The sick traders targeting your Gran

No-one's safe from these devious traders, who are happy to take advantage of the old and infirm to make a quick buck.

Older and disabled people are increasingly being targeted by traders employing high pressure sales techniques, flogging mobility aids like scooters, stairlifts and adjustable beds, according to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Indeed, just last year Consumer Direct reported a whopping 4,500 calls from people complaining or asking for advice about mobility aids.

It’s pretty sick that such vulnerable people are being targeted in this way. So what methods are these traders employing? And what can we do to ensure our parents and grandparents don’t come a cropper?

Pushy sales techniques

The issues tend to arise from traders who partake in doorstep selling.

While the OFT was keen to emphasise that the majority of doorstep sellers treat potential customers fairly, a small minority engage in some really unfair sales practices.

These may involve high-pressure techniques, such as the salesman suggesting the deal they are offering will only be available for a very small period of time, or even that the deal needs to be signed there and then.

The OFT’s investigation also uncovered traders employing misleading sales techniques – in other words, lying in order to make a sale. Indeed the body has opened investigations against two national mobility aid traders due to their potentially misleading actions, and should they be found guilty, they will face enforcement action.

These high-pressure sales techniques are nothing new. I know in the past that doorstep traders have tried them with me for everything from vacuum cleaners to energy tariffs. But using them on some of the most vulnerable people in society – those getting on in years, or the disabled – is beyond twisted.

My grandparents live in a warden-monitored apartment now, which I know is a weight off my parents’ mind as they know that they will not be subjected to doorstep traders trying to take advantage of them. But the older members of my wife’s family don’t live in such an environment, which does worry us, as at any moment they may be caught out.

How to buy safely

The problem is big enough that the OFT has launched a consumer awareness campaign alongside Trading Standards and a number of charities so that older consumers are prepared for what they may encounter with doorstep sellers. Here’s what you need to remember before you hand over any money, so make sure any older relatives are up to speed!

• If you are put under pressure to make a purchase, have the confidence to say no.
• Make sure you’re clear on what you are signing up for. Do you fully understand the costs and know whether extras like warranties, on-going service charges and installation are included.
• Always shop around to compare prices and products. The OFT’s study found that prices for a mobility scooter can vary by as much as £3,000!
• Get a second opinion from someone you trust.
• If you spend more than £35 with a doorstep trader, you usually have seven days in which to cancel, so don’t feel that once you sign on for the deal you are trapped into it.

If you believe that you have been treated unfairly, be sure to contact Consumer Direct.

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