Anyone Understand the CAN SPAM Act?

[AlexNewell]

Just got emailed by Marlon Sanders - he wants to know if his affiliates are following the ACT.

I don't know, how about you?

Here is a link to the FTC website and a couple of extracts that I found significant.

I want to get us aware of the issues here and see if we need to take any corrective action.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/bus ... nspam.shtm

In these 2 extracts I've emphasized what I think may be important..

The law, which became effective January 1, 2004, covers email whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service, including content on a Web site. A "transactional or relationship message" – email that facilitates an agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer in an existing business relationship – may not contain false or misleading routing information, but otherwise is exempt from most provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act.


It requires that commercial email be identified as an advertisement and include the sender's valid physical postal address. Your message must contain clear and conspicuous notice that the message is an advertisement or solicitation and that the recipient can opt out of receiving more commercial email from you. It also must include your valid physical postal address.

My guess is that we simply do not think of this stuff. We get spam ourselves and do not think that our innocent double opt in autoresponder series or broadcasts could trigger FTC action.

I'd love to hear what other members think

alex

[miriampotter]

Hello

I had to pull away from Aweber, because of the Spam Cam act.
Basically, you have to either have an 'optin out' in each email you send out,
or your address.

With Aweber, you have to have both, I refused to do that, because I am a single person, living on my own, I am not risking giving out my address to anyone I don't know, as there are some strange people out there, but if you just have the option to opt out that is OK, and if you are emailing someone for the first time, you are not allowed to use a url, but ask them to email you to ask for it. I use a tool, when emailing people, it helps to get emails through, to the lists of people that I communicate with regularly, as some filters block out even the good emails!

Your best bet is not to email anyone unless they are on your list, I don't because it is way to dodgy.

[AlexNewell]

[miriampotter]

Alex

They did manage to get the emails through to the members, but then so do response magic, they are cheaper, as effective, and not need my address for me to use it, much better.