The Consumer Agency presents the proposed ban in the report: "Telephone sales - an unwanted, inappropriate and deeply problematic business method". The proposal comes after an assignment from the government to strengthen consumer protection.
Telephone sales have been, I would say, the biggest consumer problem for many years, says Cecilia Tisell, consumer ombudsman and director-general.
The fundamental problem consists, according to the Consumer Agency, in the consumer being overwhelmed during a call and thus having poor conditions to make well-considered decisions.
Miss important calls
Moreover, it is common for misleading and pushy sales tactics to be used, according to Tisell. This applies not only to individual problematic actors, as stated by the industry in the Consumer Agency's report.
Large, established companies are behind a very large number of complaints to the authority, says Cecilia Tisell.
If the business method is not prohibited, the authority proposes in the second instance a system that will replace today's Nix register, where you can register to not be called by salespeople. Instead, sales calls should only be allowed to consumers who have clarified that they want to be called.
According to the Consumer Agency, six out of ten people do not answer the phone from unknown numbers to avoid salespeople. And it has consequences in the form of many missing important calls from, for example, healthcare and the police, according to the report.
"Many have been affected"
The government gave the Consumer Agency the assignment in May with the aim of stopping misleading and aggressive telephone sales. This, among other things, after the criticism of the Social Democrats' lottery business, which was revealed with ugly telephone sales methods.
Civil Minister Erik Slottner (KD) says in a press release that he will now go through the report's proposals and that he is not closing any doors.
"I react strongly to information that many have been affected by telephone sales. Not least the elderly, those with language difficulties and people with certain disabilities are badly affected".
