Newsletter Signup (Legal content)

[VEIGHT]

I have a load of customers that I have email addresses for that are not currently signed up to our newsletter.

Can I add some text in our terms and conditions that say something like ' as a customer of ours we will send you a company newsletter from time to time of which you can unsubscribe instantly from if you wish to'?

Would that suffice?

[Billsnemesis]

Data protection may be an issue. If the email information you have was not obtained or authorised for the purpose of issuing newsletters you could be in breach of the terms of your agreement with your customers and also general rules on using electronic data. Check the existing terms under which the information is obtained to see if this use is authorised

[VEIGHT]

We dont have any terms on emails I dont think...

This is the section on Data Protection:

12. DATA PROTECTION

We will take all reasonable care, in so far as it is in our power to do so, to keep the details of your order and payment secure, but in the absence of negligence on our part we cannot be held liable for any loss you may suffer if a third party procures unauthorised access to any data you provide when accessing or ordering from the Website.

[Cyberprog]

VEIGHT said:

I have a load of customers that I have email addresses for that are not currently signed up to our newsletter.

Can I add some text in our terms and conditions that say something like ' as a customer of ours we will send you a company newsletter from time to time of which you can unsubscribe instantly from if you wish to'?

Would that suffice?

In general it's bad form to send people email without their consent - indeed some mailing list providers insist on double opt-in, where they sign up somewhere, and then get an email they must respond to in order to subscribe.

You need to ensure you are suitably registered for Data Protection, and should look at the Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations also.

[Amateurish]

Billsnemesis said:

Data protection may be an issue. If the email information you have was not obtained or authorised for the purpose of issuing newsletters you could be in breach of the terms of your agreement with your customers and also general rules on using electronic data. Check the existing terms under which the information is obtained to see if this use is authorised

+1

Sounds like you will not be entitled to add your customers' details to the mailing list.

[jammy_basturd]

Depending on what sort of products you wish to market to your existing customer email list, according to the ICO, you might be OK:
http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/sector_guides/...

[Simpo Two]

So perhaps you will have to telephone all your customers and ask if you can send them an e-mail.

If there is a law against telephoning customers you will have to write to them asking if you can send them an e-mail, complete with SAE.

If there is a law againt writing to customers you will have to visit in person and ask permission to send them a letter with SAE asking if you can send them an e-mail.

If there is a law against visiting customers in person without permission you will have to telephone them first to make an appointment, at which time you can ask permission to send them a letter with SAE asking if you can send them an e-mail.

How you get permission to make the phone call I am not sure.



Frankly, JFDI. Life's too short.