Door-to-door telephone marketing: a law to combat abuse

The main measures of this law are:

• The trader must present himself in a clear, precise and comprehensible manner on the telephone and must also remind the consumer of his right to register on Bloctel, the list of opposition to telephone solicitation.
• Doorstep selling is prohibited for the sale of equipment or the carrying out of works for dwellings with a view to achieving energy savings or the production of renewable energy. It remains authorized for solicitations in the context of the performance of an ongoing contract.
• Companies who engage in telephone solicitation must comply with a code of good practice and regularly refer the matter to the body responsible for managing the Bloctel opposition list or face penalties:
  
  • at least once a month if they normally engage in canvassing;
  • before any telephone solicitation campaign in other cases.

• The days and times during which commercial telephone calls may be made shall be specified by a decree to be issued.
• Any contract concluded with a consumer as a result of telephone solicitation in breach of these new provisions shall be void.
• Penalties are increased for abuse (e.g. calling Bloctel registrants) or for using a hidden number: €75,000 for natural persons and €375,000 for companies, against €3,000 and €15,000 before.