iLevel // Blog

We've all had them. We've sometimes even subscribed (and unsubscribed) to them. Bulk SMSes have become a part of daily life these days, promoting everything from personal loans to insurance and sale items. And why not, when cellphone penetration is so massive - and growing! Makes sense to use the medium to the max. Often one unwittingly "subscribes" to a Bulk SMS list simply by filling out a competition entry which includes your cellphone as a contact number. In amongst the fine print, you'll likely find that by doing so you allow them to send you promo material via SMS. Of course they are careful to include the "STOP" or "OPT OUT" at the end of each SMS as prescribed by law - but the annoyance is not that one can't unsubscribe, it's that one receives the SMS in the first place. Granted some are handy, even necessary. But what do you do to get off all those annoying Bulk SMS marketing lists? There are ways to have your number removed from all clients of certain Bulk SMS service providers. They can check and see who you have "authorised" to send SMSes and simply put a block on all other future marketing SMSes from clients to whom you have not expressly given permission. This service does not affect your internet banking alerts etc - only marketing SMSes. I however found that I was suddenly receiving Bulk SMSes which were obviously intended for an electrical technician of some sort working on the mines in Carletonville. My phone would go off any time, night or day, with updates on breaks in lines, affected areas, down time and ETAs on repairs. I tried replying "STOP" and every other negative I could think of, however it appeared nobody was home, or at least manning the inbox to which all such responses go. (By law, they are to honour any request received to opt out.) So as a last resort I called the Bulk SMS department of my cellular network who confirmed that my number was indeed unsubscribed from all Bulk SMS marketing lists, and with a little checking also confirmed that the numbers I was receiving these unwanted technical updates from, was not coming from any of their Bulk SMS servers. They recommended I lodge a complaint with WASPA (Wireless Application Service Providers' Association). Went to their website (www.waspa.org.za), filled out a basic form online detailing the SMSes received, and within a couple days received a phone call from the service provider in question apologising for the error in having my number added to a list operated by them for the Mining companies. He duly blocked my number across all their systems to ensure I don't receive any further midnight alerts as to how the power is going down in Carletonville. So, if you want to limit those Bulk SMSes to just the ones you've asked for (knowingly or not), do the following: 1. Contact your cellular service provider and have them put a stop on your number. 2. Specifically contact the Bulk SMS Messaging Department of your particular cellular network for more in-depth checking (the general Call Centre consultants don't have access to all the info). 3. Contact WASPA for more broad/aggressive action, or for Operators who do not honour your "opt out" requests. 4. Be very aware of who you provide your cellphone number to, and what you are allowing them to do with it.