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Why do random companies email me after claiming baby samples?
Why do emails arrive from brands I never typed my address into?
A baby-club homepage is a switchboard. You type your email once. Each orange “claim” button can be a second consent: this partner may now write in its own name. That is why the inbox fills with brands whose sites you never opened.
Your Baby Club publishes the question in its own words: “I keep being contacted by random companies, have you sold my data?” Its answer is that it asks whether you agree to marketing messages each time an offer requires it, and that you can update preferences, including third-party contact, in your account.
Emma’s Diary’s data FAQs say it works with third-party partners for offers and freebies, and points members to a Preference Centre. That is club-wide partner permission, which is a wider tap than a single-offer tick.
What is the difference between a partner claim and club-wide consent?
Swipe sideways for the full table
| What you clicked | Who may write | How you turn it off |
|---|---|---|
| Club sign-up only | The club’s own newsletters and, if you ticked it, a general partner list | Club preference centre or footer unsubscribe; then object to any partner that already has a copy |
| One offer / one pack claim | That partner, if the claim page asked for marketing permission | Unsubscribe on that partner’s email; object to that partner; check the club did not also flip a global partner switch |
| Competition or “mission” form | The prize provider plus any partners named in that form’s terms | Read that form’s terms; object to each named sender |
| Fulfilment only (no marketing tick) | Should be postage and service messages, not a new brand’s sales list | If a sales email still arrives, object and ask which consent they rely on |
ICO PECR guidance on marketing lists: for email or text from a company that received a list, people must have specifically consented to that type of message from that company. Generic “any third party” consent is not enough for bought-in electronic mail.
How do I stop the inbound messages?
Each sender is its own controller. Unsubscribing from the club does not always stop a partner that already has the address. The ICO’s right to object cannot be refused for direct marketing.
- Unsubscribe on the email in front of you Use that brand’s footer link. ICO PECR guidance says the sender should stop that channel. Keep a screenshot of the date.
- Turn off third-party contact at the club Your Baby Club and Emma’s Diary both point members to in-account preferences for third-party contact. That closes the tap for future claims; it may not recall copies already sent.
- Object in writing if mail continues Email the privacy address on that brand’s notice: say you object to direct marketing. The ICO says organisations must stop and should reply within one calendar month.
- Decide whether you also want erasure An unsubscribe usually leaves a suppression list. Send a separate deletion request if you want the sample-claim record removed.
In shortRandom-looking baby emails are usually partner-claim or club-wide marketing consent, not a leaked inbox. Object to each sender and close third-party preferences at the club. Ask for erasure if silence is not enough.
Questions parents ask
- Why do the emails start weeks after the pack arrived?
- Partner lists are not always mailed on the same day as postage. A claim you ticked in pregnancy can still generate offers after the birth if the club stored a due date. Object to the sender in front of you; do not wait for the club’s next newsletter.
- Does unsubscribing from the club stop every partner?
- Not reliably. Partners who already received a copy are separate controllers. Close the club’s third-party preference and object to each brand that is still writing.
- Can they keep emailing if they say it is “service” mail?
- The ICO says the right to object to direct marketing does not cover routine customer-service messages or market research. A “your pack has shipped” note is different from a sales campaign. If a “service” email is selling products, treat it as marketing and object.
- Should I reply to the sales email or only use unsubscribe?
- The footer link is enough for a clean opt-out on that channel. If mail continues, write to the privacy address and say you object. The ICO accepts verbal or written objections; written is easier to prove.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- Your Baby Club — FAQ — checked 10 September 2026
- Emma’s Diary — Data FAQs — checked 10 September 2026
- ICO — The right to object to the use of your information — checked 10 September 2026
- ICO — Using marketing lists (PECR) — checked 10 September 2026
- ICO — Investigation into data protection compliance in the direct marketing data broking sector (PDF) — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.