Telecom advisers critical after law change: "Becoming easier to fool vulnerable consumers"

"The most vulnerable consumers, for example the elderly and people with language difficulties, have been in a worse position in many cases," says Mattias Grafström, CEO of the Telecom Advisers to the Plus editorial, which is currently investigating problems with telephone sales.

- It will be even easier for rogue sellers to deceive them. Consumers are persuaded to sign something that they do not quite understand and then wait until the withdrawal period has expired before sending out the bill.

The fact that ugly sales methods still exist in the industry is confirmed by several sellers that Plus has talked to.

Previously, when it was allowed to enter into oral agreements by telephone, the sellers had to keep a recording of the conversation as a contractual certificate. It is no longer needed when the customer has to sign the agreement instead.

- Then it becomes very difficult when consumers feel that they have been promised something else orally and the audio files are no longer left, but there is still evidence that the agreement has been concluded. There, consumers are in a worse position, says Mattias Grafström.

Jonas Lannering, press secretary for Lena Micko, Minister of Civil Affairs, says that the idea of ​​the law change was to give consumers the opportunity to go through the agreement in peace and quiet before deciding whether to sign it.

- Of course, it is unfortunate if, despite the legislation, consumers continue to end up with unwanted agreements.

According to Lannering, the government will follow up on the consequences of the reform and ensure that the purpose of the law is achieved.

The change that the telecom advisors are most critical of is that it is now perfectly possible to enter into a binding agreement just by answering "yes" to a text message.

- It's crazy, it doesn't feel like a proper impact assessment has been done on it, says Mattias Grafström.

- It is very easy to commit fraud if you accept a telephone number as identification. On the one hand, the seller can make it look like you are calling from another number you actually do, and on the other, you can fake a text message from the consumer's phone number.

The telecom advisers want the identification method requirements to be tightened and they also want to see stricter rules for how quickly the contract may be signed during the sales call.

An important ambition when introducing the written requirement was that the consumer should have time to read the agreement in peace and quiet without pressure from the seller. It is called that you have the right to "reasonable room", but unfortunately this is something that rogue sellers thumbs on.

- Either you try to get consumers to sign during the sales call, which is not allowed, or you call very close in and guide them how to click, and make them skip reading the agreement.

- We would like to put a restriction on how quickly it can go between the creation of the contract and when it can be signed, so as to ensure that the consumer has a clear chance to take part of the agreement before signing.