Safety Warehouse fines $ 30,000 for unsolicited text messages

A company that conducted a controversial cash sale in Auckland was fined for sending thousands of unsolicited text messages.

Greenback Ecommerce Limited, operating under the name The Safety Warehouse, was fined $ 30,000 by the Department of Home Affairs.

The department said the business was investigated after receiving complaints from the public about unsolicited trade texts.

“These messages took advantage of the second Covid-19 outbreak to sell face masks and did not provide an unsubscribe feature,” the DIA said in a statement.

“DIA executed a search warrant against The Safety Warehouse’s mobile network service provider and identified more than 4,800 unsolicited commercial SMS text messages sent on August 12, 2020.

“The text messages were sent to more than 4,700 unique mobile numbers and more than 80 recipients received multiple text messages.”

The department said it was not the first time the company faced enforcement action for unsolicited messages. It was given a formal warning earlier this year and compliance information was sent to it.

“The Security Warehouse then further violated the Law in August and a civil violation notice of NZ $ 300 was issued.”

DIA digital marketing and systems manager Lisa Wilkin-Krug said she hoped the sanction would encourage companies to comply with the law.

“It is vital to obtain the consent of the recipient before sending a commercial electronic message and to provide a functional unsubscribe function within the message. Failure to do so may allow the DIA to take enforcement action.

The Safety Warehouse is also under investigation by the Commerce Commission after it arranged a $ 100,000 promotional cash drop in Auckland.

Police referred the matter to the commission after some of the money turned out to be coupons for the company’s online store, printed to look like $ 5 bills.

Safety Warehouse Managing Director Andrew Thorn said at the time that the event had been “unfairly characterized” as a counterfeit money event, when actual funds were given away as anticipated.