How to stop calls, texts and emails from loan companies

One online form, and suddenly your phone rings through every job, every meeting and every dinner. If you run a business, that’s not just annoying; it’s time you don’t get back. Here’s how to wind it down, step by step, using the rights you already have.

Step 1: Say it clearly on the next call

When a finance company calls, use the same short script each time:

“I withdraw my consent to be contacted. Please remove my details from your marketing lists, don’t call, text or email me again, and tell me where you got my details.”

ACMA confirms that even if you gave a company consent to call you, you can withdraw it at any time. The OAIC says any organisation covered by the Privacy Act must let you opt out of direct marketing, and you can ask how it obtained your information.

Write down the company name, the date and the caller’s name. It takes seconds and it’s useful if calls continue.

Step 2: Unsubscribe from emails and texts

For marketing emails and SMS:

• Use the unsubscribe link in the email, or
• Reply STOP to marketing texts, where that option is given.

ACMA says the unsubscribe method must be easy and low or no cost, and that businesses must generally stop sending you marketing within five business days of your request. Marketing messages must also include the sender’s contact details, which helps you identify who’s who.

Step 3: Find out where your details came from

This is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that stops the problem at its source. If several companies say they got your details from the same website, that’s the lead farm. You can then:

• contact that website and withdraw your consent,
• ask it to stop passing your details on,
• ask it who it has already shared them with.

Our page on lead farms and comparison sites explains how these sites operate, and our broker vs lead generator page helps you tell the difference next time.

Step 4: Use the Do Not Call Register, knowing its limits

The Do Not Call Register is run by ACMA. You can register home phone numbers, personal mobiles and fax numbers. After your number has been on the register for 30 days, telemarketers are restricted in when they can call you.

Two important limits:

The register does	The register doesn’t
Restrict telemarketing to registered numbers after 30 days	Physically block calls
Give you a basis to complain about unwanted telemarketing	Override consent you’ve given a specific company, until you withdraw it
Cover home and personal mobile numbers	Stop scam calls, which ignore the rules anyway

So if you ticked a consent box on a website, the register alone won’t stop that company. Withdraw consent directly (Step 1) as well.

Step 5: Block, report and move on

• Block persistent numbers on your phone.
• Filter emails from repeat senders.
• Report spam to ACMA if a business keeps messaging after you’ve unsubscribed.
• Report scams to Scamwatch if a caller asks for upfront fees or banking logins. See business loan scams.

How do I avoid this next time?

Before you press submit on any finance form:

• Read the consent wording near the button. Watch for “partners”, “panel”, “network” or “third parties”.
• Check the site names a real business and says who will contact you.
• Prefer lenders that let you enquire without a credit check and keep your details to themselves.

Our lead-farm checker makes this a one-minute job.

What if I actually still need finance?

That’s the frustrating part: the calls started because you had a genuine need, and that need hasn’t gone away. You don’t have to choose between peace and quiet and getting funded. Once the noise is under control, make one enquiry with a lender that keeps your details to itself and lets you ask questions before any credit check. If you’d like that to be us, the enquiry is here and takes about a minute. One person will call, and nobody else.

It’s also worth checking your credit report if several of the callers ran checks. Our guide to checking your credit report shows how, and too many credit enquiries explains what a cluster means.

Illustrative example: quiet by the next fortnight

Illustrative only.

A cleaning business owner is taking a dozen finance calls a day after using a comparison site. She uses the same script on every call, notes who says what, unsubscribes from every email and replies STOP to texts. Three callers mention the same website, so she emails it to withdraw consent. Within a fortnight, the calls have dwindled to almost nothing.

Ask about finance without the fallout

You can find out what’s possible for your business without your phone paying the price. Our enquiry takes about 60 seconds, there’s no credit check when you first enquire, and your details stay with our own lending team rather than going out to a pile of lenders. One real person calls, explains your options in plain English, and that’s it.

Please give us accurate details on the form, including your preferred time to be called. That way the one call you do get is useful.

Enquire, and get one call →