AXIS Diplomat 2006 Modules

Telephone Preference Service (TPS) & Fax Preference Service (FPS)

Validation Back to AXIS Diplomat 2006 Modules Many companies remain unaware of their responsibilities with regards to complying with the requirements of the Telephone Preference Service and Fax Preference Service. Information can be found on the website of the Information Commissioner, www.ico.gov.uk, but fundamentally you cannot make telemarketing phone calls, or send unsolicited faxes, to any business or individual that has either notified you that they do not wish to receive them from you, or has registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or Fax Preference Service (FPS).

The major change here occurred back in June 2006 when companies as well as individuals became eligible to register with the TPS and/or FPS services. Once someone has registered with either the TPS or FPS service, you have a 28 day period of grace, after which you must not use that number for telemarketing.

The Corporate FPS web site contains a particularly easy-to-understand guide on the requirements of fax marketing, at http://corporate.mpsonline.org.uk/fpsC/html/FAQ.asp.

Please remember that before you make an unsolicited telesales call, or send an unsolicited fax, it is your responsibility to check that the recipient is not registered with the TPS or FPS service respectively. Failure to do so is an offence which carries a fine of up to £5,000.

At the last check, there were over fourteen million numbers registered with either the TPS or FPS service - that means that if you are involved in telemarketing, the odds are that you will incur a complaint sooner rather than later if you are not checking against the TPS and FPS databases.

Fortunately, AXIS Diplomat can simplify this task with the TPS/FPS Online Validation option.

Using this module, telephone and fax numbers are shown with a traffic light next to them; red indicates that the number has been checked and cannot be used (i.e. that number is registered); a green light indicates that the number has been checked within the last 28 days and is clear to send. Amber indicates that the number has not been checked.

When a number has not been checked you can simply click on the "TPS" or "FPS" button next to the traffic light and your AXIS Diplomat software will contact the online TPS/FPS database and determine whether or not the number is listed.

Access to the TPS/FPS database is charged on a cost per query basis. You simply purchase credit in advance, much like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone; the AXIS Diplomat system will also tell you how much credit you have remaining:

For those who also use the Campaign Management module, it is also possible to bulk-check all telephone or fax numbers for everyone in a campaign that has not been checked in the last 28 days.

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