The nuisance and scam calls that have plagued residents in France over recent years could be set to come to an end with the introduction of more stringent telesales rules. From August 11th, it will be illegal for companies to call consumers unless they have given their explicit consent beforehand, the call relates to an existing contract, or the aim of the call is to sell newspapers, periodicals or magazines. Bloctel – a free government service that has allowed consumers to block telemarketing calls by
registering their number – will also come to an end on August 11th to coincide with the new rules. Under the new law, the onus will no longer be on individuals to opt out of marketing calls by registering on the Bloctel platform. Instead, it will be the responsibility of companies to prove they have verifiable and documented proof that the consumer has opted in. This can be obtained in several ways, including online forms, recorded phone conversations (during a call to customer service, for
example), and via conversations with chatbots. Exceptions to the rule Calls to existing customers will still be allowed if the purpose of the call is related to their contract. This includes updates regarding orders, deliveries and service changes, upselling relevant add-ons, and loyalty offers. Other exceptions to the new rules include surveys/polls, debt collection calls, public service/official communications, and press and magazine subscription sales. Increasingly tight industry regulation Limits on when calls can be made are already in place in France, with telemarketing only permitted
Monday through Friday, from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 8pm. Unsolicited calls regarding ‘energy renovation’ (solar panels and heat pumps), disability and age-related housing adaptations, and CPF-funded training have been prohibited since 2022. Companies were also banned from calling mobile numbers starting with 06 or 07 under the same law. However, many individuals are still receiving calls of this nature on their mobile phones, at all times of the day. According to the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, the reason for this is that
the majority of the calls originate from centres in Morocco, Tunisia, Madagascar, or Albania, where French laws don’t apply. How to avoid cold calls now and in the future Until August 11th, you can still register up to eight separate phone numbers on Bloctel for free. Beyond August, you should report nuisance calls to the government’s Signal Conso service. If you haven’t given your consent, the company will be in violation of the law and it will be up to them to prove otherwise. Above
all, never give out your bank information over the phone, even if looks like it’s coming from your bank or another organisation you recognise. Call them back using the official number before continuing the conversation. READ MORE: What to do if you have fallen victim to a scam in France
France cold calls ban August 11 Bloctel Signal Conso explicit consent telesales rules