In Italy, a commercial cannot be played to the person being called, a limit imposed after the government's privacy ombudsman objected. Italian authorities also banned ads for tobacco and alcohol, to prevent children from hearing them. Ander said Swedish authorities raised no such objections, though Gratistelefon imposed some rules of its own, agreeing, for instance, not to accept tobacco or alcohol ads or religious or political announcements. Explaining how he got started, Balestri said his experience with telephone marketing convinced him that consumers were not reaping the benefits of the changes sweeping European phone companies as national monopolies crumbled. Thus, Balestri limited his company's service to families and small businesses with two or three lines.
Subscribers say the savings are striking.
When in a hurry, he often dials a number directly to avoid the delay. He is also embarrassed to use the service if a client is in the office, he said. Advertisers say people follow up on the ads. Fulvio Passaglia runs a tire store on the edge of Viareggio. I'd say I'm very satisfied.