Full terms and conditions
1. You must be aged 16 or over to use this service. All supporters must obtain permission from the bill payer before sending a text message.
2. This service can only be used from a UK mobile and does not include Channel Islands or Isle of Man mobile networks. If you donate using this service from a UK mobile abroad you may incur
additional network charges. This service can only be used during the relevant campaign start and end date/times set out above.
3. The following mobile network operators have waived their charges in order to allow the full Donation Value to go entirely to support BFBS: 3, Virgin Media, O2, EE and Vodafone.
4. You can send a text donation between 00:01 on the campaign start date and 23:59 on the campaign closing date stated above. Please ensure you spell the keyword correctly and send your text message to the correct number.
5. If your keyword and short code are valid and your text message is received within the specified times and dates, you will be charged the Donation Value via your bill and your donation will go to BFBS. You will receive a confirmation text message shortly after making your donation – this should arrive promptly, but may take longer in the event of delays with the mobile network. Unless a cap applies (see below), each valid text you send will result in a charge of the Donation Value plus your standard network message charge, regardless of when you receive your confirmation text message(s). Any repeat texts will result in repeat donations.
6. If you are a UK taxpayer, we can claim an additional 25p in Gift Aid from the government for every £1 you donate. And it doesn’t cost you a penny! To help us claim this, we will send you a follow-up text to ask if you want to Gift Aid your donation. For us to claim Gift Aid, you must pay UK income or capital gains tax in the current tax year (this does not include VAT or council tax) at least equal to the amount reclaimed on all your charitable donations and understand that, if you pay less income tax or capital gains tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your charity donations, it is your responsibility to pay any difference. If you click the link in the text message you will be taken to a site to complete the Gift Aid declaration. Please read the details carefully before submission. You will not automatically be added to any marketing databases if we send you this follow up text.
7. If your keyword or short code is invalid, or if your message is received outside the times and dates of the service, you may not receive a confirmation text message but may still be charged your standard network message charge. If no confirmation text message is received, you will not be charged the Donation Value as you will not be donating to BFBS. However if at any point you receive confirmation text messages then you will be donating to BFBS: you will have been charged your standard network message rate and charged the Donation Value.
8. If you enter the keyword incorrectly, but your text message is sent to a correct short code, and we, acting reasonably, believe you are trying to donate, you may still be charged the Donation Value and receive confirmation text messages, in which case your donation will still be made to BFBS. Alternatively, in such circumstances or any other circumstances where your donation has failed for any reason, we may instead send you a message to let you know that your donation has failed and offer you alternative routes to donate. The message we send to you in this instance is not a confirmation message so, whilst you will be charged your standard network message charge, you will not be charged the Donation Value and will not be donating to BFBS. You will not have been added to any marketing databases if we send you this follow up text unless you have expressly requested to be.
9. You can donate a maximum total donation of £40 using the same keyword and short code from the same mobile telephone number in any one day (midnight to midnight). If you try to donate more than this using the same keyword and short code from the same mobile telephone number in one
day, you will still be charged your standard network rate, but will not be charged the Donation Value and will not be donating to BFBS.
10. If you would like to contribute a different amount to BFBS, you can donate online on our website at bfbs.com/bigsalute
11. BFBS and their sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any telephone network or line, system, server, provider or otherwise which may result in any text not being properly received.
Contact details, complaints and refunds
12. To find out more about the BFBS Big Salute, to request a refund, or if you have questions or complaints about this service, please email [email protected]
13. We aim to deal with any complaints promptly, easily and fairly. A copy of our full complaints policy is here. If you are not happy with our customer care or how we handle any enquiry or complaint, you may complain to OFCOM (who regulate text donation services) and we will be happy to provide you with their contact details upon request.
14. For the purposes of providing Premium Rate Services, BFBS is the Merchant.
15. You can request a refund by contacting our Supporter Care Team using the details above. We may investigate claims to validate the basis of your request. If the request is valid, we will reimburse the Donation Value and may, at our discretion, reimburse the access charge if one has been levied. Refunds will be made back to your mobile phone bill or as credit on your account. If this is not possible, or would prefer to be refunded in a different way, we can refund by BACS transfer and will contact you to arrange this.
16. If you are a parent/guardian and wish to block access to text donation services from your child’s mobile phone, you can contact their relevant mobile network operator directly who will explain how this can be done.
17. The text donation service is provided by Spoke (Interactive) Limited. Email: [email protected] Tel: 0333 202 3390 (Monday to Friday 9:00 – 17:30).
18. BFBS is a registered charity, number 233480 (England and Wales)
19. BFBS reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time without notice. We will post our updated terms and conditions on this website so please check regularly for any revisions. The applicable law is that of England and Wales.
Privacy Notice
Your mobile number and donation amount will only be used for our legitimate interests (and this is our lawful basis) of allowing us to process your donation, provide receipts, process any refunds as necessary, manage failed donations as necessary, process Gift Aid claims and in order to help analyse our income. Any additional information provided as part of the Gift Aid declaration (first name or initial, surname, address and postcode) will be used for our legitimate interests (and this is our lawful
basis) of claiming Gift Aid, maintaining our records and your donation history, providing supporter care, for internal analysis and if you opt in, for us sending you further BFBS marketing information.
If you choose to Gift Aid your donation, in accordance with HMRC guidance, your personal information will be retained for up to 7 years. If you do not Gift Aid your donation your personal information will be retained for 2 years. Your information may be shared with HMRC, our auditors or authorised third parties who carry out analysis for us.
Text donation services are regulated by OFCOM. In order for us to comply with the OFCOM PRS Order, your personal data and records (including any records of consents and opt-ins and any potential vulnerabilities) will be retained in accordance with the OFCOM data retention requirements and may be shared by us and our providers with OFCOM. Our lawful basis for this processing is that it is necessary for compliance with alegal obligation. For further information including how to contact us please see our Privacy Policy.