Mav Messaging Policy

Last updated: November 20, 2020

Mav is owned and operated by Mav Automation Ventures, Inc. For simplicity now and in the future, the plural pronouns “we”, “our”, and “us” are used in this document to refer to Mav Automation Ventures, Inc.

We all expect that the messages we want to receive will reach us, unhindered by filtering or other blockers. Towards that end, we strive to work with our customers so that messages — whether SMS, MMS, or chat — are sent with the consent of the message recipient, that those messages comply with local laws (Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 [TCPA] in the United States), and measures of fairness and decency. A summary of the TCPA rules can be found here (PDF).

Navigating the path to proper consent for messagaging can be complex. That's why we have created this Messaging Policy to help Mav customers stay compliant.

We built Mav with the goal of automating TCPA Compliance, opt-in compliance, and opt-out compliance. We pride ourselves in being one of the only automated texting solutions that goes above and beyond to provide our customers with the tools and data they need to feel confident in their compliance.

First, What Is Proper Consent?

Prior to sending the first message, you must obtain consent from the recipient of the message. Consent also requires the recipient to be made aware of the type of messages they will be receiving. You will need to keep a record of this consent, such as a copy of the document or form that the recipient signed/completed as well as the timestamp.

If you do not send a welcome message to the recipient within 30 days of receiving the consent, then you will need to re-confirm consent (see “Double Opt-in” below).

The consent applies only to your entity and to the specific use or campaign for which the recipient consented. Messages from any other companies or brands you may own or campaigns will require separate consent.

Alternative Consent Requirements: The Two Exceptions

Contact initiated by an individual.

If an individual sends the first message, you are then permitted to exchange messages with that individual. For example, if an individual texts your phone number asking for your hours of operation, you can respond directly to that individual, relaying your open hours. In such a case, the individual’s inbound message to you constitutes both consent and proof of consent. Remember that the consent is limited only to that particular conversation. Unless you obtain additional consent, you are not permitted to send other marketing or promotional messages to the individual.

Contact initiated by you to send informational messages to an individual based on having a prior relationship.

You may send an outbound message that provides information requested by the individual, or that can be reasonably expected by the individual based on your relationship. An example of such a relationship and message is a dentist reminding a patient of an appointment. In addition to appointment reminders, other examples include receipts, one-time passwords, order/shipping/reservation confirmations, drivers coordinating pick up locations with riders, and repair persons confirming service call times. The message can't attempt to promote a product, convince someone to buy something, or advocate for a social cause. The individual must have knowingly provided their phone number to you, and have taken some action to trigger the potential for communication. Actions can include a button press, setting up an alert, making an appointment, or placing an order.

Double Opt-in Consent

Double opt-in is a two-step process:

• First, the message recipient must knowingly provide consent to you or your customer prior to receiving any text message. That consent must be provided through an electronic signature or some other online sign-up form that makes clear to the individual they are agreeing to receive messages of this type.
• Second, in your first text message to that individual, you must identify yourself and prompt the individual to confirm their consent. Hence, the “double” opt-in. While this step is not required for TCPA compliance, all conversations initiated by Mav will require a double opt-in.

Mav will automatically generate a relevant and personalized double opt-in message that identifies you or your customer as the sender. Mav will also store and timestamp the recipient's opt-in. Customers can subscribe to a webhook for the double opt-in event so that the double opt-in consent can be stored in your own database to assist you in coordinating other messaging campaigns.

Recipient Opt-out

Mav automatically drafts the initial message so that the TCPA compliant messaging includes the following: “Reply STOP to unsubscribe,” or the equivalent using another standard opt-out keyword, such as STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT.

Additionally, beyond handling all required TCPA compliant opt-out keywords, Mav goes above and beyond the industry requirements for opt-outs. Mav maintains a natural language model that detects the intent of an individual wanting to opt-out. For example, "Please don't message me". Even though this doesn't include a required opt-out keyword, Mav is able to detect this is as an opt-out request and processes it accordingly.

Lastly, similar to opt-in, Mav also stores and timestamps the opt-out. Customers can also subscribe to a webhook for the opt-out event so that the opt-out can be stored in your own database and the opt-out can be propagated to any additional messaging campaigns.

Questions?

Questions about this messaging policy? Please [email protected] and we’ll be happy to answer them!