Wild telemarketing, stop also for tlc

We are certainly used to the low blows between telecom operators, constantly fighting for the most valuable customers. But perhaps we are unaccustomed to utilities aiming to wrest users from telephone operators, or the opposite phenomenon. It is the integration of markets, characterised by increasingly convergent offers between energy and telecommunications: one more reason - according to both the majority and the opposition in Parliament - to introduce equal rules on telemarketing, the often invasive, not to say aggressive, practice with which companies are wont to snatch customers from each other.

A series of amendments to the tax decree - deposited in the Senate Finance Committee by Fratelli d'Italia, Lega, Forza Italia and Pd - aims to extend to telecommunications the constraints that were applied to telemarketing - 'telephone commercial solicitations', the text reads - exclusively for the electricity and gas sector with the billing decree.

In the billing decree, in short, an amendment to the Consumers' Code has been inserted, which prohibits the offer of electricity and gas contracts over the phone, even by means of messages, unless there has been a request made directly through the websites or apps of the professional in charge - the call centre on duty, in other words - or the user has previously given specific consent to receive commercial proposals. Contracts entered into in violation of the rule are null and void, and users can report cases of calls made in violation of the rules to the Privacy Guarantor and the Communications Authority, indicating the caller's number.

In essence, the majority is ready to correct a rule that it had itself voted for during the examination of the bill not more than a month ago. However, the government's opinions on all amendments to the fiscal decree are still lacking and the approval of the rule cannot be taken for granted.

We can say, however, that the change was certainly strongly urged on the parties by the telephone operators that already offer (or are studying the possibility of doing so) electricity and gas services as well. The fear is clear: being held back by asymmetrical rules compared to energy companies that have already launched, or are preparing to launch, telecommunications offers, for example for fibre optic internet.