Standard Bank is Flouting ECTA!

Standard Bank keeps sending me promotional emails that include an “Unsubscribe” facility THAT DOES NOT WORK! The spam emails come from “information(at)standardbank(dot)co(dot)za” and include an instruction at the bottom that says to send an email to “Unsubscribe(at)standardbank(dot)co(dot)za” to unsubscribe. I have done so three times already but the spam keeps on coming regardless.

Please note that these spam emails constitute “unsolicited commercial communication” in terms of Section 45 of SA’s Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).

Please note further that Standard Bank’s messages do not comply with Section 45(1)(a), which requires that Standard Bank provides the consumer with an option to cancel their subscription to the relevant mailing list. Since the method provided does not work, Standard Bank is therefore committing an offence in terms of Section 45(3), and liable upon conviction to penalties, as set out in Section 89(1).

I trust the above is sufficiently clear: Standard Bank is breaking the law, and could face sanctions as a result. Please note that I have no wish whatsoever to enter into any correspondence with Standard Bank concerning this issue. The contact number I have provided here is therefore fictitious. All Standard Bank has to do is to include a properly functioning “Unsubscribe” mechanism in the body of its communications so that these comply with legal requirements as per ECTA.