Unwanted fax spam?

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If you have a non-business fax machine, as I do, you may get unwanted spam faxes from businesses who use UTBox, which is based in Sydney. UTBox has a “fax opt-out facility” which is after the fact, i.e. you can “opt out” after you have received the unwanted fax. The press release says:

To make it easier for those marketers who wish to utilise an online fax broadcast opt-out mechanism we have introduced dontfax.me. dontfax.me is a website where receivers of un-wanted faxes can register their wish to opt-out.

This is not accurate. If you go to http://dontfax.me, you get this unhelpful screen:

Enter the URL? Isn’t this where one can opt out?

I have no idea if there was an intention to provide an opt-out form there, but the source code of the home page is bewildering. Yes, there is nothing else in the code than what you see below:

<table cellpadding=10 border=0>
<tr>
 	<td>
		<img src=/images/logo.jpg>
	</td>
	<td>
			Please enter the URL with the company name included
	</td>
	</tr>
<!--
<tr>
	<td colspan=2>
		Tired of wasting paper with your fax machine? Try an <a href="http://www.utbox.net/fax_by_email/">internet fax solution</a> so that your faxes come directly into your email.
	</td>
</tr>
!-->

</table>

So far I have received unwanted faxes from the following companies. If you want to avoid getting faxes from them, use the URL next to them to supply your fax number:

• Better Telecom – https://bettertelecom.com.au/faxstop.php
• Global Rags – Melbourne = http://dontfax.me/richmond.com ; Canberra/Fyshwick =  http://dontfax.me/globalrags
• Messages on Hold – http://www.messagesonhold.com.au/unsubscribe-fax
• Wine Growers Direct – Melbourne = http://dontfax.me/wine ;

If you know of other opt-out URLs, please add them as comments.

Contact the Advertisers

Here are some contact points for the advertisers in case you want to get in touch:

• Better Telecom = Phone 131 501
• Global Rags, Richmond VIC 3121 = Phone: 03 9528 3100. Fyshwick = Phone: 02 6248 6011. (and numerous other outlets in Australia)
• MDF Cleaning = Phone 1300 633 237 (their removal code ACYC didn’t work and the advertiser when called sounded like I wasn’t the first complainant)

  

• Messages on Hold = Fax: 08 9260 4445
• Wine Growers Direct, Port Melbourne VIC = Phone 1800 635 331
• (Nameless entity, advertising 7 Nights Bali Accommodation) = Phone 1800 851 184. In spite of using the nofax.com.au service below to opt out, they spammed me again. Tried to opt out again on 14 September 2009, but note that this form accepts any random, made-up number and tells you that the number was removed. I found their website – Bali Getaways – the domain is owned by Agora Commerce ABN 20782712830. Contact details can be fetched via the form at AusRegistry.
  

  

Other Fax Broadcasters

The following don’t appear to use UTBox:

EC Credit Control = Fax 1300 361 080

Why Do They Spam?

Simple, as with email spam, as long as enough suckers buy, it is worth the trouble. I have disconnected my fax/printer from the phone line, so it won’t get any more spam. For those of you who need to keep the fax connected, just hope that the technology will be obsolete soon. That date is overdue.