Check the delivery trail
Find your sent message, form receipt, or ticket reference. Confirm the recipient against the organisation’s current privacy notice. Check spam, archived mail, and the account’s support inbox for an acknowledgement or a request for clarification.
Check for a delivery failure as well as a sent message. If the email bounced, use the organisation’s current contact channel and save the new submission confirmation.
If you used a form, save the confirmation screen or reference number. Avoid putting more personal data into your evidence folder than you need to document what happened.
Understand the response window
GDPR Article 12 generally requires the controller to provide information about action taken without undue delay and within one month of receiving the request. It permits up to two further months where necessary because of complexity or the number of requests; the controller must explain that extension within the initial month.
The period is one calendar month, not a fixed thirty days. If the organisation asks for information to verify your identity, check what is needed and respond through a secure channel. Consult your supervisory authority’s guidance if there is a dispute about the deadline.
If the controller does not act, Article 12 also requires information about the reasons and the available complaint and judicial remedies. An automatic acknowledgement alone does not tell you the outcome.
Send one focused follow-up
Make it easy to locate the original request. Include its date, the account identifier already used, and the ticket number if there is one. Keep the follow-up in the same thread where practical.
Subject: Follow-up on erasure request sent [date]
Hello,
I am following up on my erasure request sent on [date] through [channel], reference [reference if available].
Please confirm receipt and the current status. I have not found a substantive response [or: please clarify the following unresolved point: ...].
If you are relying on an extension, please provide the reason, the date you notified me, and the expected response date. If you decline the request in whole or in part, please explain why and provide information about available complaint routes.
Thank you,
[Name]
Remove wording that does not fit. If a reply already explained an extension, acknowledge it and focus on what is still unclear. Keep the message focused on the missing answer and the dates.
Organise the evidence
Create a short chronology: original submission, delivery evidence, acknowledgement, verification or clarification exchanges, extension notice, and follow-up. Keep copies of the actual messages as well as your summary.
State what happened, using dates where possible. For example: “I submitted the form on 3 September, received a ticket number the same day, and have had no further reply.” Label this kind of summary separately from the original messages.
Consider a supervisory authority complaint
Article 77 gives a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of habitual residence, place of work, or alleged infringement. The EDPB directory below links to national authorities. Some countries divide responsibilities among several bodies.
Use the relevant authority’s current complaint instructions and provide the evidence it asks for. A complaint does not guarantee a particular outcome or an immediate deletion. You do not have to buy a privacy product to exercise your rights.
If you are unsure about the scope of the original request, revisit the request template and Article 17 overview before submitting additional material.