Nearly 1.5 million people in Belgium have already done it and you too could do it in a mere 18 seconds: register your phone number on the don't-call-me list. After that, Belgian marketing agencies and companies are no longer allowed to call you to sell products or services. Registration is quick and easy.
Cold callers, companies phoning you to sell contracts or subscriptions: it can be so annoying. Figures from the Belgian economy ministry show some 1,492,000 Belgians have already registered on the don't-call-me list. Model and ex-Miss Belgium, Celine Van Ouytsel, recently joined their number. Once you are on the list, companies are no longer allowed to call you for commercial purposes.
Celine has talked with VRT about how annoying the experience can be. It’s a feeling she shares with almost 1.5 million Belgians. ‘I once made the mistake of telling a company to call me back a week later. They then called me 7 more times even though I continued to reject their calls. If you call me 7 times without me picking up, it's obvious I don't want to talk to you!’ she suggests.
A mere 18 seconds to register
Celine recently registered on the don't call-me list. ‘It was very quick. I had to punch in number 1 twice and it was sorted. The call took barely 18 seconds.’
Lien Meurisse of the federal economy ministry explains how to register. ‘Call 02 882 19 75 with the phone number you want to register. Then follow the instructions. Within five working days, your phone number will appear on the list and all Belgian companies will no longer be allowed to call you.’ Foreign companies do not have to adhere to the list.
‘In principle, this registration is for life, but if you want to, you can always change your details afterwards or undo the registration. You do that by calling the same number. Also, if you want to check whether your number is registered on the list, it's best to call 02 882 19 75.’
Cold calling sorted, but some calls still allowed!
Just because you register on the don't-call-me list it doesn't mean all companies can't call you. ‘Companies may still contact you if it is not to ply their wares. So they can still call you to confirm an appointment, for example,’ Ms Meurisse clarifies.
‘Should you still receive commercial calls despite your registration, you have 2 options. First, check whether you didn't give the company permission to call you in the past as a result of a contract you signed or a questionnaire you filled in. If that is not the case, you can report the call to ConsumerConnect.’ If you did give a company permission to contact you, but changed your mind, you may ask for your personal data to be removed from their database.