Dodgy Government Grant Improvement Firm

[securespark]

My Mum got a leaflet from one of these companies which had a picture of a local councillor and mentioned the NHS.

It offered a heating upgrade under some kind of grant.

She rang them to find out more.

They asked my Mum whether she had any health conditions and she gave her details, including her DoB.

They rang back another evening and told her, "Good news, the doctor has approved your conditions."

My Mum asked how, as nobody had been in contact with her medical professionals.

They told her "Oh no, we have our own doctors."

By this time, Mum was smelling a large rodent.

She told them she didn't want to go ahead with any survey or work.

They told her she had already agreed to a survey and they were coming round.

She hasn't signed anything and there was no mention of a cooling-off period.

She asked someone to speak with them and they told them that she didn't want to do business with a company like theirs and that if anyone turned up to survey the property, they would call the police.

It didn't seem to have the desired effect, the person saying that the surveys were booked in now and couldn't possibly be cancelled so they repeated it and that seemed to have some effect. The person helping Mum has offered to go round on the two survey dates in case they do turn up.

Mum is generally trusting and doesn't use her door chain. She has a Guardian blocker on her phone, but sometimes lets calls through.

I'm really worried about her now and will have to try and convince her to always use the chain and never to answer the door after dark.

Also, I will need to make sure she doesn't let calls through if she doesn't recognise the number. They can always leave her a message.

Has anyone got any advice?

 

[DAZB]

Get a Ring doorbell or similar and set it to notify your mobile when anybody calls.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

My Mum got a leaflet from one of these companies which had a picture of a local councillor and mentioned the NHS.

Has anyone got any advice

Tough position to be in.

Contacting that Councillor would be my 1st step. He might not be involved with the company. In which case he might be interested in helping out too.

Or if he is involved you can tell him direct.

 

[Bod ...]

Are you sure they are legitimate?

 

[motorbiking]

If she has a leaflet, we assume she has an email address or address?

While contracts can be formed over the phone she does have a right to cancel.

She simply sends a cancellation notice.

Dear sirs,

Further to my call on date x, I am confirming that any appointment, survey, contract for product or services or any other matter discussed, which you may feel I have agreed to, is cancelled in accordance with my rights.

 

[Koolpc]

Just ignore them totally.....

 

[securespark]

Tough position to be in.

Contacting that Councillor would be my 1st step. He might not be involved with the company. In which case he might be interested in helping out too.

Or if he is involved you can tell him direct.

Yes, going to do that, thanks.

Are you sure they are legitimate?

They are a registered company, but I feel they employ high pressure sales techniques and duck the law, eg the cooling off period.

If she has a leaflet, we assume she has an email address or address?

While contracts can be formed over the phone she does have a right to cancel.

She simply sends a cancellation notice.

Dear sirs,

Further to my call on date x, I am confirming that any appointment, survey, contract for product or services or any other matter discussed, which you may feel I have agreed to, is cancelled in accordance with my rights.

Yes, I'll ask her.

 

[securespark]

Just looked it up. The cooling off period applies only to items or services that have been purchased. So I guess she cannot cancel something she has not paid for.

 

[motorbiking]

No you misunderstand.

She can agree a contract over the phone and the fact she has not paid is irrelevant. I’m not suggesting she has.

A contract is formed if there is an offer, consideration (usually £) and acceptance.

Payment is not relevant.

If she said on the call she wants to cancel it’s enough. An email confirmation is better.

 

[Mottie]

We have a video doorbell and a camera in the house for Mrs Motties mum and that helped us preventing her from signing up to a chugger a few weeks ago.

I came home to Mrs Mottie having words with someone on the phone which is most unlike her. Apparently, her mother (who has dementia) had phoned her up earlier to ask her what her own phone number was! When Mrs Mottie asked her why, she said she was filling a form in. When questioned further, she said it was "for the blind". Mrs Mottie said to leave it and she'd help her with the form when she comes down on Friday but her mum said "they’re here now". Turned out it was a doorstep chugger for GOSH getting her mum to sign up for a regular donation so Mrs Mottie asked to speak to her and politely asked her to leave some literature and she would speak to her mother when she came down. The chugger said okay. I came in about 10 minutes after that but Mrs Mottie had logged in to a camera in the lounge five minute after being told that she was leaving and the fùcker was still there trying to get her mum to sign up. She phoned her mum straight back up and asked for them to be put back on and when I walked in she was having a go at her and told her if she didn’t leave her mums house immediately, she'd phone her mums neighbour up and get her husband to throw her out of the house. She went, but not before telling Mrs Mottie to "enjoy the rest of your day". Cheeky fùcker. Mrs Mottie was fuming and will be phoning them up tomorrow to make a complaint. Looking online at their doorstep collectors code of conduct, she's broken it on almost every level. We’re not even sure she was genuine so Mrs Motties sister froze her mums cards.

 

[fillyboy]

Get a Ring doorbell or similar and set it to notify your mobile when anybody calls.

I got Mrs filly one a few years back at her request. My understanding was that if someone rings the bell, you can communicate via your smart phone or watch, I'm not in, leave the parcel round the back, that sort of thing.
Anyway, fitted it and a week later, I got home from work about 3pm, Mrs filly never gets home till six, so I had a cup of tea, an hours nap and watched 'The Chase' on telly. Mrs gets in at 6, hard day? she asks, yeah, what time did you get home, oh about 15 minutes ago.
That's odd she said, I got a video on my watch of you reversing into the drive at about 3.

 

[Mottie]

I got Mrs filly one a few years back at her request. My understanding was that if someone rings the bell, you can communicate via your smart phone or watch, I'm not in, leave the parcel round the back, that sort of thing.
Anyway, fitted it and a week later, I got home from work about 3pm, Mrs filly never gets home till six, so I had a cup of tea, an hours nap and watched 'The Chase' on telly. Mrs gets in at 6, hard day? she asks, yeah, what time did you get home, oh about 15 minutes ago.
That's odd she said, I got a video on my watch of you reversing into the drive at about 3.

You can delete those video clips soon after they happen.

 

[fillyboy]

You can delete those video clips soon after they happen.

I don't have access to the app.

 

[Brigadier]

I don't have access to the app.

You've played yourself there

 

[fillyboy]

Done up like a kipper.