Overview
- Legal experts say a single recorded “yes” generally does not create a binding contract, and courts typically reject audio clips as proof.
- Consumer groups advise avoiding one-word replies, using neutral greetings, and answering in full sentences to deny scammers usable snippets.
- Buyers who agreed to an offer by phone can usually withdraw within 14 days and should send a written revocation by registered mail and email.
- The Bundesnetzagentur reports more than 37,000 complaints about unsolicited telemarketing in the past year, underscoring the scale of the problem.
- An industry group reports the “Kölner Masche” variant increasingly operates from abroad, with follow-up invoices and threats such as debt collection or Schufa warnings to pressure victims.