Cold callers will get no business from me

The French government is on record as being against excessive cold calls – hence Bloctel, which does help.

But ... I received four cold calls by 12.25 one day recently.

They were all connected with the government scheme offering loft insulation for €1.

This is more than the usual number – the norm is two or three a day about that scheme.

As a Bloctel subscriber, I don’t want any cold calls, and will not do business with anyone making them.

But this is a government scheme. What – if anything – can be done about it?

Doug Revell, Tarn et Garonne

Editor’s note: These cold callers are not government workers. There is a state scheme enabling people to obtain insulation, sometimes at very low cost, dependent on income, and some firms are presenting themselves as linked to it in an official capacity, but this is not correct.

There have been several reports of scams, sometimes resulting in botched work. Firms that are genuinely part of the scheme have RGE accreditation and can be found at faire.fr under Trouver un professionnel.

As for Bloctel, you may be receiving more calls as you have not re-registered. The free-to-use government-backed service has been available since 2016 but is restricted to three years. It means that if you were among the first to sign up, you must re-register now.

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France