PROView - September 2007 - (Page 15) MLS UPDATE Do You Conform to CAN-SPAM Regulations? by Jan Dean, Director of Information Services A common concern among our members is that of SPAM email. We know how frustrating it is – we receive an enormous amount of such email as well. It’s frustrating, and we wish we could make them go away. Rest assured, PRO does not in any fashion sell or make our members’ email addresses available. We have previously provided tips on how to minimize the number of SPAM emails you receive. Hopefully some of those suggestions have helped you. A question I’m often asked is whether I recommend replying to a SPAM email. Typically, I do not simply because a response verifies that my email address is valid. However, in some cases where I may be familiar with the sender, such as a fellowRealtor®, I may just want to provide a warning. As I aim to educate a sender as to the possible consequences of sending off a large number of emails without following rules and even simple email etiquette, I may send the following email text when I get an unwanted email: Not only are SPAM emails a concern as they fill your inbox. As you market your business per email, your messages may be perceived as SPAM. Truth is, many emails distributed within our industry, among our very own members, are often viewed as SPAM emails. Please remember to use email marketing cautiously in order to avoid being viewed as a distributor of SPAM emails. In order to curb the drastically increasing use of SPAM emails, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 was put in place to establish requirements for those who send commercial emails. The Act also defines penalties for spammers. Unless you follow CANSPAM regulations, you may expose your business to expensive consequences, not to mention some very unhappy recipients. You need to protect your business and I recommend you read about the CAN-SPAM Act by visiting www.tampabayrealtor.com/canspam for more information and a link to the Federal Trade Commission’s fact sheet The CAN-SPAM Act: Requirements for Commercial Emailers. Do you know the consequences for not following all the CAN-SPAM rules? Online businesses that use e-mail marketing must be careful to follow all the CAN-SPAM rules. Do you? • An unsubscribe mechanism must be included • A link to your Privacy Policy must be included • Your physical postal address must be included • Deceptive subject lines and false headers are outlawed To read the actual legislation of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, go to: http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877. shtml Not following the CAN-SPAM Regulations could be expensive!! Please remove me from your list AND follow the CAN-SPAM rules. September 2007 15 PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION REALTOR ORGANIZATION http://www.tampabay-realtor.com/canspam http://www.tampabay-realtor.com/canspam http://www.suncoasthomeinspection.com http://www.suncoasthomeinspection.com http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.shtml http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.shtml http://www.pinellaswcr.com http://www.pinellaswcr.com
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