Virgin Mobile fined for pushing mobile spam
Ignored Oz opt-outs
Virgin Mobile has been fined for sending spam messages to Australian mobile users who'd already opted out of receiving promotions.
The carrier was fined AU$22,000 (US$20,240) after it was found to have sent messages to mobile subscribers who had clearly stated their preference not to receive unsolicited text message ads.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) levied the fine after Virgin Mobile customers received messages containing an "example of recent offers" in a bid to persuade them that Virgin's spam is really tasty.
Whoever sent the messages therefore targeted customers who already said 'no thanks' to junk, an action that went down badly with regulators at the ACMA.
"The key tenet of the Spam Act is that commercial electronic messages cannot be sent without the consent of the recipient," said ACMA chairman, Chris Chapman, in a statement. "An organisation must respect a person’s desire not to receive commercial electronic messages, even if it is just to ask if they have changed their mind."
As well as agreeing to pay a fine, Virgin Mobile also promised to review its email marketing policies and provide extra staff training in response to the incident. ®
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COMMENTS
@ Rob @irish donkey
You are of course correct. I was joined to a subscription service which I couldn't get out of. I never joined the scheme and despite numerous 'STOP' which were acknowledged by the company again at a cost of 1.50 they still came.
Virgin as I said we no help. I eventually got some money back by reporting them to 'Grumbletext'. Moved now and am with O2 with a bar against premiere texts.
Much better service from them
The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.
doesn't really have to be an insider. You can send sms messages to come from any number, and you don't need somebody working at your telephone company. An yes of course, it's legal.
Mandantory in the US
Bitch all you want... they absolutely demand the right to send you incredibly irritating garbage in the US.
They sent a 'Support Haiti' all points bulletin 9 days after the quake... it appeared to be a cheap afterthought that late.
If there were *any* other choice for a no-contract paygo provider here, I'd dump them.
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