Ripped off again.

LizzyA

Registered User
Feb 21, 2013
72
0
Near Reading
I went to mum's house this morning to check post etc as she's been in hospital for the last 10 days, again....Found she'd taken out a PC protection plan from a company called PC Protect. She doesn't even have a PC and would have needed considerable encouragement to even find her bank details, which she handed over.

I've tried calling them but they're not awake yet so have sent a fairly assertive cancellation email. I'm raging. She's ex-directory and vulnerable. It must have been so obvious that she has dementia. Horrid people.

Thanks for listening xx
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Once again to all carers of folk with dementia. Note the security number from the back of the card and then scratch it out so it cannot be given over the phone. Curses on the heads of all of these fraudsters!!
 

Skyrim

Registered User
Jun 19, 2015
37
0
Time to think about a Financial POA, if she's still got capacity or, more efficient for things like this, asking the bank for help. We got MIL to agree to a joint signatory-type agreement which enabked us to stop her spending a fortune on charitable schemes. It also came in handy when the LA decided to re-start a cancelled direct debit without her permission.
Bank staff seem quite knowledgable and sympathetic about dementia...I cound HSBC staff in my area had been given training and have specialist staff to help. Try to get a block put on any further payments....a letter of authorisation signed by your mum may be acceptable and then try to get something in pkace to syop this happening i. Future. Sadly, there are a lot of swindlers who will take advantage of people in her position.
 

Witzend

Registered User
Aug 29, 2007
4,283
0
SW London
Since it must have been obvious to the 'salesperson' that your mum was vulnerable, I can't help wondering whether he/she was working from one of the 'suckers' lists' we read about, i.e. lists of the vulnerable or naive and easily persuaded. Apparently it's the case that dodgy businesses with no scruples sell these lists on to each other.

At any rate, it is sickening, and if you don't get an apology and a refund PDQ then personally I would have no hesitation in telling them I will pass the story to the Daily Wail - I'm sure they'd love it.
 

Ann Mac

Registered User
Oct 17, 2013
3,693
0
I went to mum's house this morning to check post etc as she's been in hospital for the last 10 days, again....Found she'd taken out a PC protection plan from a company called PC Protect. She doesn't even have a PC and would have needed considerable encouragement to even find her bank details, which she handed over.

I've tried calling them but they're not awake yet so have sent a fairly assertive cancellation email. I'm raging. She's ex-directory and vulnerable. It must have been so obvious that she has dementia. Horrid people.

Thanks for listening xx

I got so sick of dealing with companies like this, with Mil. BT were bloody useless, because one of these horrible cold callers had got her to agree to her details being shared, they said there was nothing they could do. Then a few weeks after I had spoken to them, BT themselves made a 'customer service' call. Despite her already having Sky, she was talked into a BT vision box, a BT hub and a rather expensive viewing and internet package - like your Mum, she had never had a computer :mad:

These cold callers and rip off merchants are really the scum of the earth :(
 

JayGun

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
291
0
I got so sick of dealing with companies like this, with Mil. BT were bloody useless, because one of these horrible cold callers had got her to agree to her details being shared, they said there was nothing they could do. Then a few weeks after I had spoken to them, BT themselves made a 'customer service' call. Despite her already having Sky, she was talked into a BT vision box, a BT hub and a rather expensive viewing and internet package - like your Mum, she had never had a computer :mad:

These cold callers and rip off merchants are really the scum of the earth :(

Utter scum. We've just ordered a true call box which means mother in law will only receive calls from people she knows. All unknown numbers will just get a recorded message. She's got charities that call her every week asking her to give her card details or failing that send money and last year she gave some random on the phone all the address and contact details for her granddaughter away at university including all the names of her pets that she could remember. She has also told somebody on the phone chapter and verse who was asking questions about her neighbours.
 

CynthsDaugh

Registered User
May 5, 2015
139
0
Salford, Lancashire
These cold callers are scum! I'm convinced some use random number generators as a few months ago my Mum was called by a PPI claim company on her mobile and only myself and my sister have that number. Luckily she said they would have to speak to me and took down their number. I called them back from a withheld number and had to get a bit nasty with them to get her number off the list, they even started asking did I have any PPI to claim! If this had come before Mum moved in with me I'm sure they would have got details from Mum.



Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point
 

LizzyA

Registered User
Feb 21, 2013
72
0
Near Reading
Thank you all for your replies. On one hand it's nice not to be alone, but on the other, it is disgusting and upsetting.

Mum is still in the hospital. I didn't want to ruin my visit by discussing something that wouldn't be remembered in any way. My brother has checked her account today and a few organisations, all in Bournemouth, have been taking money from her account, undoubtedly with her consent. To say I'm sickened is an understatement.

So we'll be taking the cards etc away from her and getting her social worker to confirm that mum no longer has capacity. Another stage is reached, with more heartache.
 

Flake

Registered User
Mar 9, 2015
222
0
I have taken my mums cards and I give her cash for her spending. I have POA for both financial and health and welfare. She still gets calls from so called salespeople for solar panels, surveys etc. I am getting so rude to them as my Mum is now on a slow decline and spends alot of time in bed. Something must be done to stop these uncaring and unscrupulous people :mad:
 

Bree

Registered User
Oct 16, 2013
246
0
These cold callers invade your privacy at all hours of the day and night. People suffering from dementia are very vulnerable, MOH was talked into giving our bank details whilst I was out in the garden, to buy a product we didn't want.

Thankfully when I rang the company concerned, they refunded the money and cancelled the item, but not all are honest or trustworthy. If the government made cold calling illegal, as it should in my opinion, we wouldn't be facing these problems.
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
This is awful for you and for her. We had a couple of incidents but we live really close by and so we could turn the ringer off the phone for periods of time when my Ma was alone and she lost interest and didn't want the phone

I reported all incidents to the police as well as emailing the companies involved. There are agencies for complaints about cold callers...but I can't think tonight. I 'll try to find out
 

Jesskle66

Registered User
Jul 5, 2014
99
0
I have just in the last two weeks been given deputyship of my mum's financial and property affairs. It has taken just over a week for the bank to add me over to the account and get access to statements. What I have found has been a similar story, but on a wider scale. BT broadband when she didn't have a computer, sky packages that she never used, charity donations of almost 200 pounds a month (she is on state pension and that's all). I can only think that these were via cold calling. I have now managed to cancel all these outgoings after a few choice phone calls to the companies involved. I feel that mum has been exploited and goodness only knows how much has been spent on things she hasn't used or has been persuaded to donate to. Sickening. I am going to write to my MP about it, don't really know what else I can do.
 

sah

Registered User
Apr 20, 2009
332
0
Dorset
I've now unplugged the home phone line as OH was getting so many calls. My son and myself just rely on our mobiles. Easier to do as we live with the AD sufferer, but still a problem as I can't tell everyone and I know I'm missing messages. But he was too vulnerable so it had to be done. Last day it was on, my son came home to hear OH shouting that ' I don't want to move my money' to some unknown caller.

Also put a stop to the -'is the 'phone set up correctly ' which greeted us every time we got in from work-which, I must admit, was diving us a tad insane! He can't make calls but can answer on his mobile and still gets junk texts/calls on there. But won't part from it as he texts his daughters goodnight every evening. I wish there was more serious action taken against these firms.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
I've now unplugged the home phone line as OH was getting so many calls. My son and myself just rely on our mobiles. Easier to do as we live with the AD sufferer, but still a problem as I can't tell everyone and I know I'm missing messages.

Rather than unplug it can you switch it to silent and check for messages on a daily basis?
 

LizzyA

Registered User
Feb 21, 2013
72
0
Near Reading
Not surprisingly I've heard nothing back from the company. But we've cancelled all cards, stopped payments where we can and are in the process of changing the phone number and starting the 'doesn't have capacity' conversation with mum's social worker.

Sad isn't it. Sorry that so many of you have had similar experiences.

On the positive side, mum came out of hospital yday and seems ok, for now x