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How you can prevent unwanted advertising calls

With a starred listing:

A starred listing can protect you against marketing communications from third parties. Read how you can protect yourself.

Automatically Identify Unwanted Telemarketing Calls with the Local.ch App:

The local.ch Android app automatically identifies incoming calls and matches them with the phonebook. Callers who make an unusually high number of calls and are not listed in the phonebook can be identified and muted if desired. The local.ch iOS app can add the numbers of the most active telemarketers to your address book. This way, you can see directly on the call screen if it is a telemarketing call.

How to Create a Starred Listing (*)

At local.ch, you can easily and for free set an advertising star (*) next to your registered phone number, clearly indicating to others that you do not wish to receive telemarketing calls.

Here’s how: Find your entry on local.ch and click "Edit entry" to make the change. The star also provides a basis for a complaint to SECO.

File a Complaint (SECO)

If you receive unwanted telemarketing calls despite a starred listing, you can file a complaint with SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs). The appropriate form can be found here.

What Are Telemarketing Calls?The question of when a call is an unwanted telemarketing call and when it is not is not easily answered. For example, customers of a company being informed about new products or receiving inquiries about an open order usually cannot invoke consumer protection. In practice, however, these are often calls in which, for example, health insurance companies, insurance brokers, or professional telemarketing firms make calls to non-customers. Most telemarketing calls occur after business hours. The aim of the calls is either to gather information or to directly market products or conclude contracts.Nationwide PhenomenonTelemarketing calls from third parties are not isolated cases. In 2013 alone, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO recorded a 20 percent increase in complaints compared to the previous year. The figures are all the more surprising given that legal restrictions have long existed and a code of conduct has been issued by the health insurance association Santésuisse.Laws Against Unwanted Telemarketing CallsGuidelines for telemarketing calls have existed since April 2012. In the Federal Act against Unfair Competition (UWG), Article 3, Paragraph 1 under letter "u" states that anyone who disregards the note in the phone book that a customer does not wish to receive marketing communications from third parties and that their data may not be passed on for direct marketing purposes is in violation of the law. In concrete terms, this means that a starred listing in the phone directory is sufficient to block the calls. At least, in theory.How Does a Starred Listing Work?

A starred listing works similarly to the well-known "No Advertising" stickers on mailboxes. A corresponding note can be requested in the phone book, signaling to telemarketing firms that no calls to non-customers should take place. Call centers affiliated with the industry association CallNet.ch have adhered to the starred listing for years. People whose numbers are not listed in the phone book can alternatively request an entry in the so-called Robinson list of the SDV (Swiss Dialogue Marketing Association) and thus protect themselves against telemarketing calls.

Options Against Telemarketing CallsIf the starred listing is not effective, consumer protection organizations can be contacted at any time. If it is a phone number that calls frequently and several people, it is often possible to take action together. The same applies to a complaint to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO. Here, a federal lawsuit can be pursued against the companies behind the calls.
The advantages of our appsFor an even easier way to protect yourself from telemarketing calls, download one of our apps: Recognise advertising calls with the app
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