What are the legal rights concerning unsolicited commercial phone calls in France?

In short

• France now requires prior opt-in consent for commercial calls, replacing Bloctel.
• Calls are limited to weekdays, set hours, and banned outright in sectors like energy renovation.
• If a company breaches the rules, you should note the call details, demand data deletion, and report it via SignalConso.

Cold calling is generally prohibited in France

For years, the only protection against unwanted phone calls was the Bloctel register. This list allowed consumers to sign themselves up if they wanted to stop receiving commercial prospecting by phone. The Bloctel system has been abolished since August 2026. Under French Law No. 2025-594 of 30 June 2025, the logic has been reversed entirely.

The new general principle is simple: a company can no longer contact you for commercial purposes. Unless you have given prior consent that is explicit, freely given, specific, informed and revocable. In other words, silence is no longer consent. If you never said yes, a trader has no legal basis to call you.

Commercial calls allowed only in two situations

There are only two exceptions where a business may legally contact you without asking first:

1. You already have a contract with the company. A tradesperson currently renovating your kitchen, for instance, can call to offer a complementary appliance or an update related to the work in progress.
2. You gave prior, explicit consent to be contacted for marketing purposes. For example, you can give your consent by ticking a box when filling a form, when making an online purchase or visiting a shop. The company must clearly ask you whether you agree to receive future commercial calls. They must also specify for which type of goods or services they may contact you.

Outside these two cases, cold calling is prohibited across every sector.

What counts as valid consent?

For your consent to be legally valid, it must meet three conditions:

• Active: you must tick a box yourself. Pre-ticked boxes are not valid.
• Informed: the person on the phone must state who they are, which company they represent, the exact purpose of the call, and how long your consent will last. Consent is always given for a maximum of one year, it can never be renewed automatically.
• Revocable — you can withdraw your consent at any moment, even verbally, during a call.

Companies must keep proof of your consent for three years. In principle, they must be able to show it on request.

A strict framework for commercial calls in France

No solicitation during weekends and public holidays

When they call you, companies must also comply with the permitted days and times for commercial phone canvassing. In France, it is only permitted:

• Monday to Friday
• From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Calls are banned on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, unless you have specifically agreed in advance to be reached at a different date or time. In such a case, the date and time of the call must have been clearly specified to you.

Furthermore, a trader may not contact you more than four times within a 30-day period.

No solicitation from certain sectors

Regardless of consent, phone canvassing remains strictly forbidden in 3 sensitive areas. Because of a documented history of aggressive or fraudulent practices, traders can’t approach you by phone if they sell:

• Energy-efficiency home renovation work (such as insulation).
• Home adaptation for elderly or disabled residents.
• Professional training under the CPF “Compte personnel de formation”.

If you receive an unwanted phone call about any of these topics, treat it as a red flag! It is very likely illegal, and often a scam. Any contract that is concluded from such an approach is invalid. Any trader in breach may be punished by an administrative fine of up to 375 000 euros.

Other forms of commercial prospection: automated calls and texts

Is cold calling using an automated dialler legal?

Yes, cold calls made using an automated dialling system (or pre-recorded messages) are legal.

However, you must have given your explicit consent to receive this type of call when you provided your phone number. This is not necessary if you are already a company’s customer or the caller is a non-commercial organisation, such as a charity.

Watch out for ping calls! These voice spams are calls that hang up after one ring or as soon as you answer. Their objective is to appear as missed calls. The company behind a ping call wants to lure you into calling back a premium-rate number, and thereby collect the charges associated with the call.

Before returning any suspicious call, you can check the number on the reverse-directory site, surmafacture.fr. It allows you to find out the applicable rate for a specific number.

Advertising via SMS or MMS

The same consent logic extends to text messages. A company can send you commercial offers via SMS or MMS only with your prior agreement. An exception applies if you are already a customer receiving offers on similar products, or if the message is non-commercial.

To stop receiving text messages, send the word “STOP” to the number that messaged you. The sender must then confirm your request and delete your contact details from their records.

If you wish to have the sender’s official contact details, text the word “CONTACT” to the sender’s number. You should then receive the company’s details, such as their register number, the company name, or their customer service.

What to do if you still receive unwanted phone calls?

• Note the date, time, and the caller’s identity as soon as the call happens. You have the right to know who is calling you and why.
• Ask the company to delete your data and confirm you never gave consent.
• Report the call to SignalConso if the company is based in France.
• If the call comes from abroad, contact the equivalent consumer authority in that country, or reach out to the European Consumer Centre France for guidance on cross-border complaints.

Concluding a contract over the phone

If you are interested by the proposal made by phone, you have to receive, following the call, by post or by e-mail, a confirmation of the offer that was made, and which includes the following elements:

• Full contact details of the company,
• The price and essential characteristics of the good or service,
• The time of delivery or execution of the contract,
• Recourse to legal guarantees and commercial warranties,
• The possibility of using an alternative dispute resolution body,
• The existence, or non-existence of the right of withdrawal as well as its terms and conditions.

It is only after you’ve signed and accepted the written offer or given your consent electronically that you are permanently engaged. Signing a contract online means usually clicking on a button mentioning concretely that you accept the contract. The trader, however, cannot collect payments before 7 days, except for subscriptions to newspapers. You still have the right to change your mind.

Be careful of (un)commercial practices!

Do not continue the conversation further if the trader offers you to finalise the contract immediately on their website, all while still being on a call with you! It is a commercial practice that doesn’t give you time to recheck the characteristics of the product and/or of the service. Before signing, you have the right to consult the general terms and conditions that apply and read online reviews about the trader in question.

Additionally, be careful when the trader offers you a digital service like an online video game or a service that could run immediately. During the call, the person could ask to tick a box that explicitly takes away your right of withdrawal.

Frequently Asked Questions

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