I suspect we've all come up against this one with our vulnerable loved ones living at home as my parents were until very recently.
In running my parents' affairs for them over the past year since I registered the EPOA, I am discovering that they have been targetted, either over the telephone or via door to door salesmen selling them new electricity/gas supplies. And my parents, in their vulnerability, have signed contracts, given bank account details for direct debits, etc. etc.
I have successfully challenged one supplier and succeeded in having the salesman in question formerly warned by his employers, but I know there are a whole lot more out there. The local trading standards office gave me a supply of stickers to put on my parents' front door discouraging salesmen but this doesn't work too well and also a lot of this sort of business is transacted over the 'phone.
I'm sure we're all aware of dodgy salesmen from businesses such as roofing, plumbing etc., but it is I think appalling that so-called "respectable" energy suppliers are employing these ruthless salesmen.
Another of my "rants", I'm afraid.... although I'm tempted to contact the press, e.g. the Daily Mail "Dignity for the Elderly" campaign...
In running my parents' affairs for them over the past year since I registered the EPOA, I am discovering that they have been targetted, either over the telephone or via door to door salesmen selling them new electricity/gas supplies. And my parents, in their vulnerability, have signed contracts, given bank account details for direct debits, etc. etc.
I have successfully challenged one supplier and succeeded in having the salesman in question formerly warned by his employers, but I know there are a whole lot more out there. The local trading standards office gave me a supply of stickers to put on my parents' front door discouraging salesmen but this doesn't work too well and also a lot of this sort of business is transacted over the 'phone.
I'm sure we're all aware of dodgy salesmen from businesses such as roofing, plumbing etc., but it is I think appalling that so-called "respectable" energy suppliers are employing these ruthless salesmen.
Another of my "rants", I'm afraid.... although I'm tempted to contact the press, e.g. the Daily Mail "Dignity for the Elderly" campaign...