After DN’s disclosure about how the telemarketing company Effective Communication used ugly sales methods against the elderly when they sold the Social Democrats’ lottery tickets, there has been enormous criticism of the party.
In addition, the company believes that Kombispel has had full insight into how they operated from the Spanish city of Barcelona when they sold S-lotteries.
“It is always our clients who set the framework for our collaboration, so also with Kombispel. Kombispel has approved our sales scripts, provided us with call lists and we have had recurring quality meetings during our collaboration and we have not received any indications that there would be dissatisfaction from them,” the company writes to TV4 Nyheterna.
Magdalena Andersson’s first words
According to information given to TV4 Nyheterna, information about the misleading sale must have been presented to some leading Social Democrats as early as 2019. The Social Democrats’ party leader Magdalena Andersson has been silent since the lottery scandal broke and the pressure has been great for her to speak out.
Now she does.
– I am deeply disappointed and frankly pissed off. It is in direct conflict with what social democracy is and what values we are based on, she tells TT.
Then they found out
When asked if the party leadership should have intervened earlier, she replies that they did not know anything until DN published its review.
– We became aware of this in connection with DN’s review and then we acted. Problems have come up in the past and then collaborations with companies that are judged to have too aggressive sales methods have also been terminated, says Magdalena Andersson to TT.
She emphasizes that it is good that DN has done the review and that the problems are raised. To the elderly affected by the ugly sales methods, she says:
– If you feel that it has been aggressive and that you have been treated badly, then you should contact the company (Kombilotteriet), then you will be able to have a dialogue, you can also report it to the Swedish Consumer Agency, she says.
Going to clean house
At a press conference together with press secretary Tobias Baudin, Magdalena Andersson says that she is disappointed and pissed off.
– It is unacceptable and it is quite obvious that Kombispel has failed to supervise this company it hired, she says and continues:
– Now there is a new CEO and a new chairman in place and a new board is to be elected at an extraordinary general meeting. They have been given a clear mission: to clean house and ensure that the company’s operations are imbued with the values of social democracy, she says.