Pushy Salesmen and their techniques on elderly people

lisae03

I am so angry. My dear old granny and her partner got a phone call last week informing them they had won £500 of High Street Vouchers and also that they will be going in a draw to 'win' a bed. Craftmatic UK Ltd arranged to visit my gran to for what she believed was to give her the vouchers and enter her into the draw. He turned up and we're there for 3 and a half hours pushing her to buy the bed. She said they wanted to sleep on it and make a decision then. He dropped the price 3 times over the course of the afternoon and even rang back mintues after the sales person had left saying that he could not wait till tomorrow. The other day when I was there my Gran insisted to me that she did not want the bed as she has just paid £599 on a new matress and yet over night she seriously considered weather she could afford it or not.

I've just rang there customer service only to be hung up on and when I rang back and said we seemed to have disconnected we continued a breif chat where he said he did not believe me and that their slors are only 3 hours long and that my Gran knew it would be. What utter Bull. I would like to make an official complaint but fear that they are within their rights to do what they have done?

Ivory_Tinkler

This same company visited a relative of mine trying to sell her a bed for a ridiculous price. Luckily I turned up literally minutes before she'd signed a finance agreement and agreed to buy a bed and I turfed the salesman out, rang the company the next day and told them never to call on her again. As far as I am aware, there are rules when purchasing from a salesman in your own home and you get a cooling off period so she can cancel anything she's signed up for. I'm sure there will be other posters along soon to give further advice but you might want to call Consumer Direct and run the story by them and they will tell you exactly what to do.

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure from your post whether your Gran did go ahead and purchase a bed/mattress or if this was from elsewhere but this company really are underhand and use pressure to sell to vunerable and old people. Shame on them.

lisae03

Thanks for your reply. I took your advice and rang consumer direct who are concerned. My Grans partner signed something to confirm their details were correct. I need to go and see if they have been left paper work really to check they haven't been conned. However as far as my Gran is concerned she did not make any commitment to them and they are calling back this evening for her decision. I've told my Gran they are known for this as I pulled this info up of the net. My Gran doesn't realise how concerned I am and that I've rang Craftmatics Customer service and consumer direct as I don't wan tto worry her anymore than I have to!

Tim_Deegan

Craftmatic have actually been on either Watchdog or Rogue Traders for using these very same sales tactics. Also there have been many other companies set up using the same methods. There is a whole thread on the same subject here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=374289&highlight=powermatic

Contact consumer direct immediately, as you can guarantee that they know about Craftmatic, and the more evidence against them the better.

Poppycat

I have heard bad things about there sales techniques its about time they were closed down

Tim_Deegan

The trouble is that each time they are shut down, they open up under another name :mad: