Society-NightClub SMS

StrawberryJazz

Is anybody else plagued by text messages from Dublin Night Clubs?

The only way I can imagine them getting my phone number is from societies and clubs in Trinity giving them out during freshers week.
I haven't signed up to any new clubs in two years and yet I'm still harassed by these texts and its really pissing me off.:mad:

Id be fine with this if I signed up every year but they are recycling my information obviously for more funding ...

Is there anyway to unsubscribe?

gearoidof

they couldn't possibly be doing that?

It's probably illegal, what they're doing, unless they specifically told you when signing up that they'd be giving your number to night clubs.
What nightclubs are texting you, and would you know what societies you joined?

boblong

I also get these texts, from HEAT; MUZIK and XX1. I know I didn't explicitly give them my number so it surely was through a society or something. OP, did you try texting "STOP" back? Because I did and it didn't work, even though I thought that subscription services were obliged to stop sending stuff after that.

Edit: StrawberryJazz: could we possibly see what societies we have in common, to narrow it down?

blubloblu

Have you added any promoter pages on facebook, do you have your number anywhere on facebook?

boblong

blubloblu wrote: »

Have you added any promoter pages on facebook, do you have your number anywhere on facebook?

Nope.

Jammyc

Very same here. I haven't even visited the clubs that are texting me, nor have I joined em on facebook. Personally think it was Ents that recycled em.

aas

Jammyc wrote: »

Very same here. I haven't even visited the clubs that are texting me, nor have I joined em on facebook. Personally think it was Ents that recycled em.

That's a really informed opinion.

StrawberryJazz

gearoidof wrote: »

they couldn't possibly be doing that?

It's probably illegal, what they're doing, unless they specifically told you when signing up that they'd be giving your number to night clubs.
What nightclubs are texting you, and would you know what societies you joined?

Just the usual suspects; Phil, Hist, Comedy Soc and SCIfi to name just a few but I would suspect them above the smaller ones, particularly as they print membership cards with these clubs on the back.
No, I dont support any night clubs on facebook so they got my info from them.

I wouldnt mind so much for the year but theyre passing around my number to new places and Ive never given them permission. Never heard from XXIs before this week and its really getting to me.

If anything its bad press because more than ever I do not want to go to these clubs.

PurpleFistMixer

I've never gotten texts like that. I've also never joined the Phil, Hist, or ComedySoc (not sure about SciFi), for what it's worth.

boblong

I haven't joined the the Phil, the Hist, or Comedy either. But I was in SciFi last year.

Groinshot

gearoidof wrote: »

they couldn't possibly be doing that?

It's probably illegal, what they're doing, unless they specifically told you when signing up that they'd be giving your number to night clubs.
What nightclubs are texting you, and would you know what societies you joined?

I don't think it's illegal. I'm sure there's an opt out as opposed to an opt in clause... I'd bet it's TCD ents, because as far as I know they're the only ones with my mobile number...

blubloblu

Data Protection Commissioner wrote:

What are my rights?

You have a range of rights when a person or organisation takes and records your personal details. Please read this section carefully to make sure that you are aware of your rights.

1. Right to have your details used in line with data protection regulations

A data controller who holds information about you must:

get and use the information fairly;
keep it for only one or more clearly stated and lawful purposes;
use and make known this information only in ways that are in keeping with these purposes;
keep the information safe;
make sure that the information is factually correct, complete and up-to-date;
make sure that there is enough information – but not too much - and that it is relevant;
keep the information for no longer than is needed for the reason stated; and
give you a copy of your personal information when you ask for it.
[...]
10. Right to refuse direct marketing calls or mail
An organisation must also get your permission before they send marketing emails to your computer or before they send marketing text messages to your mobile phone.

Might be worth complaining to either the College or the Data Protection people, societies shouldn't be lax with members' personal information.

Jammyc

aas wrote: »

That's a really informed opinion.

Groinshot wrote: »

I'd bet it's TCD ents, because as far as I know they're the only ones with my mobile number...

What he said.

gearoidof

It would be very silly for TCD ents to give out students' mobile numbers, I can imagine a society auditor not being aware of the DP laws, but surely ents would know.

Jammyc

gearoidof wrote: »

It would be very silly for TCD ents to give out students' mobile numbers, I can imagine a society auditor not being aware of the DP laws, but surely ents would know.

I agree that of all the socs, Ents seems least likely, but I don't recall giving my mobile number to any other society, could be wrong though.

gamma23

I've joined all of those societies and ents list since first year, except the Hist, but never got these texts. Also i'd take a closer look at your contacts at UCD if those are the clubs your getting texts from.

boblong

As I mentioned earlier I'm getting these texts - but I don't think I'm in ents, unless its something you're in automatically (I thought they had something to do with the SU).

StrawberryJazz

It may depend on what year you entered college and enthusiastically signed up to too many societies. I definitely remembered giving out my contact details to them but only for them to get in touch about things relating to the society.

Again the membership sponcered cards make me suspicious.

Im not sure who in the college deals with these things? If its the SU Ents, surely theyre not going to want to do anything about it...but I do doubt its them because these texts have never been riddled with Trinity propaganda specifically

gamma23

Yeah if you get a text from ents it says "TCDents" instead of the number it was sent from, but its only ususally used for Trinity Ball and big gigs.

bythewoods

I get a RAKE of texts from nightclubs; XXIs, MUZIK, Tripod etc... Texting "stop" didn't work.

I gave my number to Ents in freshers week '09, and I'm pretty sure they're responsible for this. Typical cunts. I asked someone involved in the "Ents Crew" and he said so at least. As if I need an almost daily reminder that they're idiots.

StrawberryJazz

bythewoods wrote: »

I get a RAKE of texts from nightclubs; XXIs, MUZIK, Tripod etc... Texting "stop" didn't work.

I gave my number to Ents in freshers week '09, and I'm pretty sure they're responsible for this. Typical cunts. I asked someone involved in the "Ents Crew" and he said so at least. As if I need an almost daily reminder that they're idiots.

Presuming it is Ents who do you complain to/ask forcefully to stop?
Anybody know anybody in the inside circle that can pass on the message to stop harassing the general populous?

evercloserunion

StrawberryJazz wrote: »

Presuming it is Ents who do you complain to/ask forcefully to stop?
Anybody know anybody in the inside circle that can pass on the message to stop harassing the general populous?

I imagine that even if ents is responsible, it's the companies themselves who are sending the texts, they probably just got your number from ents. So I would get onto the nightclubs themselves. Google around, surely they have contact details on their websites.

Larianne

Never give out your number people. Or give a fake one!

gearoidof

inform the Trinity news and the University Times.

blubloblu

Would it be worth setting up a honeypot. I think some of the networks do free SIM cards. Go to Freshers' week next year and give a separate number to each society you suspect might be selling/giving away their members' info to 3rd parties.

gearoidof

it would not be.

C.D.

gearoidof wrote: »

It would be very silly for TCD ents to give out students' mobile numbers, I can imagine a society auditor not being aware of the DP laws, but surely ents would know.

Back in 2006 I was a class rep and gave my number to the SU to be informed about class/SU related topics. Fast forward to 2010 and I was being plagued by texts from TCDEnts, about 5-6 a week. Tried sending "STOP" and all the usual.

I submitted a complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, who investigated. The SU tried to pass it off as me having consented to receive it by joining the SU, I argued that 1) it was 4 years since I was in the SU and 2) Spam messages about drinks promotions did not relate to official SU activity.

The office of the data protection commissioner ruled in my favour and were prepared to fine the SU, but the SU offered to make a €100 donation to a charity of my choice to settle the matter, which I accepted.

I would strongly encourage everyone who is getting these to complain, once they start getting levied by fines they will cop on. IIRC, TCDEnts buys the text messages in bulk and pays 0.7 cent a message. There is also a distinct lack of appropriate legislation to stop this happening, I have gone through the same process with places like XXI to whom I most certainly have not given my number to.

Pet

I imagine it's a nice little kickback for an outgoing Ents/society officer to sell email and phone number lists to club promoters and the like.

Groinshot

blubloblu wrote: »

Might be worth complaining to either the College or the Data Protection people, societies shouldn't be lax with members' personal information.

It's probably in the terms and conditions that you sign up to with whoever is doing it that they're going to do it, and that you can tell them to not do it if you'd prefer.

StrawberryJazz

C.D. wrote: »

I submitted a complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, who investigated. The SU tried to pass it off as me having consented to receive it by joining the SU, I argued that 1) it was 4 years since I was in the SU and 2) Spam messages about drinks promotions did not relate to official SU activity.

The office of the data protection commissioner ruled in my favour and were prepared to fine the SU, but the SU offered to make a €100 donation to a charity of my choice to settle the matter, which I accepted.
.

Thats great advice thanks for sharing your experience.

Signing up to the SU is about as optional as breathing ...its built into the mandatory registration fee. Is it not enough to litter the lecture halls with flyers and clog our inboxes with emails about the "all-adored" night out?:mad:

I was class rep this year too and the SU seemed pretty pissed about people using the email list to promote their own nights out. There is obviously some cash in it for somebody

Im going to send a few emails...fingers crossed!

Chefburns

i've been getting these texts too i started a thread a while ago link here but i got no where since i didn't get a reply from the communications regulator

gearoidof

I'm also a class rep, and I got many unsolicited emails from nightclubs encouraging me to organise nights out there...

On the note of of flyers, I've seen Mick Birmingham (ex ents boss) strewing them around campus multiple times, so it's not quite the SU doing it, but...

StrawberryJazz

gearoidof wrote: »

I'm also a class rep, and I got many unsolicited emails from nightclubs encouraging me to organise nights out there...

On the note of of flyers, I've seen Mick Birmingham (ex ents boss) strewing them around campus multiple times, so it's not quite the SU doing it, but...

I'd love to know exactly how many people turn up to these organised nights out directly due to these bombarding tactics.

Dublin venues are quite small and options are limited. Enough said...

...perhaps the ents-blitz is actually redundant?