BulkSMS.com launches STOP / unsubscribe SMS service

In a first for SA, BulkSMS.com has launched a user-friendly STOP SMS service.

The innovative service allows a user to unsubscribe from an SMS mail list or stop unwanted SMS messages.

To unsubscribe or stop SMS messages simply reply to the received message with `STOP`. This prevents any further unwanted messages.

The service goes a long way to reduce the cost and time of handling SMS spam complaints. Usually a user contacts their network provider with a spam complaint. The complaint is forwarded to the relevant wireless application service provider who then contacts the original sender of the message with a request to remove the number from their database. To exacerbate the problem, numbers are often inadvertently added to the database again, resulting in more complaints.

"Our STOP SMS functionality gives users control over unwanted SMS messages and takes the headache out of unsubscribing," said Dr Pieter Streicher, MD of Celerity Systems.

The BulkSMS STOP SMS function means that a user does not need to deal with any third-party. By sending one SMS a user is instantaneously unsubscribed from a phone list. The user`s number is also added to a `blocked` list. In the event the client inadvertently sends an SMS message to that user`s number again, the SMS message will be blocked.

The STOP SMS service is specific to unwanted SMS messages received through the BulkSMS.com gateway from a BulkSMS.com client.

BulkSMS.com will also send an e-mail to its own client to inform them of the STOP request. BulkSMS.com will unblock numbers only if clients can show they may legally message the specific number. This is relevant for messages that inform users of an overdue payment. Such messages may be unwanted, but may legally be sent.

The BulkSMS.com STOP SMS feature complies with South African and international legal requirements for service providers to provide users with an unsubscribe function.