News item | 15-05-2025 | 09:00
The unsolicited calling by companies and organizations to consumers is further limited from 1 July 2026. Also calling someone who is (has been) a customer is then no longer allowed. The House of Representatives has made an exception for charities, lotteries that pay them and publishers of day/weekly magazines/magazines. For this summer, a bill from Minister Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs) also goes into consultation for a cooling-off period (extra cooling-off period) for a consumer at street and door sales. The minister writes this today in a letter to parliament.
Minister Beljaarts (Economic Affairs): “Consumers must be able to buy with confidence, based on the right information. It should not be a matter of whether this sale is now online, at the door, telephone or in a physical store. As far as I am concerned, protection of consumers is the start of a properly functioning economy. That is why the cabinet is taking a new energy contract. To be able to think about these types of things for a little longer.
In particular, vulnerable consumers such as the elderly feel often feel under pressure by sellers on the telephone (telemarketing) and at the door or on the street (colportage). A general or sectoral national prohibition on telemarketing or colportage is not permitted on the basis of European rules with regard to free movement of services.
Extra protection consumers at door and street sales
When selling at the door and on the street, consumers receive legal extra time (three working days) to think about a sales proposal. For example, the consumer can read the information from the seller about the product or the service reading and comparing with other offers before the agreement can be concluded. The internet consultation for the Bill Cooling period colportage is provided for the summer of 2025.
If the consumer decides to conclude the agreement, then the already existing legal cooling -off period of 14 days will continue to apply. He can cancel an agreement in this without giving a reason.
Telemarketing more and more restricted
Due to the legal rules for telemarketing, companies or organizations may only approach Dutch consumers by telephone from 2021 if they have given explicit permission for it or have (been) the customer. The unsolicited calling based on an existing or former customer relationship is also prohibited from 1 July 2026. The House of Representatives has made a number of exceptions for idealistic and charitable goals (charities) publishers of newspapers, weekly magazines and magazines and lotteries that pay money to charities.
Subscriptions online is easier to cancel
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is also committed to EU policy that must ensure that consumers can cancel subscriptions online as easily as entering into. The European Commission has concluded that it is sometimes unnecessarily difficult for consumers to cancel a subscription. The Ministry of Economic Affairs focuses on tackling this through the EU Digital Fairness Act that is expected in the course of 2026.