From March 2023, cold calling will be prohibited on weekends and public holidays

From March 2023, cold calling will be prohibited on weekends, public holidays and outside office hours. The purpose of these new rules is to better regulate this practice so as to no longer disturb consumers.

A large majority of French people have already had to do with cold calling, when companies call us by phone to sell us their products. This legal practice bothers many people, especially when canvassers call on days off or after a long day at work.

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To disturb consumers as little as possible, a decree has been introduced to regulate this practice. Thus, from March 2023, direct sellers will have to comply with several rules or risk receiving a fine.

Telephone canvassing prohibited on weekends

Starting next March, direct sellers telephone will no longer be able to call on weekends, holidays and outside office hours. New schedules will therefore have to be respected by the canvassers.

“Consumer canvassing by telephone is authorized from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is, however, prohibited on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. , can we read in a decree published in the Official Journal.

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This new rule will apply to all marketers. Only one exception will be allowed if the consumer has given his consent to be called. In this case, the marketer will have to justify the consumer's agreement. In addition to this, a canvasser will no longer have the right to call the same person more than 4 times a month.

'With this text, call centers will no longer be able to try to call you constantly: the number of attempts to get you on the phone will be reduced to four calls' , we said to the office of Olivia Grégoire, Minister in charge of SMEs and Trade.

Fines against cold calling

If the consumer refuses canvassing during his telephone conversation, the canvasser must wait 60 days before being able to contact him again. To comply with all these new rules, canvassing companies will have to reorganize the schedules of their employees, which is why the application of the decree is scheduled for March 2023.

If direct sellers do not respect these new rules, they expose themselves to a fine 75,000 euros for a natural person and 375,000 euros for a legal person.