Spam: Bill proposes to block calls from product call centers

According to Truecaller Insights, Peruvians receive an average of 18 unwanted calls per day. Despite having regulations, the country is second in terms of spam, and now Congress is proposing to ban companies from contracting with call centers.

A bill introduced by the Fuerza Popular Judiciary proposes to amend the Consumer Protection and Protection Code to prevent companies from using the services call centers or contact centers selling the product.

The legislative initiative provides for the amendment of article 58 of the aforementioned code to qualify spam calls as a serious offense, which implies a fine of 150 to 450 UIT, i.e. up to S/2.7 million.

He also claims that consumers not receive any communication, whether calls, text messages or emails, for telemarketing services.

“Information can only be sent to those consumers who have directly contacted the provider and given their consent,” they clarify.

Although the measures are similar to those set by Indecopi, prohibiting the transfer call centers With customers alone who have indicated that they do not wish to participate in these promotions, over 12,000 spam call reports have already been received by the middle of the year.

Calling without consent is now already considered a violation of the Consumer Protection Code, and from 2019 to mid-year, 42 ex officio sanctions were imposed on more than 30 companies in the country, totaling 1,104 UST.

What consequences would this have?

Peruvian Customer Experience Association (Apexo) warns that a bill banning sales through call centers puts about 20,000 youth jobs at risk.

It is worth noting that before the pandemic, more than 50,000 people worked in call centers, of which 70% were young students.

But what to do about this problem? Apexo President Guy Fort assures that Business the guild is already taking steps to avoid the burden of spam and robocalls.

Fort commented to the Gestión newspaper that daily and monthly dialing limits have been set, they do not run campaigns where databases are not 100% secure, and they have set bases for people who have not given their consent.

“This mode sales It could be improved, as is done in other countries, for example by requiring companies to register phone numbers from which phone calls will be made, and even for the name of the company making the call to appear on the screen of a mobile phone. end consumer. calls so that he can decide whether or not to answer the call,” he told the newspaper.

To avoid an increase in unwanted call reports, Fort is proposing to restore the “Thank you, don’t push” list that Indecopi ran until 2018.