Anti-Spam Policy

Introduction

SMS remains one of the most effective and direct communication channels available to businesses. When used responsibly, it delivers exceptional engagement for marketing, customer service, appointment reminders, delivery notifications, and more.

However, Faretext Limited ("we", "us", or "our") maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards the sending of unsolicited text messages — commonly known as spam. This policy applies to all users of the Faretext and Oello platforms and should be read in conjunction with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

All messaging conducted through our platform must comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003 (as amended), the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and any guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

What constitutes spam?

Faretext strictly prohibits the sending of any spam messages from our service, platform, or systems at any time. We define spam as:

• Any unsolicited, unexpected, or unwanted SMS messages sent to individuals who have not given their consent to receive them
• Messages sent with the intent to mislead, deceive, or defraud recipients
• Messages originating from a sender that the recipient has not authorised to hold or use their mobile number
• Messages that do not clearly identify the sender or the purpose of the communication
• Messages sent to purchased, rented, or scraped contact lists where individual consent has not been obtained

If you have not received valid consent from a recipient to contact them via SMS, do not send them a message. Doing so is likely to breach UK law.

Consent requirements

Under PECR and the UK GDPR, different types of messages require different levels of consent:

Marketing messages

All marketing messages require prior explicit consent from the recipient. This means the individual must have actively opted in to receive marketing communications via SMS. Pre-ticked boxes, implied consent from unrelated transactions, or bundled consent do not meet the legal threshold. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

The "soft opt-in" exception under PECR may apply where you have obtained a customer's details in the course of a sale (or negotiations for a sale), the messages relate to similar products or services, and you gave the customer a simple opportunity to opt out at the point of collection and in every subsequent message.

Service messages

Transactional and service messages (such as appointment reminders, delivery updates, order confirmations, and account notifications) may be sent where the recipient has an existing relationship with the sender and would reasonably expect to receive such communications. However, SMS as a communication channel should be referenced in your Privacy Policy, and recipients must be able to opt out.

Faretext reserves the right to request evidence of consent at any time. Failure to provide satisfactory evidence may result in immediate suspension of your account.

User obligations

All users of the Faretext and Oello platforms must adhere to the following principles:

• No false, invalid, or misleading information shall be included in the body of any SMS message
• No SMS shall be sent to any mobile subscriber without valid, documented consent
• Message content must clearly state or illustrate the service or product being offered
• All marketing campaigns must clearly identify the sender and include an appropriate opt-out mechanism
• Contact lists must be maintained accurately and kept up to date, with opt-out requests honoured promptly
• Users must maintain records of consent that can be provided to Faretext or the ICO upon request

Opt-out requirements

All marketing messages must include a clear and simple opt-out mechanism. This can be a "STOP" keyword reply, a link to an unsubscribe page, or clear instructions for the recipient to follow.

When a recipient opts out, their request must be honoured immediately and no further messages of that type should be sent to them. Previously unsubscribed contacts must not be re-added to any messaging list.

Under PECR, recipients have an absolute right to opt out of receiving direct marketing messages at any time, and this right must be respected without exception.

Enforcement

Faretext takes all reports of spam seriously. Any evidence of users not adhering to this policy will result in:

• Immediate suspension of the associated SMS service pending investigation
• Freezing of all SMS accounts linked to the user to ensure an immediate end to the violation
• Permanent termination of service in cases of serious or repeated breaches

Two or more complaints within a 12-month period constitutes a material breach of our Terms of Service and may result in permanent account closure without refund of any remaining credits.

We may also be required to report serious breaches to the ICO, Ofcom, or other relevant regulatory bodies.

Reporting spam

If you receive an unwanted or unsolicited message from a Faretext user, please report it to spam@faretext.co.uk. To help us investigate, please include:

• Your mobile number
• The date and time you received the message
• The full contents of the message
• The sender name or number displayed

All reports are treated confidentially and investigated promptly. You can also report unsolicited messages directly to the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Contact us

For general enquiries about this anti-spam policy, please contact us:

• Email: info@faretext.co.uk
• Spam reports: spam@faretext.co.uk
• Phone: 0330 998 0022
• Post: Faretext Limited, 9 Main Road, Bilton, Hull, HU11 4AP