Are you tired of constant sales calls that interrupt your day, waste your time, and compromise your privacy? If you've had enough of companies trying to offer you products or services you're not interested in, this article is your definitive guide. Discover, in detail, How to stop unwanted sales calls, what your rights are, and what formulas and tools exist to protect your phone and your peace of mind.
What are sales calls and why do they still exist?
Commercial calls, also known as spam or telemarketing callsThese are those carried out by companies or operators on behalf of companies to promote, sell, or provide information about products and services. They can be carried out by a person or through automated systems (robots, recordings) and are usually for advertising, informational, or direct sales purposes.
These calls can be classified as:
- Legitimate calls: carried out in compliance with regulations and respecting the privacy of the recipient.
- Illegitimate calls: Those that do not comply with current legislation, are carried out without consent or by using personal data improperly.
La prevalence of this phenomenon is extremely high: most people have received unsolicited phone calls at some point. Consumers consider these calls invasive and annoying, and there is a growing tendency to seek solutions and exercise their rights to avoid them.
Why are sales calls so annoying?
- Interruption and stress: They can interrupt important activities, leisure or rest moments, causing irritation and stress.
- Waste of time: They force you to spend minutes rejecting or listening to irrelevant proposals.
- Risk of fraud and deception: Sometimes these calls conceal attempts to obtain personal or banking information for fraudulent purposes.
- Privacy violation: Your data is often used without your explicit consent.
- Reiteration: Using different numbers makes effective blocking difficult and increases the harm to the user.
El main objective The objective of companies following these calls is to increase their sales, using persuasion techniques that do not always respect the limits of ethics or current regulations.
What does the law say about commercial calls?
The current regulations are clear: Companies can only call for commercial purposes if the user has given their express consent. or if there is a prior contractual relationship (i.e., if you are already a customer and the offer relates to similar products or services).
- Limited hours: Sales calls have legal hours, typically between 9:00 a.m. and 21:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and are prohibited outside of this time.
- Obligation to identify the company: The issuer must always identify themselves and, upon request, provide legal details.
- Right of revocation and opposition: You can revoke your consent at any time and request that your data not be used for marketing purposes.
Despite these limitations, many companies resort to strategies such as using third parties, automated calls, or international numbers, making it difficult for users to defend themselves.
How to Stop Receiving Sales Calls: Steps and Tools
There are Effective methods to stop unwanted sales calls and protect your privacy. Here's a detailed guide, augmented by proven resources:
1. Register on the Robinson List and advertising exclusion systems
La Robinson List It's a free advertising exclusion system managed under the auspices of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). It allows you to express your desire not to receive advertising via phone, SMS, email, WhatsApp, or other means.
- You can easily sign up on their official website.
- Registration is usually effective in about two months.
- Companies conducting commercial campaigns are required to consult it before calling.
- Important: You will continue to receive calls if you are a customer of the issuing company or have given your explicit consent.
- If a company doesn't respect your registration, you can report it.
2. Block calls from your mobile: Android and iOS
- On Android: Open the Phone app, tap 'More' or the three dots, then select Settings > Blocked numbers. You can turn on 'Silence unknown numbers' and manually add numbers to the blocklist. Use the spam identification option in recent versions to automatically filter suspicious calls.
- On iOS: Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts and add new numbers. If the number is in your history, tap the 'i', scroll down, and select 'Block Contact'.
Using these options you can lock manually any annoying number immediately after receiving an unsolicited call.
3. Phone spam blocking and filtering applications
- truecaller: Identifies and blocks spam numbers, displaying information even from unknown numbers.
- Whoscall: Community database where you can report spam and verify numbers.
- Call Blocker (Android): Block annoying calls and SMS.
- Blacklist and other similar apps: They allow you to block individual calls, lists of numbers, and set advanced filters.
These applications use extensive databases and collaborations between users to recognize and filter unwanted calls in real time. Consult your operating system's app store to choose the one that best suits your needs.
4. Use caller ID and anti-spam protection
Many mobile phones, especially Android, have long integrated native functions for identify and block unwanted calls:
- Activate Caller ID and spam protection from the Phone app settings.
- The 'Filter spam calls' feature will automatically block calls flagged as dangerous or annoying by the community.
- If you receive a call that is identified as spam but is not spam, you can report the bug to improve filter accuracy.
- On Pixel devices, the protection system is even more advanced and allows you to silently reject suspicious calls.
5. Contact your carrier and request blocking services
Some operators offer additional services To block commercial calls or filter numbers, consult your telephone company about:
- Centralized blacklists.
- Blocking international or unknown calls.
- Removing your number from public telephone directories to prevent mass data collection.
6. Additional legal measures: rights and claims
- Right of opposition: Let the company know directly if you wish to stop receiving calls. They should offer an easy way to exercise this right (toll-free call, email, or web form).
- Revocation of consent: If you gave permission in the past, you can revoke it at any time.
- Right of withdrawal: Request that your data be deleted from their records, especially if you do not wish to receive any commercial communications.
- Filing formal complaints: If you continue to receive calls after exercising your rights, you can report it to the Spanish Agency for Data Protection. Have on hand pruebas (screenshots, call logs, company responses).
What to do if the commercial call is fraudulent or suspicious?
In addition to being annoying, some commercial calls hide fraud or phishing attempts:
- Never provide personal or banking information over the phone. unless you initiate the call and know exactly who you are talking to.
- In the face of offers that are too good, urgent demands or threats, hang up and verify directly with the real company before giving an answer.
- Calls from international numbers (+34 or 0034 in Spain; be careful with different prefixes) are usually suspicious if you are not expecting a call from abroad.
- Block and report these numbers in apps and to your carrier.
Practical tips to minimize and prevent future sales calls
- Avoid giving your number to unknown companies. If you're asked for a phone number, demand to know what it's being used for and don't check consent boxes by default.
- Read the privacy conditions carefully before accepting services, sweepstakes, or promotions. Use your right to object whenever appropriate.
- Do not return missed calls from unknown numbers, or access suspicious links or voice messages.
- Keep your opt-out lists up to date.
- In many cases, you can mark messages/calls as spam from within the mobile app itself, which helps strengthen overall filters.
- Periodically review your blocking apps and update their databases.
Other options: landlines and directory exclusion
If the problem occurs in a landline:
- Contact your carrier and find out how to block numbers or activate filters.
- Many devices allow you to dial *60 followed by the number you want to block.
- you can request exclusion from guides and directories, preventing your number from appearing publicly.
Step by step: How to file a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD)
If after all these actions the illegitimate calls continue, you can report the situation:
- Gather evidence: Call logs, screenshots, documents where you exercised your right to object.
- Identify the sender: Try to write down the company name, number, and reason for the call.
- Include copies of communications, company responses and/or acknowledgments of receipt.
- Submit the claim at the electronic headquarters of the .
- You can also turn to voluntary mediation systems like AUTOCONTROL if the company is a member and you don't receive a response.
Frequently Asked Questions About Unwanted Commercial Calls
- Why do I keep receiving calls after signing up for the Robinson List?
Because the law allows exceptions (if you are a customer, you gave your consent, or the company is operating from outside the country). - Do anti-spam apps access my personal data?
The most reputable ones comply with privacy laws. Always check the permissions before installing. - What should I do if I receive threats or extortion by phone?
Report the matter immediately to the police and the AEPD (Spanish Agency for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities). Keep all possible evidence.
Are there any advantages to business calls?
On rare occasions, they may provide information about useful products or interesting discounts, but overuse of this channel leads to a negative perception. Always exercise your right to choose which communications you receive, without giving up relevant information.
Putting an end to unwanted commercial calls is possible if you know and apply all the methods available to you: from registering on the Robinson List and effectively using your phone's blocking options to filing a complaint in cases of repeated harassment. Demanding respect for your privacy is your right, and there are increasingly more resources and safeguards to protect your peace of mind against the abuse of telephone advertising.
