Rules for telemarketing
Regler för telefonförsäljning - Engelska
There are rules that protect you that companies must follow. In order for an agreement reached by phone to be valid, the company must obtain written approval from you. You also have the right of withdrawal for 14 days.
Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
Overview of the rules of telemarketing
The company must obtain written consent from you for the agreement to be valid.
As a rule, you have a 14-day right of withdrawal when you enter into an agreement over the phone.
There are special rules for telemarketing of financial services, such as insurance.
You can report aggressive or inappropriate telemarketing to the Swedish Consumer Agency.
Learn more about your rights concerning telemarketing
A company that sells goods or services over the phone must obtain written consent from you. The consent must be given after the call has ended. This is stated in the law.
If you have not given written consent after the call has ended, the purchase is not valid. In that case, you do not need to pay.
The requirement for written consent applies if the company calls you, or if you were prompted by the company to call them. If you call the company yourself, your written consent is not required for the purchase to be valid.
How should a written approval be made?
A written approval can be provided in various ways. For example, you can:
- Sign a paper sent to you in the post.
- Approve electronically by email or text message.
- Approve by e-identification such as Bank ID.
You should always have time to decide after the phone call. The company is not allowed to ask you to give written consent for the purchase during the call. The company must be able to prove that you have given written consent and that it was done after the call.
When you give written consent for the agreement, the terms of the agreement must be included so that you can see what you are agreeing to.
Did you receive a payment demand although you did not provide your written approval?
If the company demands payment despite you not having approved the purchase, you can dispute the invoice. It is important that you dispute the invoice in writing. For example, you can send an email.
Written Consent Requirement for Lotteries
Lotteries were previously exempt from the written consent requirement. However, now written consent is also required for lottery agreements to be valid. This is stated in the Gambling Act and applies to agreements entered into after June 1, 2024. The consent must be given after the call has ended.
Lottery agreements entered into over the phone before June 1 did not require your written consent. They are valid if you verbally agreed.
Regarding agreements for gambling and lotteries, you do not have a right of withdrawal.
A company that uses telemarketing must provide you with clear information about its offer and the applicable terms and conditions. The company must also inform you that the call has a sales purpose.
You should receive information about:
- what kind of company it is
- what goods or services are being sold
- the name of the telemarketer
- whether the salesperson is employed by the company or working on behalf of the company.
When you are called by a telemarketer, you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal. This is stated in the law.
When you exercise your right of withdrawal, you no longer need to complete the purchase. You have the right to get back the money you paid. However, you may need to pay for return shipping, but only if the company has informed you about it.
If you have purchased a product, the 14 days start counting from the day after you received or picked up the product.
If you have purchased a service, the days start counting from the day after you agreed to the contract.
If the last of the 14 days falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday, the time you have to withdraw is extended to the next working day.
The right of withdrawal can be extended
According to the law, the company must provide you with the following information about the right of withdrawal for the 14 days to start counting:
- Whether there is a right of withdrawal.
- How long you have to withdraw.
- How to proceed to withdraw.
- That there is a standard form you can use when withdrawing and where to find this form.
If the company has not provided you with information on all the points above, you can withdraw even if more than 14 days have passed. The withdrawal period can be extended by up to one year.
The company must be able to prove that you received all the information about the right of withdrawal.
How to withdraw
On our page about the right of withdrawal, you can check if you have the right of withdrawal, get information on how to withdraw, and what applies if you and the company do not agree.
About the right of withdrawal and how to use it
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
There are some exceptions to the right of withdrawal. Gambling and lotteries are examples where you do not have a right of withdrawal.
There are special rules for telemarketing of financial services.
Financial services refer, for example, to agreements on loans, insurance and payments.
Right of withdrawal for financial services
When you buy a financial service, the 14 days you have to withdraw from the purchase begin counting the day after you entered the agreement, but no earlier than the day you received information and contractual terms in written form.
If the agreement concerns life insurance or private individual pension savings, the right of withdrawal is 30 days.
Prohibited to sell products linked to a premium pension over the phone
It is prohibited to sell or market products or services linked to a premium pension over the phone. An agreement on premium pension products reached by phone is invalid and you are not obligated to pay the company.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
There are financial services that the right of withdrawal does not apply to. For example, it does not apply to the following:
- If the price of the financial service can increase or decrease due to fluctuations on the market, which means that the price changes during the time that the right of withdrawal normally applies, and the seller cannot influence the price difference. Shares are one such example.
- Credits that are linked to mortgages in real property, site leaseholds or tenant-owner rights.
- Insurance where the validity period is one month or less
You can file a complaint with the Swedish Consumer Agency if you want to highlight issues with telemarketing.
We do not assist you in your individual case, but complaints are important for our supervisory work. We ensure that companies follow the rules and can take action against those that do not.
For example, you can report if:
- a company has not followed the rules regarding written consent
- the company has been unclear about the terms and conditions of the product or service.
You can also report companies that use inappropriate sales methods. Some examples of this can be if the company:
- Deliberately provides incorrect or misleading information at the time of sale.
- Has aggressive or insistent salespeople.
- Sends a product that you have not ordered.
- Sends an invoice without you having placed an order.
- Deliberately misleading or targeting vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and infirm.
File a complaint to the Swedish Consumer Agency
Do you want guidance or a review of your personal case?
If you need guidance, you can contact us. We can provide information on your rights and what options you have to make progress.
If you and the company do not agree and you want the matter to be reviewed, you can file a complaint with the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN). ARN will assess your case and then recommend how your dispute should be resolved. It costs 150 SEK to file a complaint with ARN.
Your dispute with the company can also be tried in court. In that case, you need to pay an application fee and may have to pay legal costs.