Email read receipt requests: Are you for or against?

[MrsCrabbyTree]

There is a person in my life who is getting on my goat. Every email has one. I am an adult. I don't need monitoring for everyday emails or anything for that matter.

(A little background for context. This is a semi business relationship. Yesterday in the mail I received 3 pages of information from this person, (I don't need it or require it but in their opinion I do) then this morning there was an email with the same 3 pages attached and the dreaded read email request.)

I now consider this person rude and controlling and it's causing me to behave like a petulant child.

So guys and gals, what do you think about read receipts? AIBU?

I hate them. And ‘read’ notifications on my iPhone. I keep both turned off.

Rest assured that I check both several times per day. You don’t need to know the second I’ve read what you send me. Sod off.

No different to anyone sending something recorded delivery with Royal Mail, can be annoying though.
In your situation I would probably just make sure I wait plenty of time before opening their emails (next day etc) as that will probably send them mad. Especially if it’s boring stuff that doesn’t need your immediate attention.

Against. When really annoyed I'll chose don't send read receipt then ensure I quote something from that email when I see the person.

To me they're a bit like text read requests, I found out recently that during an update these were switched off.

I guess it's nice to know if someone has seen what you've written, on the other hand it can cause anxiety when you're waiting for a reply.

So I'm in the middle I think..,

I hate them. I find them enormously intrusive. I only have one regular correspondent who uses them (not in a work context - funnily enough everyone I have ever corresponded with for work has managed just fine without them) and I always refuse to send one.

Hate them. And I always click don't send read receipt.

I use them very occasionally if something is time-sensitive and urgent, but only if I think there is proper justification because I know it is annoying and quite interfering. It drives me MAD when others request them for everything and I'll often refuse to send one. Lots of entitled people think that if you've read their email you ought to respond right away and I hate that expectation.

I try to read emails off regular offenders in the view pane only so I can delete the message without opening it and they get a deleted unread message.

Yes, I'm childish.

I have recently turned them on, because my email server is crap and it says it's sent stuff but the recipients haven't received it. So I like to know it's been received before I mentally delete it.

So it's not checking up on YOU, I'm checking my server works. For group emails, as long as I get some read receipts I am confident it went, if I get none, I text/call someone I know well to check it went through.

Just say no to one being sent if you don't want to send one. I sometimes do that and sometimes let them go, depending on who the sender is and their reason for adding one.

I add one to important emails which I'd like to know have been read as well as when I've made repeated attempts to contact someone but am getting nothing but silence back. I don't use them all the time; I've no time for deleting all of the read receipts from from inbox!

I always click don't send.

Also don't like them, where I am now it's not common for them to be used but I always select 'do not send' just out of spite

Email: no absolutely not. It’s like post, I’ll read it when I’m ready and I’ll redpond in my own time. You don’t get a say in it.
Text/WhatsApp: I have mine switched on as does almost everyone I know (my MIL is only exception I can think of) but on the understanding that it doesn’t mean you have to reply immediately.

They’re not used much in our organisation but I have used them in the past when I needed info from every member of the team quickly. One offs though, wouldn’t dream of using them all the time.

I’d be like pp if I got a chaser with one as you describe...delete without opening as I have the reading pane on. Annoying.

They are annoying and pointless. I always click ‘don’t send receipt’ so the sender will never know I’ve read it unless I reply.

I think they're fine if used selectively and for good reason - like you would signed-for post, as a pp said. Very annoying if used indiscriminately.

I occasionally have to send emails that could literally be a matter of life & death (healthcare) - I use Read receipts then. I don't use them to ask Brenda if she's done that photocopying yet

I have them through my work Gmail email. Good to know when staff have received the emails. I guess I'm 'for'.

Against, and I always select "don't send" a read receipt.

Read receipts on Whatsapp now, I don't care. I don't expect people to always reply straight away. If it was urgent, I would just call.

I never send read receipts. They diminish the sender in my view - rude.

You could send a head tilt response checking that the person is OK. Obviously got memory issues (and too much time on hands issues) if they posted and emailed. Or ignore. I'd ignore. Maybe even pretend I'd received neither if pushed in person, just for the hell of it.

I also have 'never send read receipts' selected, so I never get a request to send one. I find them pushy.

Hate them - always click 'don't send receipt' but from now on I'm implementing @Plumsgalore technique of them getting a deleted unread message too!

depends - always in business setting
private - never

I'm not a fan. I always click don't send the read receipt. And I would judge people badly for requesting if it's a run of the mill email.

Resolutely against.

They are justified in a very, very, small number of situations. I generally refuse to send them as I consider them to be extremely rude.