The Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) has started strict checks on telephone sales by telecom and energy companies. The supervisor received many complaints about unwanted sales calls and wants to put an end to “one of the biggest annoyances of consumers”.
If a company wants to call you for telephone sales, you must have given permission in advance. The company must also be able to demonstrate this. But several companies did not adhere to those rules. That is why the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) is tightening controls on telemarketing.
The watchdog has given companies until July 1 to ensure that they comply with the rules. Now the ACM will check whether companies actually do that.
“For too long, telemarketing has been one of the biggest annoyances of consumers,” says Edwin van Houten, Director of Consumers at ACM. “Unwanted sales calls are the problem about which we receive the most reports. Our approach is aimed at putting an end to this annoyance.”
The checks focus primarily on telemarketing by telecom and energy companies. The supervisor saw that the telemarketing rules were most often violated in these sectors. But the rules of course also apply to companies in other sectors that use telephone recruitment, the ACM emphasizes.
Supervisor threatens with fines and penalty payments
Companies must be able to demonstrate that they have taken sufficient steps to comply with the applicable telemarketing rules. Companies that have not done so run the risk of enforcement by the ACM. If necessary, the ACM can enforce this by imposing fines or penalty payments.