Personal information toolkit
Reducing unwanted sales calls, junk mail and email marketing
One of the best ways to stop unwanted marketing is to tick the appropriate box on any form you fill out. When filling in any form, always read the short statement provided by the organisation collecting your information – this is normally at the bottom of the form and is sometimes indicated by this symbol . The statement will summarise how the organisation intends to use your information. The statement will usually give you the option to either ‘opt in’ to or ‘opt out’ of having your information used for marketing or passed to a third party.
Even if you forget to tick the box, you always have the right to ask an organisation to stop using your personal information for marketing.
You can do this in a letter or email. There is no particular form of words you should use, but you need to make clear the following:
- your identity;
- the personal information you are referring to; and
- the method of direct marketing you wish to stop.
If you are not sure who to write to, address your letter or email to the organisation’s data protection officer or company secretary. It is also advisable to send any letters by recorded delivery and keep a copy. When they receive your letter or email, the organisation should stop using your personal information for marketing. This should normally take no longer than 28 days. But it may take longer for pre-printed mailings.
Reducing sales calls To reduce the number of unwanted sales calls, register your home and mobile phone numbers with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). This service is free and takes 28 days to become active.
Note that registering your mobile number with the TPS will only stop live marketing voice calls, not SMS text messages, or automated calls.
To stop unwanted sales calls, register your details:
online at tpsonline.org.uk;
by phoning 0845 070 0707;
or by writing to:
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS)
DMA House 70 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SS 21
If you have a business, you can also register your company’s phone number(s) with the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS). For more information on how to do this, visit www.tpsonline.org.uk/ctps/what/.
Reducing the number of silent calls
You can reduce silent calls made by automatic dialling equipment by registering your number with the Silent Callgard Service on 0870 4443969. Silent calls do not fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations as no marketing message is sent. For further advice about the rules on silent calls, visit the Ofcom website www.ofcom.org.uk.
Reducing the amount of fax marketing
As an individual or a business, you can also register your fax number with the Fax Preference Service to reduce the number of unwanted faxes you get. Again, this service is free, and can be done:
online at fpsonline.org.uk;
by phoning 0845 070 0702;
or by writing to
Facsimile Preference Service (FPS)
DMA House 70 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SS 22
Who do I contact if I have difficulty stopping unwanted calls and faxes?
If, after you register with the TPS and FPS, you still continue to receive unwanted sales calls, visit our website www.ico.gov.uk or contact our helpline on 08456 306060 for advice on what to do next.
Reducing direct and junk mail
To reduce the volume of unwanted direct or junk mail, register your name and address with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS). The MPS is a free service set up by the direct-marketing industry to help people who don’t want to receive junk mail. The MPS can remove your name and address from up to 95% of direct-mail lists. However, it will not stop direct mail from companies who don’t check their list with the MPS before sending direct mail, and it won’t stop mail addressed to ‘the occupier’. It will take up to four months for the service to take full effect, but you should notice a reduction of mail during this period.
To stop direct and junk mail:
register your details online at www.mpsonline.org.uk;
phone 0845 703 4599; or
write to:
23 Mailing Preference Service (MPS)
DMA House 70 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SS
You can also stop the amount of ‘unaddressed mail’ you receive by registering your address with the Royal Mail’s Door to Door opt-out service. However, this service will not stop mail addressed to ‘the occupier’.
To register write to:
Freepost RRBT-2BXB-TTTS
Royal Mail Door to Door Opt Outs
Kingsmead House
Oxpens Road
Oxford OX1 1RX
Or email: optout@royalmail.com 24
Who do I contact if I have difficulty stopping unwanted mail?
If you have registered with the MPS but are still receiving unwanted mail, you can complain directly to the MPS, who will investigate and contact the company sending the mail.
To complain, write to the MPS with a copy of the unwanted mail you have been sent, including the envelope, as this will help the MPS to identify the source of the mailing.
To complain, write to:
Mailing Preference Service
MPS Freepost LON20771
London W1E 0ZT
If, after you register and complain to the MPS, you still continue to receive unwanted mail you should contact the company directly to complain. If after that they keep on sending you unwanted mail, visit our website www.ico.gov.uk or contact our helpline on 08456 306060 for advice on what to do next.
Electronic marketing
Electronic marketing includes any text, sound or picture messages that organisations send you electronically. This means the message you receive could be sent via email, text, or picture messaging. It enables organisations to deliver their marketing messages straight to your inbox.
The vast majority of responsible organisations who send you marketing using electronic methods will ask for your permission before they send it. This could be when they collect your information, but they should also give you an opportunity to opt out in every marketing email, text or recorded message they send you.
Spam
Spam is email that you don’t want and didn’t ask for, and its content can often cause embarrassment and distress. Most spam comes from outside the UK. If you are getting a lot of bulk spam from outside the UK, there is little help we can give you. However, you could speak to your internet service provider (ISP) for advice on spam filters, or visit our spam webpage at www.ico.gov.uk for more general advice.
You can take the following steps to reduce the amount of spam you receive:
- Be careful who you give your email address to.
- Consider having separate personal and business email addresses.
- Choose an email address that is difficult to guess.
- Don’t advertise your email address.
- Check privacy policies and marketing opt-outs carefully.
Top tips for reducing spam
- Check privacy policies and marketing opt-outs or opt-ins carefully.
When filling in any form, look out for the 'opt-in or opt-out' box, which is usually at the bottom of the form. If you read the short statement, it will tell you how the organisation intends to use your information. - Never respond to spam.
Replying can indicate that your email address is live. This can encourage the more unscrupulous senders to send you even more emails. - Don’t click on the adverts in spam emails.
By clicking on spammers’ web pages, you identify your email address as being live and may make yourself a target for more emails. It can also make your computer open to virus and other malicious attacks. - Use a spam filter on your computer.
Spam filters are programs that work with your email package to sift through new emails, identifying spam and blocking it. - Keep your home computer well maintained.
Hackers and spammers can exploit software problems, so most software companies issue product updates and patches that fix known problems.
Download the updates and patches to ensure your computer is well protected.
Websites such as www.junkbusters.com and www.getnetwise.com also offer advice, although some of the advice is specific to US-based users.
Who do I contact if I have difficulty reducing the amount of electronic marketing I receive?
If, after you tell the organisation you want to ‘opt out’, you still continue to get unwanted electronic marketing, visit our website www.ico.gov.uk or contact our helpline on 08456 306060 for advice on what to do next.