We’ve all heard of email spam but not a lot of people know of SMS spam. Truth is, we’ve all received SMS spam from companies that are trying to sell a product or service. SMS spam is mostly used by advertising companies who are either new in the market or are trying to remind people of their product or service. An SMS is only considered to be spam if it’s unsolicited.
This is also an invasion of privacy especially if you’re not a subscriber. A number of SMS providers adhere to the codes of practice when it comes to commercial SMSs. However not everyone follows these rules hence we keep receiving the SMSs from unknown companies. Unfortunately these companies get away with it because there isn’t much the law can do.
The reason for this is that the SMS doesn’t offer an “opt out” option and you end up being charged a standard rate. The standard marketing SMS rate in South Africa is R1.00 and it can’t go higher than this. Organisations such as the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa are doing their best to protect consumers and the industry. These organisations are limited because they work on a membership basis. Due to this, independent companies can still send spam SMSs.
What your company can do is choose a reputable bulk SMS provider that adheres to the best practice guidelines. This is good business practice because you’re putting both your clients’ and company’s interests first. This is something your clients will appreciate in the long run. You can’t afford to have your reputation tarnished so it’s your responsibility to make sure it doesn’t happen.
