Unauthorised marketing texts from Tesco Mobile

Petard

I am a subscriber to Tesco Mobile. Two months ago I signed up briefly to their Data Pass, then cancelled. Every Monday since then they have sent me a text urging me to sign up again.

The text is from short code 28948 and reads : "Tesco Mobile: You could be enjoying unlimited browsing starting today but u [sic] switched off ur [sic] Browsing Pass. Reply JOIN to this msg to sign up again".

This is clearly not a message relating to the operation of the service, but a marketing text, trying to persuade me to resubscribe.

Via 'My Tesco Mobile' I had refused all marketing communication, and have not changed this. On 2nd November, I replied 'STOP' to one of the texts - and received a response saying unrecognised word. So I rang Tesco and asked them to stop. They promised to do so, but haven't. To date I have received a total of seven of these texts, and it seems as if they will continue indefinitely.

The texts are in breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (according to the ICO's web site): Tesco do not have my permission to send them and are not offering me a way to stop them.

I could complain to Tesco again, but what would be the point?

I could complain to the Information Commissioner, but that would be tiresome - and he has no teeth, only gums.

So I'm complaining here - in public!

eranou

or just delete the texts and get over it

Petard

Thanks for the suggestion, eranou. You're absolutely right. I could do that. I could just delete all the unwanted texts and e-mails I get, from whatever source; I could just ring off when I receive unwanted calls and resign myself to the interruption - even if I'm in the car, for example, and have had to pull over to check it's nothing important.

Yes, we could all do that. We could just lie down and submit when companies pester us - something they are doing more and more as telecoms become cheaper and cheaper. Millions of calls, millions of texts, billions of e-mails. The cumulative disruption to people's lives must be staggering.

Or we could object. Parliament has passed a law to help fight this problem and give us some p. & q.. Companies like Tesco should know that. We could remind them of it - and if they take no heed of direct complaints, we could shame them in public, as I'm trying to here. If spam visibly harms their reputation and hence their business, they might stop sending it.

In short, it's up to us: we could "get over it", as you say, or we could choose to be vertebrate citizens.

davejj

I too am absolutely plagued by these marketing texts from Tesco.

I have texted 2702 to try and stop them, and I have phoned them up on 5 separate occasions. Each time they assure me that the texts will stop and each time they restart again in a few weeks.

I am really fed up with it.

And I am really fed up with Tesco.

davejj

Just received yet another marketing text from Tesco - despite them assuring me on the phone that they will stop sending them to me.

They keep saying (I have complained to them 5 times now...) that they will stop, but because there are some already in the pipeline (?), I may receive one in the next month.

... but they just keep on coming.

Most of the texts that I receive are important and it really makes me angry when on certain occasions I stop the car to read an incoming text, only to find that it is Tesco back to their marketing.

It makes you want to got to Tesco, fill up a shopping trolley and just leave it in the ailse doesn't it?

Not that I would ever do that of course.

TimWest

"...get over it" ?

Try working a night shift in A&E, come home, get to sleep and then one of these texts wakes you up to remind you to top up.

Anyway, just text STOP to 26565.

It's on the Tesco contact page.

I'd post a link but this forum will not allow me.

Maddogjones

Texting STOP to 26565 doesn't work. And calling them doesn't either. They just will not listen..

You could write to them under the Data Protection Act 1998 stating that you don't give them permission to use your personal information for direct marketing. And that you require them to stop all such marketing. Write recorded, don't e-mail them it's harder to fob off a letter.

You will be given excuses and be met with a LOT of off fobbing. So ultimately your going to have to make a complaint to either the ICO or the ombudsman.

As for "delete the texts and get over it" try deleting up to 9 texts a day everyday and see quick that gets boring...