Banning telemarketing under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We strongly support the Minister’s intention to introduce a ban on telemarketing within the VEU program. We have long advocated for bans on telemarketing (as well as doorknocking) as inherently problematic sales channels, particularly in relation to the sales of energy-related products and services.
We first identified problematic unsolicited selling in a joint paper with the Financial and Consumer Rights Council (FCRC) in 2007, Coercion and harassment at the door: Consumer experiences with energy direct marketers. Since that time we have also produced several other reports exploring the consumer harm associated with unsolicited sales, including
Knock it off!, our joint 2017 report with WEstjustice and Loddon Campaspe.
Although not directly focused on the VEU program, these reports clearly demonstrate the strong links between unsolicited sales and misleading,
deceptive and/or high-pressure sales tactics.
Read the full submission (PDF).
230724 VEU telemarketing ban