Rogers Sees Complaints About ‘GeoTxt’ Ad Messages Being Opt-In by Default

Rogers wireless customers are complaining about the company’s “GeoTxt” ad service (formerly Rogers Alerts), which sends coupon offers when a user is within a particular location of an advertiser.

According to Rogers, the GeoTxt service “sends you FREE text messages with great offers from some of Canada’s best brands,” at up to five text messages per week.

The text messages are based on your cell phone’s location when connected to Rogers and according to the company, is an opt-in service, the moment you sign a wireless agreement.

Lately, some offers being sent out have rubbed Rogers customers the wrong way, and naturally, they took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.

Ryan Cash, the founder of Built by Snowman, was pretty clear about how he felt yesterday:

Fuck off @rogers pic.twitter.com/gEih6p81t6

— Ryan Cash (@ryanacash) October 28, 2018

This was the ad in question Cash received, as he appeared to be in the vicinity of a LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) location:

There are other examples of customers questioning the service, as the texts come across looking like spam:

Hey @RogersHelps – are these legit texts from you or spam? URL in second message strongly suggests spam. pic.twitter.com/ztoUz1dJuk

— HeyVancouver (@HeyVancouver) September 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/GregBobolo/status/1042799611696443392

The Rogers social media team explained to customers, “You gave authorization for Rogers to provide the Rogers GeoTxt service when you signed and accepted the terms of the Wireless Service Agreement / the Account Maintenance Agreement. Your phone number will never be made public or sold to others.”

https://twitter.com/kdbuck/status/1056005383607640064

https://twitter.com/only_living_boy/status/1055128421821407233

Have you received any Rogers GeoTxt messages lately? Should the service be opt-in by default as per the Rogers wireless service agreement?