“You were a customer” is no longer enough for Dutch sales calls

When a caller says, “You used to be our customer,” that sentence is generally no longer enough to justify a Dutch sales call. Since 1 July 2026, ordinary businesses need explicit consent even when the person is or was a customer. Limited relationship-based exceptions remain for charities, lotteries that support good causes, and publishers of newspapers or magazines. Valid consent cannot be produced through pressure, pre-ticked boxes or a vague purpose; the organisation’s number must be visible and withdrawal must be easy. If a caller cannot explain when and why permission was given, ask the organisation to stop and record the time, number and company name. That record makes a later report to ConsuWijzer more useful than a memory of the conversation alone.

• Ordinary businesses need prior explicit consent for sales calls from 1 July.
• A current or former customer relationship is generally no longer sufficient.
• Charities, qualifying lotteries and newspaper or magazine publishers have limited exceptions.
• Consent must be specific and withdrawable; pre-ticked boxes and anonymous calls fail the rules.

Hokimi field note: Do not spend a pressured call debating. Ask for the consent source, withdraw it clearly, then save the number and time.

Information verified 2026-08-14 · Source 1