wrote in message
...
Phil wrote:
"Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)" wrote in message
...


big snip


I gather that you have mentioned the new legislation which comes into
force
on 11 December 2003 although I am puzzled how this will bolster your
case
given that it is not retrospective. Even once the new legislation is
in
force, we will continue to send email marketing to our customers
without
their explicit prior consent ('opt-in'). The new regime allows us to
send
marketing emails which relate to the same or similar products to those
purchased (i.e. in the case of Screfix Direct, our entire range) so
long
as
we offer a no-cost opportunity to 'opt-out' from receiving future
e-mailings. In any event the new legislation relates only to personal
(not
business) email addresses, and your business' email address would
therefore not be afforded the new protection.


Screwfix have an interesting interpretation of the legislation here. It
is
true that the legislation is mainly aimed at private email and that
companies won't be allowed to email individuals unless they have opted
in.
Business email addresses can be contacted as long as the email is
related to
the business that has already taken place between the two parties and a
specific opt-in is not required, but only if those businesses were given
an
opt-out option when their details were first collected and chose not to
opt
out.

More to the point how do you differentiate 'business' and 'individual'
E-Mail addresses? It suggests a total misunderstanding of E-Mail and
the internet if TPTB think there is an actual difference.

Well, I have a work email address and a private email address. When I leave
this company, I lose my work email address but keep the private email
address. Quite a clear differentiation between them in that respect -
though I agree, from Screwfix's point of view, all email addresses are
possibly business as they are customers and have a business relationship.
Also, knowing automatically which email address is private and which is
business isn't generally possible (can't assume .co.uk is just business). I
suspect there will be a new box to tick on signup forms "Is this a business
email address?".

D