In the run up to the introduction of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) on July 1, Montreal-based technology company Opt-in.ca is providing dealerships with a free consultation regarding the new legislation.
Once in effect, CASL will restrict the use of commercial electronic messages (CEMs) — emails, voice and text messages — without prior consent from the recipient, changing the way data can be used for direct marketing. Businesses must now explicitly ask if customers want to continue receiving notifications or otherwise lose their customer database.
For dealers, common practices such as, emailing a customer about recalls, promotions on parts or services, contacting customers about invitation events or loyalty events, or even sending automated voice appointment reminders will soon be subject to this new anti-spam legislation. Furthermore, come July 1, if a dealership’s customer database hasn’t been updated to meet CASL standards, it becomes effectively useless. Stores will no longer be able to use this database without risking potentially hefty fines (up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for businesses).
Under CASL, it could take just one exuberant salesperson trying to hit a sales quota by sending emails or texting unsubscribed recipients to fall foul of the law — problems could also arise simply by using a customer database that isn’t compliant, even if the individual accessing the information might not be aware of the fact.
“Almost every business in Canada will be affected,” says Fritz Nykamp, President and Founder of Opt-in.ca. “After July 1st, 2014, if you’re using CEMs — texts, voice and emails — without prior consent from the recipient, you are at risk of a lawsuit or a big fine. We have spent many years helping organizations integrate technology into their businesses, and in the context of CASL, the severity of fines can be very damaging to organizations, especially dealers who don’t have the resources to hire legal teams to help navigate through these complex areas.”
Opt-in.ca, has worked to combine innovation and technology to assist businesses with spam-free communications under CASL. The idea has evolved into an affordable Communications Privacy Solution service, based on extensive research and consultations with Canada’s leading legal experts in communications privacy and CASL. The service is designed to help dealers update databases to meet compliance under CASL and modernize their communications infrastructure to ensure spam-free delivery.
Dealers who wish to schedule a free consultation with one of Opt-in.ca’s communication experts are encouraged to email: antispam@opt-in.ca before July 1.
