Letters: cold-callers are out of control in france

CONNEXION READERS SHARE THEIR TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE TELEMARKETING CALLS To the Editor, I have resorted to these measures through frustration of the sheer quantity of nuisance calls and have

had to accept the unfortunate potential consequence that I may miss a significantly important genuine call. Name withheld, by email Read more: Explainer: When and by whom can you be

cold-called in France? To the Editor, I was really surprised to read in your November online article on the subject that Nadia Ziane of Familles Rurales Association says ‘the existing

systems put in place to reduce and limit marketing calls - including the Bloctel list and strict rules and hours on phone calls - had “not really” changed anything.’  TIPS TO LIMIT COLD

CALLS TO YOUR HOME IN FRANCE For me, the introduction of compulsory telephone prefixes for cold-calling has changed everything. I still receive two or three such calls each day, but keep the

list of prefixes by the phone so that I can safely ignore them. Apart from occasionally getting caught out by unscrupulous companies using Belgian phone numbers, I consider this to be one

of the best actions the French government ever took. Catherine Dekker, by email Read more: France’s anti-nuisance calls service Bloctel breaks down  To the Editor, We are on the Bloctel list

to ban all cold calls, but it just does not work. We get on average six or seven calls a day during the times allowed. The way we deal with them is using an answer machine which displays

the caller ID. All our friends’ and family’s telephone numbers are entered into the memory using the name and not the number. Plus possible call numbers such as doctor, hospital and other

specialist numbers. If a call is displayed with a number then we just ignore it and it goes to the answer phone after four rings. 99% of the time the caller then breaks the call and does not

leave a message. If it is someone ringing us that has our number and it is not yet programmed into the telephone they have been told to leave an answer phone message the first time they

ring and we will call them back. No message, no call back. The list of numbers used by the marketing companies is pinned next to the telephone and is helpful. However, if the law is changed

to presumed opt out, instead of opt in, then that would probably solve the problem.  But one will then have to be very vigilant for hidden or minuscule tick boxes opting you in when buying

anything online or signing orders Malcolm Hicks, by email Read more: ‘Just speak English’: readers’ tips on tackling cold calls in France  To the Editor, Regarding cold callers, I used to

get around three or four per day, sometimes more. I became so fed up with them that I bought a set of (Panasonic) cordless phones from the UK that can block callers simply by inputting the

first 2 numbers, i.e; 03, 04, 05 etc.  You can also block callers by using the first 3 or 4 numbers, it's very flexible and really does work. The numbers still show in the caller

history, but they don't get through. Wonderful. As for my French mobile number, that's another story. Les Windeler, by email What is your experience of cold calling in France?

Share your experience at [email protected]