You have just joined the table, the phone rings. Would you like a subscription to a newspaper or a lottery? People are really annoyed by this kind of trespassing. It has been in the top 10 annoyance for years. There is now the Don’t Call Me Register where 7 million Dutch people have registered. Once you are registered, you should no longer be called. But how do you get rid of unsolicited advertising in your mailbox, letterbox or via text message? This article is about unwanted advertising and how you can put an end to it. First of all, there is a difference between unsolicited and unwanted advertising. Unsolicited advertising is certainly not always annoying, sometimes even welcome.
Consuwijzer.nl
The regulator Opta receives many complaints about unwanted advertising. In 2011, approximately 13,000 complaints related to telemarketing. A third of the complaints were about companies of which the person called was already a customer. Then you may receive calls, even if you are registered in the Do Not Call Register. 27,000 complaints were received about spam. The Opta has now imposed around 1.2 million euros in fines on companies that, for example, do not comply with the Do Not Call Register. The regulator has also created the ConsuWijzer.nl site. This site provides information about unwanted advertising and how to stop it.
How do you opt out of unwanted advertising?
There are various channels that companies use to distribute unwanted advertising. Below you will find the most effective way to unsubscribe from all these channels.
Opt out of telephone advertising
Telemarketing is used by many companies. It is not forbidden. Callers are obliged to identify themselves on the telephone, to state the purpose for which they are calling and to point out the option to unsubscribe.
You can easily unsubscribe from telemarketing by calling 0900-666 1000. You then register for the Do Not Call Register. It takes approximately six weeks before your registration is effective. This applies to the number, landline or mobile, that you have provided. Until further notice, companies are no longer allowed to call you, unless you are or have been a customer.
If companies still call you, despite your registration in the Don’t Call Me Register, file a complaint with Opta via www.consuwijzer.nl or 088-070 70 70.
Unsubscribe from advertising via SMS
Unsolicited advertising via SMS is prohibited. However, some providers have very devious methods to send you unsolicited text messages. Sometimes you don’t notice that you have subscribed to an expensive text message service. How do you still get rid of it?
If you want to stop an SMS service, text ‘STOP’ to the same four-digit shortcode from which you received the SMS. This stops the service. If you no longer wish to receive SMS services at all, you can register your telephone number (or that of your children) for free at www.smsdienstenfilter.nl. Paid text messages may not be sent to the telephone numbers registered there.
If you continue to receive paid text messages, you can complain to your telephone provider. This person is obliged to give you the opportunity to block your number again. If this does not help, file a complaint with Opta via www.consuwijzer.nl or 088-070 70 70.
Unsubscribe from email advertising
Many companies go out of their way to get your email address. When you leave your address on a site, the company in question may send you emails about products and services. An entire trade has now emerged in e-mail addresses. There are companies that can steal your email address from you in a devious way. So be careful when leaving your email address for games, surveys and competitions or for newsletter subscriptions.
Any company that sends you advertising or a newsletter must offer you the opportunity to unsubscribe easily. An unsubscribe link is usually included in the email. If unsubscribing does not help, you can file a complaint at www.spamklacht.nl. If foreign organizations are behind the spam, things will become difficult. Unfortunately, there is little you can do about this.
Unsubscribe from advertising via the mailbox
Advertising mail to purchased addresses, so-called direct mail, is permitted in the Netherlands. If you want to unsubscribe, it is quite easy. The same applies to unaddressed mail (door-to-door newspapers and leaflets). To avoid receiving addressed advertising mail, you can register in the National Postal Register. To do this, go to www.postfilter.nl. You can also select certain sectors there. There is also a register to exclude mail for the deceased. Companies with which you are or were a customer may continue to send you mail. If you want to get rid of this, it is best to contact the company itself in writing.
You can easily keep door-to-door newspapers and leaflets out by sticking a YES/NO or NO/NO sticker on your letterbox. You can collect this for free from your municipality or via 0900-202 50 85 .
Does unsubscribing not help? Does a company ignore your unsubscribe and continue to send mail to you? Then submit a written complaint to this company. If this does not help, you can file a complaint with the Advertising Code Committee, www.administratiecode.nl .