Messaging Policy

Effective date: August 15, 2026

Program description

TheLocalRing provides temporary Canadian phone numbers for low-volume, one-to-one conversations. Someone texts a published privacy number, the message is delivered to the renter's configured email inboxes, and an authorized email reply is relayed as SMS from that number.

Receive-first consent

A renter cannot send the first SMS. A recipient establishes consent by first texting the rented number. That inbound message permits replies related to that conversation only. It does not permit unrelated, promotional, recurring, or bulk messaging. TheLocalRing records the inbound carrier identifier, time, participants, and source country as proof of consent.

Identification and opt-out

The first reply identifies the platform with “Private reply via TheLocalRing.com. Reply STOP to end.” This identifies the privacy service without revealing the renter's personal identity. Recipients may reply STOP to block further messages, START to opt back in, or HELP for assistance. Opt-outs are enforced by the messaging provider and the application.

Frequency and charges

Message frequency varies with the recipient's conversation. Standard message and data rates may apply under the recipient's mobile plan. Consent to receive relayed SMS is not a condition of purchasing a product or service from the renter.

Prohibited messaging

TheLocalRing may suspend or terminate a renter who uses the service for:

  • First-contact, unsolicited, marketing, promotional, bulk, or automated messages;
  • Fraud, phishing, impersonation, harassment, threats, or deceptive conduct;
  • Illegal content or carrier-prohibited categories, including unlawful sex, hate, firearms, alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis content;
  • Unlicensed lending, debt collection, lead generation, or attempts to evade carrier filtering;
  • Account verification, one-time passwords, or any use that misrepresents a virtual number as a mobile number.

Rental periods and reuse

A number is assigned exclusively to one renter during the paid period and seven-day reservation period. Forwarding stops at paid expiry. After the reservation ends, the number may be reused by another customer. Prior messages, forwarding settings, recipient consent, and email-reply links do not transfer to a later rental. A new holder must receive a new inbound text before replying.

Support

For messaging or opt-out assistance, email hello@thelocalring.com.