This post will go over sites where you can reduce your current junk mail as well as sites where you can sell the mail that still seeps through the system.
Sites to Opt-Out of Junk Mail and Spam Calls
If you want to decrease the amount of junk mail and spam phone calls, you can register on the following sites:
Opt-Out Prescreen
Opt-Out Prescreen will help you opt out of receiving credit card or insurance offers permanently. You can also call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to have your name and address removed for the next five years.
Direct Mail
Direct Mail will stop some of the adverts from reaching your home.
DMAChoice
DMAChoice while you may have to pay $2-3 for this service, DMAChoice can take you off the mailing list for several companies. They even have an option to opt out of spam email.
Abacus
Abacus will prevent some catalogs from being sent to you.
FTC Do Not Call Registry
FTC Do Not Call Registry – this registry will help prevent some spam calls from reaching your phone.
Opting out of junk mail and catalogs will help reduce the used paper and the waste that goes to our landfills on a yearly basis, giving the environment a benefit as well.
Where to Sell Your Junk Mail
You can sell your junk mail to the following companies who will use it for market research:
1. Small Business Knowledge Center
The Small Business Knowledge Center (or SBKC) will purchase both junk mail and email relating to specific categories. They will send you postage-paid envelopes for you to use to send paper mail back to them about once per week. You can also forward qualifying junk email to them.
You earn points when you submit your unwanted mail to them and can turn in points for pre-paid VISA cards. While the average person can earn a $20 gift card every 2-3 months, people who actively send in their mail and refer friends can earn one every 1.5-2 months.
SBKC will not share your information with anyone, but they will ask you for some personal information to create a basic profile for market research. You must be at least 18 years old to participate.
2. Hauser Group
Due to high interest, the Hauser Group is currently only accepting applicants from certain areas, but you can check to see if your area is available on their site.
With Hauser, you sign up to be a decoy. When you receive insurance-based mailings, you would let Hauser know so that they can determine how long it takes for mail to reach specific destinations. Occasionally people also receive free merchandise or magazines.
3. US Monitor
Once your application is approved by US Monitor, you will receive a monthly stipend of $10 plus an additional $.25 for every piece of mail that you process. They pay you once a month.
US Monitor is similar to the Hauser Group in that you become a decoy and will give them information about mail that you receive. You will need a computer, scanner, or digital camera to work on this job.
4. Quotas
While Quotas is a German-based company, they do international market research. Your data will exclusively be used for their postal quality surveys. They analyze the standards of the service and production processes.
