Terms & Conditions
How SPLICE Keeps You Safe
Communicating with your customers is a critical component of running, and growing, your business. Yet this simple effort becomes incredibly complex as soon as you consider the local and federal rules that govern how and when you can contact consumers.
Regulations enacted by both the CRTC (Canada) and the FCC (USA) – including the newly enacted Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the United States, govern your outbound and inbound SPLICE communications to consumers. State and provincial laws can also take effect. Violations can carry fines that can be significant; up to $25,000 per violation in some cases.
Each country requires various types of customer consent for messages delivered to landlines, for messages to mobile phones and for text messages. In each country, SPLICE personalized human-voice messages fall under the legislation for automated, pre-recorded messages. The individual regulations vary widely – so it’s important to understand how they apply to your business and be able to easily adjust your calling strategy based on where your customers live.
The purpose of your call—an account update, a special offer, an overdue balance—often determines whether your communication is governed by certain calling rules. The SPLICE team will work with you to understand where exemptions are provided, including in scenarios where:
- You have an Existing Business Relationship (EBR) with your customer—i.e. a customer who has had a financial transaction with your business within the last 18 months;
- Your customer has provided you with Express Consent to communicate with them through this channel for a given reason (ask us about our Opt-In Program for more details);
- The calls are made for the sole purpose of collecting information for a survey;
- The calls are made for the sole purpose of collecting on a debt.
It’s good to be cautious and understand the implications for VIP, collections or customer service messages. Although SPLICE can advise you in industry best practices and your regulatory compliance, legal advice should always be obtained from your corporate or outside counsel with regards to your local and national marketing laws.
More information can be found on the individual legislation below:
CANADA
USA
And check out our related blog posts as well, for more succinct information!