Reply STOP for SMS spam

Dovi said:
Standard SMS rate? We should be able to opt out for free.
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That was my first thought too.

Getting these spammers to stop may very well be worth the price of an sms, but thats not the point.
 
There has also been a SMS Spam reporting service. You forward the original sms to 32335.

I agree though, that you shouldn't have to pay to opt out of a service you didn't sign up for or don't want
 
How exactly do you reply when the message from number shows "VODACOM" instead of an actual number? I also have a similar one from "Golfersclub".

The phone does not even give you the option to reply with these.
 
pookfuzz said:
How exactly do you reply when the message from number shows "VODACOM" instead of an actual number? I also have a similar one from "Golfersclub".

The phone does not even give you the option to reply with these.
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would you put up the whole message (xx your number) and give background details (i.e. have you had any dealings at all with the sender)..would like to have a look
 
It is beyond disgraceful to pay a single cent to opt out of something I didn't purposefully opt into.

75c is nothing - but multiply that by tens of thousands. Someone is making money and someone is getting shafted.
 
dominic said:
would you put up the whole message (xx your number) and give background details (i.e. have you had any dealings at all with the sender)..would like to have a look
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The only one I still have is the VODACOM one.

"REMINDER2: To take up the offer of 1 free return air ticket with Mango . send an SMS with the word "YES" to 31118 before 25/07/07"

Got this at 5:39pm 25/07/2007 according to the message details – which also show the from number simply as VODACOM.

Almost forgot. Never ever have I used ANY airline in my entire life. I am however a Vodacom client.
 
I always get flooded on Fridays by Joburg Life and a few others telling me to catch some cheapass DJ at some cheapass club! Wtf I didn't enter my number anywhere, and these twats don't even give an option to opt out!
 
Number harvesting

Consider the scenario.

A company that does not belong to WASPA Write's an App that Sends out SMS messages from 070 000 0001 to 089 999 9999, then waits for the Stop responses. You now have a database of active Cell Numbers.

Who pays if an SMS is sent to a non existent number

Surely we are opening ourselves up for cell number harvesting.

Have I got the wrong end of the stick
 
Toby said:
A company that does not belong to WASPA Write's an App that Sends out SMS messages from 070 000 0001 to 089 999 9999, then waits for the Stop responses.
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That is an email spammers technique but likely to be less useful. IIRC sms's are paid based on number sent - not number delivered. Don't know that anyone would waste that much money to harvest cellphone numbers when there are many easier ways to unscrupulously get hold of cellphone numbers.

Q @ dominic
Does section 45 of the ECT act that covers spam email also hold water against sms spammers? As far as i remember it refers to "commercial electronic messages" or some wording like that.

Big up to Bretton and the rest of the team at WASPA - they have been very effective at regulating their members and are even helpful in resolving issues with non-member senders :)
 
Now if these WASPA tossers REALLY wanted to help, they would establish a register of numbers that MAY NOT be used for sending crappy spam by their members. As OFCOM does for ordinary numbers and telesales in the UK.

I'm not holding my breath though - this plan would be too much like Customer Service, to which most SA organizations are clearly allergic.
 
pookfuzz said:
The only one I still have is the VODACOM one.

"REMINDER2: To take up the offer of 1 free return air ticket with Mango . send an SMS with the word "YES" to 31118 before 25/07/07"

Got this at 5:39pm 25/07/2007 according to the message details – which also show the from number simply as VODACOM.

Almost forgot. Never ever have I used ANY airline in my entire life. I am however a Vodacom client.
Click to expand...

Did you upgrade your phone recently? It was a promotion Vodacom were having. You receive 1 free return ticket when you upgrade your phone, but you have to reply. I got the same thing. The SMS's stop after the expiry date
 
pookfuzz said:
The only one I still have is the VODACOM one.

"REMINDER2: To take up the offer of 1 free return air ticket with Mango . send an SMS with the word "YES" to 31118 before 25/07/07"

Got this at 5:39pm 25/07/2007 according to the message details – which also show the from number simply as VODACOM.

Almost forgot. Never ever have I used ANY airline in my entire life. I am however a Vodacom client.
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from the info given that is spam under the ECT Act. It is not spam under the waspa code (due to the fact that you have a recent commercial relationship with the sender) but it does appear to breach other sections of the waspa code - no unsubscribe facility / contact details
 
Highflyer_GP said:
I always get flooded on Fridays by Joburg Life and a few others telling me to catch some cheapass DJ at some cheapass club! Wtf I didn't enter my number anywhere, and these twats don't even give an option to opt out!
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on the face of it a breach of the waspa code - lodge a complaint
 
Toby said:
Consider the scenario.

A company that does not belong to WASPA Write's an App that Sends out SMS messages from 070 000 0001 to 089 999 9999, then waits for the Stop responses. You now have a database of active Cell Numbers.

Who pays if an SMS is sent to a non existent number

Surely we are opening ourselves up for cell number harvesting.

Have I got the wrong end of the stick
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potentially problemmatic scenario - waspa can only deal with its members (as they are the ones who have agreed to be bound by the code of conduct). if the spammer is not a member then what generally happens is waspa, when it has received a complaint, will issue out a directive to all its members (and the cellcos if necessary) prohibiting them from carrying any content for the spammers
 
ambo said:
Q @ dominic
Does section 45 of the ECT act that covers spam email also hold water against sms spammers? As far as i remember it refers to "commercial electronic messages" or some wording like that.

Big up to Bretton and the rest of the team at WASPA - they have been very effective at regulating their members and are even helpful in resolving issues with non-member senders :)
Click to expand...
section 45 definitely covers sms spam

remember there is also the ISOC spammers bounty payable for any conviction of a spammer

i am involved with waspa as an independent adjudicator - i am satisfied that waspa has made a significant industry to the way in which the industry operates

//a note on consent
under the waspa code there must be consent to receiving marketing sms's (i.e. opt-in) - consent can be derived from actual consent (e.g. tickbox on a website), from a recent commercial relationship, or where explicit consent has been given to a third party to provide your details to another

waspa code of conduct said:
5.2.1. Any commercial message is considered unsolicited (and hence spam) unless:
(a) the recipient has requested the message;
(b) the message recipient has a direct and recent prior commercial relationship with the
message originator and would reasonably expect to receive marketing communications from
the originator; or
(c) the organisation supplying the originator with the recipient’s contact information has the
recipient’s explicit consent to do so.
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Spammers and other businesses should be allowed to send the first one to you, but if they receive no reply that should be considered a default do not ever send to me again.
 
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