and haven't had to check my spam folder in years. Further, I'd argue it's the company sending the emails who is penalizing the legitimate users by not providing an unsubscribe link (or equivalent) in the email. My process is simple: if I receive a newsletter that was opted in to that I don't want to receive anymore I look for an unsubscribe link and if I can't find one I email the admin explaining why I think they should have one and requesting that they remove me manually (intended to be a penalty for not providing a sufficiently automated mechanism). If the emails persist, I will mark them as spam and if I'm feeling particularly resentful, I'll set up a filter to forward them all back at the admin. If they're providing an easy way to opt out, marking it as spam is overkill. However, having to login in order to opt out is inappropriate and potentially illegal.