Mark unsubscribe if NOT consent to marketing

[SaferCycling]

I have recently realized that the contact form I've been using for over a year has a flaw: even when contacts are asked if they consent to receive marketing email, their subscription status does not change. 

Virtually all of my contacts are listed as Unknown for Marketing Email subscription; the rest are Unsubscribed. I don't use double-opt in/email confirmation so every new contact defaults to "Not Specified" for their subscriptions.

When these contacts enter their own information in the contact form, they're presented with a check box to indicate whether they consent to receive marketing emails. However, regardless of whether they do or do not consent, their subscription status does not change. Further, when their message is sent through to me, it doesn't indicate what they chose on this box so I am unaware of those who did NOT consent to marketing email. 

This wouldn't be an issue if I didn't send marketing email, or if I used double-opt in/email verification. My lists are set up to email only those who have not unsubscribed, though, which means that those who do not consent to marketing email through my form will still receive them. This sets me up to receive a higher number of unsubscribes and potential spam flags because I'm emailing people who have said they don't want to be emailed! 

All I'm asking is that the "consent for marketing email" check box either defaults to UNsubscribed **OR** is included with the rest of the message so their status can be updated if necessary. 

Thanks,

Melissa

[franksteiner79 · Accepted solution]

Hi @SaferCycling 

What are your GDPR portal settings and what are your GDPR settings on the form(s)?

Usually consent to receive communication is always tied to either one or multiple subscription types - it is up to you to define to which subscription type.

I hope that helps.

Frank

 

[SaferCycling]

I've been through this in the Community forum: when set up properly, and linked to my marketing email subscription, the GDPR permissions do absolutely nothing to a contact's record. Nor does it inform me of which option a contact chooses for consent to marketing. 

See the attached screenshot of a new contact who filled out the form, what I received in my email (the top part) and what their record looked like (submission within Hubspot - in the middle - shows they did NOT consent, followed by their record - at the bottom - still showing unspecified): 

When I took that consent box off and added a manual field to inform me of their choice, the next contact to fill out the form was marked as subscribed, even though there is no longer a link to any subscription. (That contact did not want to subscribe, but at least I knew because of my new field so I could go change it.) 

Melissa

[franksteiner79]

Hi @SaferCycling 

Can you point me to thread in the community you are referring to here "I've been through this in the Community forum"?

Few questions for you:

1. What are your GDPR setting under setting > privacy & consent > data protection?
2. Which consent option are using on forms?
3. What type of property is the "I agree to receive marketing email from..."

I have included a short screencast of what your settings should be and how set the right options on forms. Which I hope sheds some light on the feature and setup process.

Let me know if that helps.

Frank

[SaferCycling]

The thread in question is here: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/Lead-Capture-Tools/Contact-Me-form-marketing-email-permission/m-p/7... 

In your above scribe thing on point 2, the "legal basis for emails required" is not an option I have. I can ask for consent checkbox for communication with submit as consent to process or check box to process or Legitimate Interest. When I choose either of the consent for communication checkbox options, and my marketing subscription, the form does nothing to the contact's record, regardless of whether they check the box (do want to receive) or do not check the box (do not want to receive) - their record is still left with unspecified for marketing subscription. Further, as I've already said, I do not receive a notication for what they chose on this box, so I don't know to manually unsubscribe them. 

When I switched GDPR options to legitimate interest, every contact that fills out the form is then marked subscribed to marketing email subscription. 

I'm not trying to be difficult and I am trying to work with the software, not make it conform to my desires. It's just not making things easy for me, and endangering my ability to email anyone at all! 

Melissa