• A telemarketer who calls with an invitation to a presentation or free tests must inform the consumer you that sales will be taking place there.
• The consumer must have agreed to such contact in advance.
• The Office has imposed a fine on the Arstele telemarketing company.

Arstele called consumers and invited them to take part in tests as part of “Health Academy” organised by VGET POLSKA. Back in July we wrote about penalties against VGET POLSKA for unfair practices during trade shows. However, Arstele did not have consumers’ prior consent for telemarketing.

It results from UOKiK’s findings that the telemarketers did not inform consumers about the fact that sales would be taking place during the meeting, nor did they have consent of the consumers to provide marketing information.

The President of the Office found that Arstele had infringed the collective interests of consumers and imposed a penalty of almost PLN 70,000 (PLN 69,967) and ordered Arstele to refrain from the disputed practices.

We would like to remind you that every business that calls consumers for direct marketing purposes should have their express prior consent to do so. This results from Article 172 of the Telecommunications Law. It is not acceptable to ask for such consent at the start of the conversation.

This is yet another decision of the Office concerning violations of Article 172 of the Telecommunications Law. At the end of 2018, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection found that ACS Medica from Śrem had called consumers without their consent, and in mid-May we wrote about a penalty for Smak i Zdrowie.

Consumer service:

Phone: 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
E-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumers’ ombudsmen – in your town or district
Regional Consumer Centres: 22 299 60 90 – Dlakonsumenta.pl
Provincial Inspectorates od the Trade Inspection

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL