SKS: Already dozens of complaints since the beginning of April
Since the law against unfair competition came into force, consumer protection organizations have already received 200 complaints - most of them because the people concerned received advertising calls despite the asterisk in the telephone directory.
The law has been in force since the beginning of the month. With the asterisk, someone makes it clear that he or she wishes to be spared advertising calls at home. The Foundation for Consumer Protection SKS has already received around 100 complaints - three quarters of them about unwanted advertising calls, as the SKS explained to the news agency SDA.
Its counterpart in French-speaking Switzerland, the Fédération romande des consommateurs FRC, said it had received 108 complaints by Wednesday - 75 percent of which were due to advertising calls. This is not surprising, commented Valérie Muster from the FRC. No concrete figures were yet available from Ticino.
Forms on the Internet
Since 1 April, consumer protection organizations have posted forms on the Internet that can be used by those affected to lodge a complaint. The aim of the law is to protect the public against bait-and-switch offers, address book fraud, online scammers and false promises of winnings.
According to the FRC, the last quarter of complaints relate almost exclusively to false promises of profit and address book fraud. In order to combat the latter, the law stipulates that offers for an entry in an address book or company register must make it clear in large print that this costs something.
Restaurant visits instead of "coffee trips"
On the other hand, the "coffee trips" - alleged free car trips where travelers were offered all kinds of junk at inflated prices - seem to have disappeared. Instead, victims are lured with free invitations to restaurants, among other things. These then follow the pattern of the "coffee trips".
According to the FRC, things seem to have quietened down in the case of so-called pyramid schemes and internet fraud. Only a few complaints have been received in these two categories, said Valérie Muster. Since April 1, fraudsters have practically disappeared from the Internet. (sda)
