Rules for telemarketing

A company that sells goods or services over the phone must obtain written consent from you. The consent must be given after the call has ended. This is stated in the law.

If you have not given written consent after the call has ended, the purchase is not valid. In that case, you do not need to pay.

The requirement for written consent applies if the company calls you, or if you were prompted by the company to call them. If you call the company yourself, your written consent is not required for the purchase to be valid.

How should a written approval be made?

A written approval can be provided in various ways.

For example, you can:

• sign a paper sent to you in the post
• approve electronically by email or text message
• approve by e-identification such as Bank ID.

You should always have time to decide after the phone call. The company is not allowed to ask you to give written consent for the purchase during the call. The company must be able to prove that you have given written consent and that it was done after the call.

When you give written consent for the agreement, the terms of the agreement must be included so that you can see what you are agreeing to.

Does the company still demand payment?

You can dispute the invoice if the company demands payment even though you did not approve the purchase. This also applies if you signed the agreement during the phone call.

You should dispute the invoice in writing. For example, you can send an email.

Dispute an incorrect invoice

Written consent requirement for lotteries

Lotteries were previously exempt from the written consent requirement. However, now written consent is also required for lottery agreements to be valid. This is stated in the Gambling Act and applies to agreements entered into after June 1, 2024. The consent must be given after the call has ended.

Lottery agreements entered into over the phone before June 1 did not require your written consent. They are valid if you verbally agreed.

You do not have the right of withdrawal for contracts regarding gambling and lotteries.

A company that uses telemarketing must provide you with clear information about its offer and the applicable terms and conditions. The company must also inform you that the call has a sales purpose.

You should receive information about:

• what kind of company it is
• what goods or services are being sold
• the name of the telemarketer
• whether the salesperson is employed by the company or working on behalf of the company.

When you are called by a telemarketer, you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal. This is stated in the law.

When you exercise your right of withdrawal, you no longer need to complete the purchase. You have the right to get back the money you paid. However, you may need to pay for return shipping, but only if the company has informed you about it.

If you have purchased a product, the 14 days start counting from the day after you received or picked up the product.

If you have purchased a service, the days start counting from the day after you agreed to the contract.

If the last of the 14 days falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday, the time you have to withdraw is extended to the next working day.

The right of withdrawal can be extended

According to the law, the company must provide you with the following information about the right of withdrawal for the 14 days to start counting:

• Whether there is a right of withdrawal.
• How long you have to withdraw.
• How to proceed to withdraw.
• That there is a standard form you can use when withdrawing and where to find this form.

If the company has not provided you with information on all the points above, you can withdraw even if more than 14 days have passed. The withdrawal period can be extended by up to one year.

The company must be able to prove that you received all the information about the right of withdrawal.

How to withdraw

On our page about the right of withdrawal, you can:

• check if you have the right of withdrawal
• get information on how to withdraw
• read about what applies if you and the company do not agree.

About the right of withdrawal and how to use it

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

There are some exceptions to the right of withdrawal. Gambling and lotteries are examples where you do not have a right of withdrawal.

There are special rules for telemarketing of financial services.

Financial services refer, for example, to agreements on:

• loans
• insurance
• payments.

Right of withdrawal for financial services

When you buy a financial service, you normally have a 14-day right of withdrawal. The withdrawal period starts on the day after you entered into the contract, but no earlier than the day you received the information and the contract terms in writing.

If the agreement concerns life insurance or private individual pension savings, you have a 30-day right of withdrawal instead.

Prohibited to sell products linked to a premium pension over the phone

It is prohibited to sell or market products or services linked to a premium pension over the phone. An agreement on premium pension products reached by phone is invalid and you are not obligated to pay the company.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

There are financial services that the right of withdrawal does not apply to. For example, it does not apply to the following:

• If the price of the financial service can increase or decrease due to fluctuations on the market, which means that the price changes during the time that the right of withdrawal normally applies, and the seller cannot influence the price difference. Shares are one such example.
• Credits that are linked to mortgages in real property, site leaseholds or tenant-owner rights.
• Insurance where the validity period is one month or less

You can block your phone if you want to reduce the number of calls from telemarketers. To block your phone, contact NIX-Telefon.

How to reduce the number of sales calls from telemarketers (in Swedish)

You can file a complaint with the Swedish Consumer Agency if you want to highlight issues with telemarketing.

We do not assist you in your individual case, but complaints are important for our supervisory work. We ensure that companies follow the rules and can take action against those that do not.

For example, you can report if:

• a company has not followed the rules regarding written consent
• a company has been unclear about the terms and conditions of the product or service.

You can also report companies that use inappropriate sales methods. Some examples of this can be if the company:

• Deliberately provides incorrect or misleading information at the time of sale.
• Has aggressive or insistent salespeople.
• Sends a product that you have not ordered.
• Sends an invoice without you having placed an order.
• Deliberately misleading or targeting vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and infirm.

File a complaint to the Swedish Consumer Agency

Swedish company

Do you need help understanding your rights? Or do you want to discuss how to proceed with your case? Then you can contact your municipal consumer guidance service or the Consumer Agency’s information service.

Municipality's consumer guidance

Many municipalities offer consumer guidance. You can turn to them for free information and support. The assistance offered varies from municipality to municipality.

The Swedish Consumer Agency

The Swedish Consumer Agency provides free guidance. We can provide information on your rights and what options you have. We cannot assess your individual case, resolve disputes, or contact companies on your behalf.

Contact the Consumer Agency’s Advisors

Companies within the EU, Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom

Are you a resident of Sweden and the company you have an issue with is registered in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or the United Kingdom? Then you can get free advice from ECC Sweden.

ECC Sweden is part of a network of consumer centers within the EU. In some cases, ECC Sweden may share the case with a sister office in another country to attempt to reach a solution through mediation.

Contact ECC Sweden

To get help with your case, you must have complained to the company in writing.

To ECC Sweden, you need to send a description of the problem and documentation showing what has happened. Documentation is necessary if your case is to be shared with any sister office in another country. Only send copies to the ECC. Keep the originals.

Send your case via email to: konsumenteuropa@konsumentverket.se

The email should include:

• Your first and last name and the name of the company you purchased from
• A description of the problem and how you want the company to resolve it
• The date you placed the order and the date you received it
• The price of what you bought and how you paid
• Documentation as evidence of your case

Once you have submitted your case, you usually receive a response within about a month.

ECC Sweden cannot

• Force a company to act according to the law. The work is based on the company being willing to cooperate with the ECC network to reach a resolution.
• Mediate in a case if we cannot identify the seller or if the seller refuses to cooperate with the ECC network.
• Act as legal representation or assist when the consumer has already initiated legal proceedings.
• Assist in purchases between businesses or purchases between individuals.

If you have questions

ECC Sweden is part of the Swedish Consumer Agency. If you need help understanding your rights or want to discuss how to proceed with your case, you can contact our information service.

Contact the information service

If you and the company cannot reach an agreement, you can file a complaint with the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN).

ARN will assess your case and make a recommendation on how to resolve the dispute. Most companies follow ARN’s recommendations.

A normal processing time is approximately six months.

What does it cost to file a complaint with ARN?

It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN. When you submit your complaint, you can request that the company compensates you for the cost if ARN makes a recommendation in your favour.

Requirements for the National Board for Consumer Disputes to be able to review your case

• The company has either rejected your claims or has not responded within a reasonable time.
• The amount you and the company are in dispute about is more then ARN's value limitations (different value thresholds apply for different fields).
• You file the complaint within one year from the first time you complained to the company.

File a complaint on ARN’s website

Do you need assistance with your complaint?

The municipality’s consumer adviser may be able to assist you in submitting a complaint to ARN.

If the product or service you have purchased are faulty, you can read more here:

Complain about a faulty product

Complain about a faulty service

If the delivery of the product or service is delayed, you can read more here:

Late delivery of a product

Late delivery of a service

If you have problems with a subscription, you can read more here:

Problems with subscriptions (in Swedish)