Financial expert warns: Demand better protection against door-to-door sales

Financial expert warns: Demand better protection against door-to-door sales

According to a report from www.berliner-zeitung.de, consumer advice centers are pushing for better protection against door-to-door sales, especially in connection with fiber optic connections or energy offers. From January to October of this year, a total of 5,400 complaints were recorded, which corresponds to an increase of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year.

The head of the federal association, Ramona Pop, emphasized that consumers are often taken by surprise in their own four walls and are foisted with contracts that they would hardly have concluded under other circumstances. She calls for better protection against such harassment and contract traps. Specifically, it mentions the need for consumers' prior consent for door-to-door visits and an extension of the cancellation period for door-to-door contracts from 14 to 30 days.

According to the data, 35 percent of complaints to consumer advice centers related to landline offers for telephony and Internet, followed by electricity with 13 percent and mobile phone offers with 6 percent. The biggest increase in complaints was for mobile communications, followed by renewable energy and fixed-line offerings.

These developments could have far-reaching impacts on the market and consumers. Tightening regulations for door-to-door sales and extending the cancellation period could lead to a decline in dubious sales practices. This would better protect consumers from being taken by surprise and entering into ill-advised contracts. On the other hand, the affected companies could be faced with a decline in sales and increased bureaucratic burdens. It is therefore important to balance the protection of consumer interests with the business interests of companies.