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Unwanted cold-calling in France: recipients advised to avoid declining calls
Readers say nuisance calls have continued despite new consent rules
Published
France’s new rules that came into force on August 11 generally require businesses to get prior consent before making commercial calls, but readers report that they continue to receive them.
Until August 11, consumers could register their numbers with Bloctel to opt out of most unsolicited marketing calls.
The system has now been replaced by an opt-in system. Additionally, even when a business has obtained prior consent, it can only contact consumers from Monday to Friday, between 10:00 and 13:00 and 14:00 and 20:00, and cannot call the same person more than four times a month.
“I was so pleased when the ruling came in on August 11th that finally I might see an end to these incredibly annoying calls,” one reader told The Connexion.
“I had up to that date been paying Orange €7 a month to stop them ringing (on average 6 a day).”
However, the reader said that the calls had continued despite the new rules.
According to readers’ accounts, calls are usually from numbers beginning with 01 62, 02 70, 03 77, 04 24 and 05 68, as well as calls with no caller ID.
“As the numbers at the end are always different there is no blocking them. They have continued as before,” the reader added.
Should you answer or reject an unwanted call?
When receiving an unwanted call, our instinct is often to decline it, but this may not always be the best solution.
Actively declining a call may indicate to the calling system that the number is active. Instead of answering or declining the call, it is advised to let the phone ring.
It is also important to never provide personal or banking information during an unsolicited call.
People can also report suspected illegal commercial calls through SignalConso and keep details such as the number used, date, time and nature of the call.
Why do unwanted calls continue?
One possible explanation for why cold-calling continues is that foreign-based operators, including those outside the European Union, can be more difficult to identify and stop. They may use foreign numbers, fake caller IDs or technologies that hide their location.
The new rules apply to companies targeting people in France, including those based abroad, but enforcement can be more difficult when the caller is outside French jurisdiction.
The Connexion is continuing to investigate other reasons why unwanted calls are still reaching consumers after the August 11 reform and will update readers with further information.
