Text messages are the fastest way to reach your customers — and the most regulated. Before you text, email or call customers through MyGaragio, make sure you follow these rules. They are part of our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy. This page is a summary, not legal advice; when in doubt, ask your lawyer.
1. Service messages and marketing messages
Service (transactional) messages are about a customer’s own visit or vehicle: an appointment confirmation or reminder, “your estimate is ready”, “your car is ready”, a payment receipt, a safety recall. Marketing messages promote something: a seasonal special, a campaign, a “we miss you” offer, most service reminders sent to people who did not ask for them. The rules for marketing are much stricter.
2. Canada — CASL
- Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) requires consent for commercial electronic messages (texts and emails). Express consent is best: a checkbox (not pre-checked) or a clear “yes” recorded with the date and how it was given.
- Implied consent exists for a limited time: generally 2 years after a customer’s last purchase from you, and 6 months after an inquiry. When it runs out, stop marketing messages unless you obtained express consent.
- Every commercial message must identify your shop, give a way to reach you, and offer a working unsubscribe (STOP for texts, a link for email), honoured within 10 business days.
- Messages that only deliver a requested estimate, confirm a transaction, give warranty, recall or safety information, or update a customer on an ongoing service are largely exempt from the consent requirement, but must still identify your shop.
- Penalties for businesses can reach $10 million per violation.
3. United States — TCPA
- Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, marketing texts need prior express written consent (a signed or electronic agreement that names your shop and the number, and makes clear the messages are marketing). Informational texts need prior express consent — for example, the customer gave you their mobile number for updates about their repair.
- Respect quiet hours: no texts before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the customer’s time zone (some states are stricter).
- Honour opt-outs made by any reasonable means (not only the word STOP) within 10 business days, as the FCC requires.
- Several states have their own “mini-TCPA” laws (for example Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland) with stricter consent, time and frequency rules.
4. United States — registering your number (A2P 10DLC)
US mobile carriers block business texts sent from regular 10-digit numbers that are not registered. If your shop texts US customers from a Twilio number, register your brand and campaign in your Twilio account (A2P 10DLC) before you start — typically the “Customer Care” or “Mixed” use case. You will be asked for:
- your business details (legal name, tax ID, address, website);
- a description of the messages you send and sample messages;
- how customers opt in (your booking form, the counter, the check-in kiosk) and the consent wording;
- links to your privacy policy and terms.
Toll-free numbers need Twilio’s toll-free verification instead. Texts sent from your own phone through an SMS gateway app follow your carrier’s rules and the laws above.
Sample consent wording
“I agree to receive text messages from [Shop name] about my appointments and repairs. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.” — and, separately and unchecked: “Send me service reminders and offers by text.”
5. Email — CAN-SPAM and CASL
Marketing emails must have truthful sender and subject lines, include your shop’s postal address, and offer an unsubscribe link honoured within 10 business days. In Canada, CASL’s consent rules (section 2) apply to email too.
6. Calls, recordings and automated answering
If you record calls, keep voicemails or transcripts, or let the AI voice receptionist answer, tell callers — for example in your greeting: “This call may be answered by an automated assistant and may be recorded and transcribed.” In Canada, privacy law requires notice; in US states with all-party consent (such as California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington) every party must agree to a recording.
7. What MyGaragio does for you — and what remains your job
Automatically
- Replies of STOP or ARRÊT opt a customer out of texts, and START or DÉMARRER opts them back in; opted-out customers are not texted by campaigns, reminders or automations.
- Automated messages (reminders, follow-ups, review requests) go out only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your shop’s time zone.
- Each customer has a marketing preference, respected by campaigns and automated marketing.
- Every message, its time and its delivery status are logged in the customer’s conversation.
Your responsibility
- Collecting and recording consent, and knowing which customers gave it and how.
- Registering your number (A2P 10DLC or toll-free verification) when you text US customers.
- The content of your messages and templates, including identifying your shop.
- Your shop’s own privacy notice and messaging terms for customers.
Questions or a complaint about messages from a shop that uses MyGaragio: abuse@mygaragio.com.