- It is unlawful to send Direct Marketing faxes to an individual, sole trader or (except in Scotland) a partnership
- Those companies not covered by the above criteria can register with the FPS to have their fax numbers removed from lists for unsolicited fax campaigns
- All numbers for fax campaigns must be screened against the FPS register within the 28 day period preceding the campaign
- Failure to screen against the FPS not only undermines the corporate image of the sender, but can result in fines of up to £5,000 for every fax sent to an FPS registered number
It is unlawful for UK companies to send Direct Marketing faxes to an individual, sole trader or, except in Scotland, a partnership without the recipient’s prior consent. Companies not covered by this criteria can register with the FPS to indicate their objection to receiving unsolicited marketing faxes.
The FPS was set-up in 1997 by the DMA (UK) as a self-regulatory system for the DM industry. Subsequent legislation made FPS screening a commercial obligation and companies must now ensure that all fax numbers for outbound broadcast have been FPS screened within the past 28 days. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to £5,000 per offence from the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Updated daily, the FPS file contains more than 1.75 million records. In addition to commercial registrations, the DMA has encouraged take-up amongst consumers, aiming to eradicate the annoyance caused by unsolicited faxes and promote a positive image of the DM industry.
