Halfords handed fine for sending 500,000 unwanted marketing emails

6th September 2022

Halfords has called on the government to fast-track reforms to the apprenticeship levy, as it posted a mixed performance in its first-half results for 2024, with flat sales and continued cost pressures.

// Halfords hit with £30,000 fine for sending nearly 500,000 unwanted marketing emails

// Electronic marketing rules mean companies cannot send emails or messages to people unless they have consented to it

Halfords has been fined for sending nearly 500,000 unwanted marketing emails.

The bike retailer received complaints for sending out emails about a government voucher scheme that gave people £50 off repairing a bike.

Halfords aimed to promote free bike assessments therefore advertising its own services, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found. The retailer has been handed a £30,000 fine.

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The ICO found in its investigation that hundreds of thousands of unsolicited marketing emails were a breach of electronic marketing rules.

ICO head of investigations Andy Curry said: “It is against the law to send marketing emails or texts to people without their permission.

“Not only this, it is a violation of their privacy rights as well as being frustrating and downright annoying.

“Halfords are a household name and we expect companies like them to know and act better.

“This incident does not reflect well on the internal advice or processes and therefore a fine was warranted in this case.”

Curry added that the fine sended a message for organisations to review their email marketing that it would “take necessary action if they break the law”.

Electronic marketing rules mean companies cannot send emails or messages to people unless they have consented to it or they are an existing customer who has bought a product in the past.

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