Unsubscribing from an annoying spam fax sender can be a frustrating and time-consuming process, but it is important to take the necessary steps to protect your privacy and stop unwanted faxes. If you do it the wrong way, you’ll just get more faxes and more disturbances.
How to Unsubsribe a Fax Number
Before we dive into the steps to unsubscribe, it is important to understand why calling or faxing back to the spam number will only result in more spam faxes.
Spam fax services often use automated systems to send out unsolicited faxes. It costs spammers pennies to bother you with faxes and there are little to no consequences. When you call or fax back to the number, you are confirming to the system that your fax number is active and can receive faxes. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the number of spam faxes you receive. It is not uncommon for people to start receiving several spam faxes a day after responding to a single spam fax.
The best way to combat spam faxes is to sign up for Thatch. You can block numbers so that they can never contact you again. They never know anything about it, and you never have to worry about it. The benefit of this is that you are not added to an active number list so you will get less unwanted faxes over time.
Steps to Unsubscribe a Fax Number
Gather information from your Fax Provider
Before you start the process of unsubscribing, make sure you have all the information you need. This includes the number of the fax machine that received the spam fax and the date and time the fax was received.
Identify the Fax Sender
Look at the header information of the fax to identify the sender. A fax cover sheet is included with every fax you receive. More info on fax cover sheets are here, so you can identify them in your transmission. This information should include the name and address of the company or individual who sent the fax.
Search online
Search the Internet for the company or individual who sent the fax. Look for their website, customer service number, or contact information. If you cannot find any information online, try searching for a phone number in an online directory.
Contact the sender
Sometimes you will get lucky and a company will hire a third party marketer to do “outbound outreach” as they call it. If you do see a real company, you can help let them know and they may care about it if they have reviews and ratings online. If not just go to step 5
File a complaint with the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has strict regulations regarding unsolicited faxes. You can file a complaint with the FCC online or by phone. In your complaint, provide all the information you have gathered, including the name and address of the sender and the date and time of the fax.
Block the Fax Sender
If you continue to receive spam faxes after filing a complaint with the FCC, you can block the sender’s fax number. Most fax machines have the option to block numbers, so consult your machine’s manual or contact the manufacturer for instructions. Sometimes your phone number provider can block these faxes. This is all more time consuming then clicking a button on Thatch, but it is all possible.
For Physical Fax Machines Consider Investing in a Fax Blocking Device
If you receive a high volume of spam faxes, you may want to consider investing in a fax blocking device. These devices can be programmed to block specific numbers or entire area codes, and they can also prevent unwanted faxes from being printed.
Unsubscribing from a spam fax service takes patience and persistence.
It is important to remember that calling or faxing back to the spam number will only result in more spam faxes, don’t do it. It’s best to follow the steps outlined above to protect your privacy and stop unwanted faxes. If you continue to receive spam faxes after taking these steps, consider just switching to Thatch. If you have never used an online fax service before, here is how an eFax works. Its the easiest way to stop this problem, you can send/ receive faxes through your email, and can block numbers in your account.
