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 basic problem consists, according to the Consumer Agency, in the consumer being overwhelmed during a call and thus having poor conditions for making well-considered decisions.
Miss important calls
Furthermore, it is common for misleading and pushy sales tactics to be used, according to Tisell. This applies not only to individual problematic actors, as claimed by the industry.
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, as a second option, a system that will replace the current 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 criticism of the Social Democrats' lottery business, which was revealed to have used questionable 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 reports that many have been affected by telephone sales. Not least the elderly, those with language difficulties and people with certain disabilities are affected badly."
The Left Party, which has previously driven the issue of banning telephone sales, welcomes the proposal.
"The government must take responsibility: take part in the Consumer Agency's investigation, follow its instructions and introduce a total ban on telephone sales”, writes V in a comment to TT.
