To coincide with the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has tailored its SignalConso platform to English-speaking consumers, providing an English translation of the website and app for tourists to use during their stay in France
Overcharging for transport fares, hotel rooms not matching their descriptions, fraudulent service offerings and counterfeit goods: just like any consumer, foreign visitors need to be protected. To guarantee them the utmost protection during their stay, particularly during the major sporting events that France is preparing to host, the DGCCRF has launched an English version of the SignalConso platform, available online and in the form of a mobile app.
With almost 580,000 reports filed on SignalConso since 2020 – with nearly 14% concerning tourism-oriented industries (travel, entertainment, cafés/restaurants) – French consumers recognise the value of this free, portable, and user-friendly tool, and the SignalConso smartphone app has been downloaded by more than 100,000 consumers so far. Its English version, released today, allows international tourists to report any consumer issues (e.g. lack of information, hidden services, defective or dangerous products/services) and contact a trader (physical and online stores, entertainment, transport, cafés/restaurants) with just a few clicks. With out-of-court settlements of disputes encouraged between consumers and traders, non-French-speaking visitors can now use SignalConso to find solutions to any consumer issues that may arise during their stay.
Lastly, with this move to improve SignalConso's accessibility to foreign visitors, the DGCCRF will be able to more quickly detect emerging cases of fraud targeting tourists and identify traders who are reported on numerous occasions in tourist-oriented industries.
To promote this new service to foreign audiences, the DGCCRF will launch a national and international press campaign and post video messages on social networks, which will be circulated
by tourism and sport stakeholders and by French and European consumer associations and government departments in France and abroad.
Olivia Grégoire, French Minister Delegate with responsibility for Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Craft Industries and Tourism, said: "As the world's top tourist destination, France is responsible for protecting the economic interests of the millions of visitors arriving every year. SignalConso is a practical and innovative tool that has already proved its worth to French consumers and their purchasing power. By introducing a reporting procedure designed for English- speaking consumers, the app now offers a more complete service to address the challenges posed by the major sporting events that will bring together the country over the coming days and months".
Useful links:
- SignalConso – Report an issue with a trader
- FAQ – 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Download the SignalConso app on the App Store:
- Download the SignalConso app on the Play Store:
Press contacts:
DGCCRF Press Office: 01 44 97 23 91 – presse@dgccrf.finances.gouv.fr
Olivia Grégoire's Office: 01 53 18 46 23 – presse.mpme@cabinets.finances.gouv.fr
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