Trust Fabric has rolled out a service called Trust Fabric Connect, a platform that lets individuals opt-out of direct marketing.
The company says the service also makes it easy for businesses to comply with legislation protecting customer rights.
“We've had just over 100 users sign up in the first week,” says Joe Botha, CEO of Trust Fabric.
The Consumer Protection Act, which came into effect on 1 April, stipulates that consumers are entitled to refuse direct marketing.
However, Trust Fabric says irresponsible direct marketing is a huge problem, especially SMS marketing where an opt-out reply costs money.
It explains that individuals create a TrustFabric Connect account, then enter an e-mail address and mobile phone number.
“TrustFabric verifies these details and lets users configure their communication preferences. Businesses create a TrustFabric Connect account and upload encrypted versions of e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers from their existing customer database.”
When a match is found on an e-mail address or phone number, it adds, TrustFabric Connect prompts individuals to confirm a business relationship and enable sharing of up-to-date contact information.
“This builds a fine-grained fabric of business relationships. Businesses query the TrustFabric Connect service to see which customers have confirmed a business relationship and given permission to be contacted.”
According to Trust Fabric, users get a list of their active business relationships and a dashboard to manage their business communication. “They can conveniently update their details in one place and linked businesses will receive their new details.
“Businesses get a verified up-to-date opt-in list. TrustFabric acts as an independent third-party, never sharing contact details unless a business relationship has been confirmed.”
It says the service costs under R5 per customer per year and is free for individuals, small businesses and educational institutions.
“We have set a target of 150 000 users for the next year. That might be a bit optimistic, but I suspect we are providing a solution to a very real problem. Something which has been overlooked for far too long,” says Botha.
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