Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: January 21, 2025

Introduction

This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") governs your use of Sendivent's multi-channel notification service. Deliverability and service quality are a team effort—when one user sends spam, phishing attempts, or low-quality content, it damages the reputation of our entire platform and affects all our users' ability to reach their legitimate audiences.

By using Sendivent, you agree to comply with this Policy. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate this Policy without prior notice and without refund. Repeated or egregious violations may result in permanent account termination.

This Policy applies to all notifications sent through our Service, including Email, SMS, and Slack messages.

Sending Requirements

To maintain high deliverability and service quality, all users must maintain appropriate sending statistics:

Email Sending Standards

  • Complaint Rate: Must remain below 0.1% (1 complaint per 1,000 emails). Exceeding this threshold may result in immediate account suspension.
  • Bounce Rate: Hard bounce rate must remain below 5%. High bounce rates indicate poor list quality and will result in sending restrictions.
  • Spam Trap Hits: Sending to spam traps or honeypot addresses will result in immediate investigation and potential suspension.

SMS Sending Standards

  • Must comply with TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) regulations
  • Require explicit opt-in consent before sending SMS messages
  • Maintain opt-out mechanisms in every SMS message
  • Respect carrier guidelines and rate limits

Slack Sending Standards

  • Must have proper workspace permissions and user consent
  • Respect notification preferences and quiet hours
  • Avoid excessive or disruptive messaging patterns

Prohibited Purposes

You may NOT use Sendivent for any of the following purposes:

1. Spamming

Sending unsolicited bulk messages, mass communications without proper consent, or messages to purchased or rented lists. This includes:

  • Unsolicited commercial emails (UCE)
  • Bulk messaging to recipients who have not opted in
  • Sending to email addresses harvested from websites or social media
  • Re-engaging recipients who have previously unsubscribed
  • Cold outreach without legitimate business relationship

2. Phishing and Deceptive Practices

Impersonating any person or entity, misrepresenting your affiliation, or using deceptive subject lines or sender information. This includes:

  • Spoofing legitimate brands or organizations
  • Fraudulent financial schemes or scams
  • Misleading subject lines or message content
  • Social engineering attacks
  • Credential harvesting or account takeover attempts

3. Illegal Activities

Using the Service for any purpose that violates applicable local, state, national, or international law, including:

  • Promoting illegal goods or services
  • Facilitating illegal transactions
  • Money laundering or financial fraud
  • Violating export control laws
  • Infringing intellectual property rights

4. Low Quality Sending

Sending messages with poor targeting, outdated lists, or inadequate list hygiene practices:

  • High bounce rates indicating poor list quality
  • Sending to inactive or non-existent addresses
  • Failing to remove bounced addresses
  • Not honoring unsubscribe requests promptly
  • Excessive sending frequency without recipient consent

5. Malicious Content

Distributing malware, viruses, or other harmful software:

  • Malicious attachments or links
  • Ransomware or spyware distribution
  • Trojans, worms, or other malware
  • Exploit code or vulnerability scanners
  • Cryptojacking or unauthorized resource usage

6. Harassment and Abuse

Sending threatening, abusive, or harassing content:

  • Threats of violence or harm
  • Hate speech or discriminatory content
  • Harassment, stalking, or intimidation
  • Doxing or sharing private information without consent
  • Revenge communications or extortion

7. Service Interference

Activities that interfere with or disrupt the Service or harm other users:

  • Attempting to bypass rate limits or quotas
  • Denial of service attacks
  • Excessive API requests or resource consumption
  • Attempting to reverse engineer the Service
  • Unauthorized access attempts or security testing without permission

Prohibited Content Types

You may NOT use Sendivent to send notifications related to the following content types:

  • Illegal Goods or Services: Controlled substances, illegal drugs, counterfeit products, or prohibited weapons
  • Pharmaceuticals: Prescription drugs, unapproved pharmaceutical products, or medical devices without proper licensing
  • Adult Content: Pornography, sexually explicit material, or adult services
  • Gambling: Online gambling, casinos, sports betting (unless properly licensed and compliant with applicable laws)
  • Financial Scams: Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, get-rich-quick schemes, or investment fraud
  • Cryptocurrency Scams: ICO scams, pump-and-dump schemes, or fraudulent crypto investment opportunities
  • Multi-Level Marketing (MLM): Aggressive MLM recruitment or deceptive income opportunity claims
  • Payday Loans: High-interest short-term loans or predatory lending services
  • Tobacco Products: Cigarettes, vaping products, or tobacco sales
  • Weapons: Firearms, ammunition, explosives, or dangerous weapons
  • Hate Speech: Content promoting violence or discrimination against protected groups
  • Defamatory Content: False statements intended to damage reputation
  • Copyright Infringement: Pirated software, movies, music, or other copyrighted material

This list is not exhaustive. We reserve the right to determine what constitutes prohibited content at our sole discretion.

Consent and Opt-Out Requirements

All users must obtain and maintain proper consent for communications:

Consent Requirements

  • Explicit Opt-In: Recipients must explicitly consent to receive communications from you. Pre-checked boxes, purchased lists, or assumed consent are NOT acceptable.
  • Clear Disclosure: When collecting consent, clearly state what types of communications recipients will receive and how frequently.
  • Documentation: Maintain records of how and when consent was obtained for all recipients.
  • SMS Compliance: For SMS, you must obtain written consent and provide clear terms and conditions.

Opt-Out Mechanisms

  • Every Email: Include a clear, functional unsubscribe link in every marketing or promotional email.
  • Every SMS: Include opt-out instructions (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe") in every SMS message.
  • Easy Process: Unsubscribe mechanisms must be simple, free, and not require login or additional steps.
  • Timely Processing: Process unsubscribe requests within 48 hours and honor them within 10 business days (7 days for SMS).
  • No Confirmation Required: Don't require recipients to confirm their unsubscribe request.
  • Suppression List: Maintain a suppression list of unsubscribed recipients and never re-engage them.

CAN-SPAM Compliance (Email)

  • Don't use false or misleading header information
  • Don't use deceptive subject lines
  • Identify the message as an advertisement (if applicable)
  • Include your valid physical postal address
  • Include a clear opt-out method and honor requests promptly

Multi-Channel Specific Requirements

Email

  • Use authenticated sending domains (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  • Use a recognizable "From" name and address
  • Include your physical mailing address in footer
  • Test emails before sending to large lists
  • Monitor deliverability metrics and feedback loops

SMS

  • Obtain explicit written consent before sending
  • Include your business name in the first message
  • Honor STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT keywords
  • Respect quiet hours (typically 8 AM - 9 PM recipient's local time)
  • Comply with TCPA, CTIA guidelines, and carrier requirements
  • Register with carrier registries if required (e.g., 10DLC, short codes)

Slack

  • Only send to workspaces where your integration is properly authorized
  • Respect user notification preferences and DND settings
  • Use appropriate message formatting and avoid excessive mentions
  • Provide value and context in notifications
  • Don't spam channels or users with excessive messages

Account Abuse Prevention

You may NOT:

  • Create multiple accounts to circumvent sending limits, quotas, or suspensions
  • Share API keys or account credentials with unauthorized parties
  • Use the Service on behalf of third parties without proper authorization
  • Resell or redistribute the Service without our explicit written permission
  • Attempt to manipulate or game our pricing or billing systems

Monitoring and Enforcement

We reserve the right to:

  • Monitor account activity and sending patterns for compliance with this Policy
  • Review notification content to investigate potential violations
  • Suspend or terminate accounts immediately for violations without prior warning
  • Limit sending capabilities or impose additional restrictions as necessary
  • Report illegal activity to law enforcement authorities
  • Cooperate with third-party investigations of abuse complaints

Consequences of Violations

Violations of this Policy may result in:

  • Warning: First-time minor violations may receive a warning and opportunity to correct the issue
  • Temporary Suspension: Account access may be suspended pending investigation
  • Sending Restrictions: Rate limits or channel restrictions may be imposed
  • Account Termination: Serious or repeated violations result in permanent account termination
  • No Refunds: Violations resulting in suspension or termination are not eligible for refunds
  • Legal Action: We reserve the right to pursue legal remedies for damages caused by violations

We determine violations and appropriate consequences at our sole discretion. Decisions are final unless otherwise stated.

Reporting Violations

If you believe someone is violating this Policy or you have received spam or abusive content sent through Sendivent, please report it to us immediately. Include:

  • Details of the violation (what happened, when, how)
  • Copies of the offending content (emails, SMS, screenshots)
  • Any identifying information (sender addresses, API traces, timestamps)
  • Your contact information for follow-up

We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly. While we cannot always provide details about enforcement actions due to privacy, we will acknowledge your report and take appropriate action.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or industry standards. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Policy on our website and updating the "Last updated" date.

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or need clarification on what is permitted, please contact us through our support channels before proceeding.