SMS/Text Subscription and Spam Guidelines
VoiceCast SMS Use Guidelines
Carrier Spam Filtering
US carriers are increasingly filtering and scrutinizing SMS/Text messages between businesses and individuals in order to prevent spam and fraud. The rules and guidelines that govern this filtering are currently in flux as carriers attempt to manage high-volume messaging and attempt to differentiate between legitimate business communication and spam (see 10DLC and toll-free message filtering).
How are Teleira customers affected?
Increasingly, SMS messages sent by Teleira’s customers via the VoiceCast system are getting caught and flagged by the carrier as spam and are blocked from being sent. Subsequent messaging attempts can lead an entire account to be blocked.
What can be done?
Tips To Avoid Being Filtered Or Blocked:
- Don’t use emojis, or unnecessary special characters/capitalization. Use correct grammar and spelling. Messages structured this way are often trying to avoid detection and will be filtered.
- Automatic carrier keyword opt-out (STOP) and opt-in (UNSTOP or START) or (HELP) responses are set and cannot be modified.
- Do not send links that have been shortened using public URL shorteners (ie. TinyUrl or Bitly Links). If possible, when sending URLs use domains that your business controls.
- SMS opt-in and opt-out mechanisms are implemented by Teleira to track subscription status for all recipients. Subscription opt-in is required to receive messages. See SMS Recipient Subscription section below.
- All SMS messages are subject to content filtering. To avoid being subject to filtering, refrain from including restricted content in your message. For more details review the content in the Restricted Content categories.
RESTRICTED CONTENT
High-risk financial services
- Payday loans
- Short-term high-interest loans
- Auto loans
- Mortgage loans
- Student loans
- Debt collection
Debt forgiveness
- Debt consolidation
- Debt reduction
- Credit repair programs
Get-rich-quick schemes
- Work-from-home programs
- Risk-investment opportunities
- Pyramid or multi-level marketing schemes
Prohibited/controlled substances
- Cannabis
- or other illegal drugs/substances
Phishing
- usernames
- passwords
- Other account information
S.H.A.F.T
- Sex
- Hate
- Alcohol
- Firearms
- Tobacco
SMS Recipient Subscription
Teleira has implemented a solution to track SMS message recipient’s subscription. The subscription status of individual recipients will be used as proof against malicious high-volume messaging when working with carriers to combat incorrect spam filtering.
How does it work?
The first time a recipient receives a message from a Teleira customer account, the recipient will receive a prompt to subscribe to future messages from the sender. See Example Messages below.
Questions?
Email su*****@te*****.com or visit our Support page to open a ticket. Likewise, to determine the subscription status of an individual or group of recipients, include the recipients’ numbers in the support request.
Subscription Options
2. Unsubscribe by replying ‘stop’ (unaffected by capitalization)
3. Alternatively, ignore the message or reply with anything else beyond ‘y’, ‘yes’ or ‘stop.’
Subscription Types
Subscribe
Those who subscribe will continue to receive messages (as long as the sent message content does not violate other aspects of the SMS spam filtering). Each subsequent message will include a short “unsubscribe” message reminding the recipient that they can stop receiving the messages at any time.
Unsubscribe
Those who reply ‘stop’ will receive a final reminder message indicating that messages will be stopped, along with instructions on how to re-subscribe if the recipient changes their mind or has made a mistake.
Ignore
Example Messages
Ex. Subscription Message
Ex. Appended Unsubscribe
Ex. Unsubscribe Message
