Delivery problem, defective product, scam on the internet... You will now be able to report any problem with a company directly from your phone, in just a few clicks. Three years after the creation of the SignalConso site, the government announced on Monday the implementation of the mobile version of this service, in order to simplify the procedures for consumers. The free application, presented by Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate for SMEs, Trade, Crafts and Tourism, offers any individual to use this intermediary in the event of a consumer dispute with a company. "With SignalConso, we have set up an innovative method that no longer aims to bring information from the administration to the consumer but to bring it back from the consumer to the administration," says the minister.
500,000 reports
Since its launch in 2020, the SignalConso site allowed consumers to report any situation they deemed unusual, or to refer the matter to an agent of the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF), who could intervene if necessary, especially in the case of regular reports. The company, directly notified, can respond to the consumer, in the event that he has decided to transmit his contact details, in order to find an amicable solution. Since its launch, the SignalConso site has been used by more than 320,000 consumers. The platform has registered 500,000 reports, including 75,000 for online purchases and 23,000 for in-store purchases, according to a statement from the Ministry of Economy. 55,000 professionals have created their account on the platform: 66% read the reports sent to them and 88% respond. "Most companies take into account what is reported and correct," said Sarah Lacoche, the new director general of the DGCCRF.
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Adapting to consumer needs
The application offers the same functionalities as the online platform, but several changes have been put in place to simplify reporting: the "dispute related to a purchase" course has been split in order to distinguish purchases on the internet, which represent nearly half of reports, from those in store: 15 agents of the DGCCRF are part of the "influencer brigade". The category "abusive canvassing" has been revised to be able to report cold calling carried out outside scheduled hours, or carried out too regularly. Finally, in view of the Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, SignalConso is developing a route for "major sporting events" in French and English, in order to anticipate possible consumer disputes that visitors may face.
This new tool will make it easier for the DGCCRF to target emerging issues, especially in cases where a company has received many reports. Depending on the seriousness and frequency of the situation, or the quality of the company's response, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control may initiate a control, an investigation, and possibly a sanction. The administration also wants to encourage more professionals to read the reports made by consumers. The DGCCRF claims to have identified the sectors of activity using this service too little, and wishes to meet them in order to guarantee an improvement of SignalConso, but also greater efficiency in the treatment of consumer disputes: the average response time of companies is currently 9 to 10 days.