The Spanish Congress of Deputies has given initial approval to the Customer Service Law (CSL) to end the control and commercialization of telephone databases, which harms consumers.
In their quest to end spam calls, the authorities have moved forward with this law, which will put an end to automated systems “capable of dialing thousands of numbers per minute.”
The law, which still needs to pass through the Senate and then return to the Congress for final approval, proposes measures that will benefit consumers:
- Caller ID: Companies will be required to identify their commercial calls using a prefix. Otherwise, telephone operators may block calls and declare all contracts made on unauthorized calls null and void.
- Management fees are eliminated: Each company must notify and include management fees in the final price of tickets and services. Consequently, all additional costs must be detailed from the beginning of the purchase process, not at the end. This way, the consumer will have a clear understanding of the complete final price.
- End of automated service: Service exclusively through answering machines or artificial intelligence is prohibited, so consumers will have the right to speak with a person whenever they need to. Furthermore, it is established that 95% of commercial calls must be answered in less than three minutes and complaints within a maximum of 15 days, but in the case of improper charges, the deadline is reduced to 5 days.
- Service in the user’s language: The law establishes that large companies must provide service in Spanish and co-official languages, as well as guarantee accessibility for vulnerable people.
- Clarity on algorithms and fake reviews: Platforms are now required to explain the parameters they use to personalize prices or advertisements for their products and services. Fake reviews are also restricted, and their sale is prohibited.
- Subscription renewal notifications: Automatic renewal of streaming service subscriptions is now prohibited. Notifications must be sent 15 days before the expiration date so that customers have the option not to renew.
M.Pino
Source: larazon
(Reference image source: Berkeley Communications on Unsplash)
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