How text-message consent works for Bedside: what we send, who receives it, how people agree to receive it, and how to stop.
Bedside is an iPhone app for hospice and end-of-life vigils. Its only use of SMS is to deliver time-sensitive personal notifications, that an account holder (a Sender) has triggered the alert for their loved one's vigil, and the optional brief status updates they choose to send during the vigil, to the specific personal contacts they have added to their circle (family, close friends, clergy).
This is not a marketing or promotional program. We do not send advertising, recurring campaigns, newsletters, or any SMS the account holder did not trigger. Messages are sent only around an individual vigil event, at the account holder's direction.
Consent is collected inside the app, before any text is sent, through the following workflow:
Because Receivers are personal contacts of the account holder rather than the paying user, this two-sided design, the account holder's explicit permission confirmation plus an identifying first message with immediate opt-out, is how a Receiver consents to the program.
The permission confirmed in step 2 is obtained verbally: before adding anyone, the account holder asks that person directly, in person or by phone, for permission to text them through Bedside, using a script like this:
Only after the person agrees does the account holder enter their number and check the in-app confirmation shown in step 2. If the person declines, their number is never added and no message is ever sent to it.
Each Receiver's permission is logged individually at the moment the account holder checks the in-app confirmation, recording that specific contact's consent together with a timestamp, and is retained for the life of the circle. A Receiver can withdraw consent at any time by replying STOP to any message, by emailing us at the address below, or by asking the account holder to remove them from the circle.
| Keyword | What happens |
|---|---|
| STOP | Unsubscribes the number from all Bedside texts. We send one confirmation reply and then no further messages to that number. |
| START (or UNSTOP) | Re-subscribes a number that previously opted out. |
| HELP | Returns the program name and our contact email so the Receiver can reach a human. |
STOP, START, and HELP are honored at the carrier level for U.S. and Canadian numbers in accordance with carrier rules. A Receiver can also be removed at any time by emailing us at the address below, or by asking the account holder to remove them from the circle.
Message frequency is not recurring and varies by event: typically a small burst of messages around a single vigil event, and none at other times. Bedside does not charge for text messages, but your mobile carrier's standard message and data rates may apply.
Receiver mobile numbers are used solely to deliver the notifications described above. We do not sell mobile numbers, and we do not share them with third parties for marketing. The only third party that receives a Receiver's number is our SMS delivery provider (Twilio), which transmits the message on our behalf. No mobile information is shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy.
Chemmo Holdings, LLC
Bedside
Email: admin@chemmoholdings.com