Le Raincy bans door-to-door sales to protect its elderly, a first in its department

by Clarisse Fontaine

People walking in Le Raincy’s centre, photo by Clarisse Fontaine

Door-to-door soliciting is officially prohibited in Le Raincy since September 1st, the city hall’s latest move to protect its elderly and vulnerable residents from harmful commercial practices turned financially abusive. Citizens had reported cases of aggressive sales tactics.

By issuing a decree, Le Raincy has become the first city in its department to tackle the issue legally.

Those mostly affected by this practice are the elderly who tend to “get scammed” by buying “something that they don’t need, and often at a very high price,” remarked Jean-Laurent Turbet, the mayor’s cabinet director when interviewed in his office.

In a city where over 21% of the population consists of people over 60, the elderly’s vulnerability to scams puts them at risk of robberies. Turbet went on to share that police sources warned him that soliciting can be a way to scout people’s homes for valuables.

“They can peek into the home to see if there’s anything of value. Paintings, jewelry lying around… It’s scouting that can later be used for burglaries.”

French law already bans door-to-door sales on people who inform companies that they do not consent to being solicited. Infractions to this rule can result in a one-year prison sentence and a 150 000 euros fee.

But French cities have the power to ban the practice entirely. Le Raincy passed its decree after a series of scams “plagued” its town, shared the mayor, Jean-Michel Genestier, in an interview for Sud Radio.

Maurice, 70, fell victim to one of these scams.

Salesmen showed up to his doorstep multiple times a day, and he eventually paid three people 300 euros for three days’ worth of work on his house’s façade.

They only stayed for a day, and the 70-year-old recalled having to redo the work himself. “They did appalling work, and they were threatening. (…) I don’t trust these people; they sell just about anything,” he vented outside the town hall while waiting for a friend’s wedding to start.

Maurice is relieved about the ban, admitting that his bad experience left him disillusioned about their intentions.

“I don’t let myself be pushed around anymore. I felt guilty for letting them get to me,” admitted Maurice.

“It was distressing,” Sylvie confided with an offbeat smile. The 67-year-old once warned pushy salesmen she would call the authorities when they approached her while she was home alone. “They wouldn’t leave, and they were aggressive. I responded to their aggressivity with my own.”

The new ban doesn’t concern associations asking for caritative donations.

“Traditionally, firefighters come to sell their calendars. The firefighters will just have to apply to the town hall,” explained Turbet. “Then, of course, they will be authorized to sell the firefighters’ or the Red Cross calendars.”

The Red Cross already follows this procedure regardless of town rules.

“Whenever we have a fundraising campaign, it’s under the authorization from the prefecture and the town hall,” shared Christèle Lambert-Côme, head of the Red Cross press service over the phone.

Le Raincy residents approved of a measure exempting NGOs, but numerous seniors voiced concerns about receiving a high volume of commercial phone calls.

According to the mayor’s cabinet director, the town’s jurisdiction on this issue remains limited. “For now, we just banned door-to-door sales,” sighed a resigned Turbet. “For commercial phone calls, it’s a matter of the French state.”

The French government has voted in a law which will take effect in August 2026 and bans commercial phone calls across all sectors unless firms have explicit consumer consent.