Updater Helps You Opt Out of Junk Mail

Monday, August 8, 2011

Updater Helps You Opt Out of Junk Mail

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Updater

Quick Pitch: Updater is an online service for managing offline mail.

Genius Idea: Letting users opt of junk mail with a do-not-mail list.

As anyone who’s ever moved or been inundated with junk mail and catalogs knows all too well, the only thing more frustrating than inbox overload is physical mailbox disarray. In fact, the United States Post Office delivers more than 90 billion pieces of direct mail on behalf of marketers each year, according to the Direct Mail Association.

Launched in late July, Updater is a web service that aims to help people tackle two key challenges associated with snail mail: Change of address and junk mail.

The Updater user can file an official Change of Address Form and simultaneously update businesses, schools, organizations and personal contacts with their new mailing address.

On the no-junk-mail front, Updater attempts to give users control over who can access their physical mailing address. With the Address Privacy option, users can can create their own do-not-mail lists to stop receiving mailings from specific direct marketers.

We like the idea — less junk mail and a hassle-free change of address service sounds fantastic — but Updater has a few drawbacks. First, it comes with a $14.99 fee for its Address Privacy services, a price that may be difficult to stomach without any pre-purchase proof that it will deliver on its junk mail-eliminating promises.

Also, as still a beta service, Updater falls short at times. For example, the site does not yet allow users to update billing companies when changing their address.

Still, Updater might be on to something with its do-not-mail list. So readers, tell us, would you pay for the convenience of being removed from the direct mail lists of snail mail marketers?

Image courtesy of Flickr, Oran Viriyincy

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: bizspark, snail mail, spark-of-genius, Updater

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