Prohibited Competitive Marketing

Why This Rejection Happens

This rejection means your sample messages or campaign description indicates you are using SMS to aggressively attack competitors or solicit their customers in a way that violates carrier acceptable use policies. Carriers prohibit harassment, defamation, or using unauthorized trademarks of other companies.

• "Switch from AT&T today and save!" (Using another brand's name).
• "Don't use [Competitor], they are a scam." (Defamatory language).
• Targeting a specific competitor's customer list without their consent.

Root Cause Analysis

Primary Triggers

• Trademark Violation: Using another company's trademark in your text message without permission is a policy violation and legal risk carriers want to avoid.
• Aggressive Sales Tactics: Carriers filter out "attack ads" or messages that seem designed to poach customers aggressively, as these often lead to high spam complaints.

Step-by-Step Remediation

Remove Competitor Names

Edit your sample messages. Remove any mention of other companies. Focus solely on the value *your* brand provides.

Adjust Tone

Ensure the message tone is informational or promotional for *your* product, not disparaging of others.

Pre-Resubmission Checklist

• I have removed all third-party brand names from samples.
• My description focuses on my services, not comparing to others.

Check for Triggers

Scan for prohibited terms.

Clean Up Your Messaging

Professionalism is key to 10DLC approval.

What reviewers check for code 7008

Code 7008 is reported as "Prohibited Competitive Marketing". Messaging that markets competitors' products, impersonates other brands or promotes comparisons designed to poach another company's customers is prohibited. Reviewers flag samples naming other companies in a promotional context or claiming affiliation with brands you do not represent.

Where code 7008 comes from

Code 7008 is a campaign review reason code used to report a specific deficiency found during manual campaign vetting. CSPs surface it in the rejection notice alongside any other codes found in the same review, so check for companion codes before resubmitting. It is marked Critical: it describes content or a business model carriers do not permit, so the campaign cannot be approved until that content is removed, not just reworded.

Fix and verify before resubmitting

1. Remove references to competitor brands from promotional samples.
2. Remove claims of partnership with companies you are not affiliated with.
3. Describe your own products and services only.
4. Check that the sending brand name is your own and not a lookalike.
5. Resubmit with neutral, first-party messaging.
6. Resubmit with a note that references code 7008 (Prohibited Competitive Marketing) and lists each change made.

Sample resubmission note

Many CSPs let you add a note for the reviewer when you resubmit. A short, specific note shows what changed and speeds up the second review. Example for Brightside Dental:

Brightside Dental corrected the deficiency reported as code 7008 (Prohibited Competitive Marketing). Changes made: remove references to competitor brands from promotional samples; remove claims of partnership with companies you are not affiliated with; describe your own products and services only. All URLs, keywords and auto-replies were re-tested from an external network before this resubmission, and the campaign text now matches the live opt-in exactly.

Common mistakes that keep code 7008 coming back

• "Switch from [competitor] and save" promotional blasts.
• Using another company's trademark in the sender name.
• Implying endorsement by a carrier or major brand.

Related rejection codes

• Code 2131: Verbal Script Missing STOP Instructions
• Code 2128: Opt-in Form Missing HELP Instructions
• Code 2127: Verbal Script Missing STOP Instructions
• Code 2126: Opt-in Form Missing STOP Instructions
• Code 2124: Verbal Script Missing Frequency Disclosure
• Code 2123: Verbal Script Missing Message Type

Frequently asked questions about code 7008

Can we mention that we service other brands' products?

Factual service statements (for example, repairing several appliance brands) are usually fine; promotional attacks on competitors are not.

Does code 7008 apply to price comparisons?

Aggressive competitor comparisons in promotional texts can trigger it. Keep comparisons on your website instead.

Legal Disclaimer: Code 7008 enforces fair marketing practices. Carriers avoid liability for trademark infringement or harassment carried over their networks.

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