great british mobility

Takoda

Trading Standards dealt effectively with Compass Mobility so my advice is to check with them.

Grandpappajim

Hi Folks,

I am astounded that this company has got away with ripping so many people off and nobody is doing a thing about it. I am in the same position as you diggerman, they are trying to rip an elderly member of myfamily off. I checked at company house to get the home addresses of the directors, but the sly foxes have put their addresses down as the same as the business address, perfectly legal but most directors put their home address, but then most directors haven’t got something to hide.

I think the only way to win this one is to do it in well organised numbers. If I can find 20 or 30 people that have/are being ripped off by this company I will bring them to book. If anyone wants to join me, please let me know and I will get in touch with newspapers MPs TV any anyone I think can help. As an individual these folk don’t take much interest but as a group they will sit up and listen.

beardedbenito

I would not normally write a comment on a forum about a company unless I REALLY had something to say. Well I do...

I was visiting my grandmother and she happened to mention that she had invited these guys over to give a quote. To be honest I was a quite annoyed as I had told her to talk to me before she got people over, but I guess I was just thankful that I found out before the rep came over.

Pleasant at first, said he was different to other salesmen.. gives you a price and that is that, does not push for the sale and will not keep dropping the price. We were assured that they first price he gave us would be the price he stuck with.

This turned out to be very far from the truth. He called his manager at least three times after repeatedly being told we were not interested... everytime the price dropped. Started at £4,800 for a chair and sofa, then it went to £4,400. My grandma was not interested at that price (they of course do not give you prices over the phone... you have to have a rep visit "to find the chair that suits you best"). He then tried to sell just the one chair, no joke, the price started at £3,120 then £2,995 then £2,880, then £2,500 then dropped to £2,000. WOW, if I was not angry with him before, I really was now. He wanted the sale so much. He persuaded my grandma with the price.. she really wanted to buy but I put my foot down and said no. He then sided with my grandma! The cheek.

Thankfully, while he was giving his sales pitch, I popped onto MSE to check the reaction of others. I started the make a list of questions to ask him. He then sat next to me and peered over to see what I was writing. After 2 1/2 hours he left. What a waste of my time.

I have no comment to make on the actual sofas but the sales pitch is really wrong.

Do NOT let your loved ones be alone with these reps.

beardedbenito

I now see that the Great British Mobility company is in receivership with a voluntary arrangement. For those looking for the addresses of the directors - this is still possible you need to get hold of the 363a annual return that was filed at companies house on 08/10/2008. This lists the addresses of all the directors.

It was also noted that Peter Kitson is director of this company. He is also a director of the following companies:
Gardening Offers Limited
The European Mobility Group Ltd
The Grey Group Limited
The Mobility Rental Group Ltd
The Great British Bathing Company Limited
Beds & Chairs Direct Limited
The Great British Scooter Company Limited
The Great British Bed Company Limited

I hope this helps somebody

trumpton

I would advise anyone dealing with a mobility company to make sure that everything is done in writing and by registered post/recorded delivery. Keep notes of every phone call. In fact, if you do not get an immediate response and refund go straight to Trading Standards and ask them to pursue it for you. Many dodgy mobility companies rely on the fact that their victims are elderly and do not have the energy, health, or determination to pursue a complaint.

Consumer Direct: 08454 04 05 06

Remember, even if they come to your home by your invitation, you still have 10 days FROM DELIVERY to send the chair or bed back.

Another common tactic - see the threads on Virgo Healthcare, Compass Mobility, Reo Marketing, and numerous bed companies run by Amanda Goor, Lorraine Bryan, and Damian O'Reilly, in Leeds - is to liquidate one company and then immediately start another plying the same trade of pressure selling to the elderly. This allows them to move all assets to a new company whilst not refunding creditors.

Best advice is not to allow a mobility salesman into your own or a relatives home, or if you must, have someone there with you. Always pay by credit card and then you have some come back through the card company. If they don't take credit cards - ask yourself why? Because credit companies won't let them, or they know the credit card company will pursue them for refunds.

This area needs much tougher legislation. The kind of scum who run dodgy mobility companies just keep coming back as ripping off the elderly is so lucrative.

JohnG

One of my elderly customers had a very close call with this mob in the last few days - they were supposed to come to her home complete with a bed for demonstration purposes which she was interested in. The chap, arrived without said bed but spent about 2-3 hours from what I can gather, chatting away, much of the time talking about anything other than the bed, he didnt mention the price of the (3' width) bed itself until right at the end which was about £1,800!! What I couldnt believe was this elderly lady who is normally very very savvy parted with a deposit of £800! I think she knew straight away that she'd been a fool but didn't act on her instincts to stop the payment.

Thankfully, though, a neighbour of hers, upon hearing what she'd done a few days later acted swiftly and just managed to get the cheque stopped in time. :T

I've just spoken to her to let her know of the various discussions about the GB Mob, she's obviously mightily relieved to of escaped their clutches.
Interestingly she was telling me a little earlier this evening, that she had taken a call from an unknown female who said "You are a . . . . . . . ." who then put the phone down. She couldn't make out what she actually said but it was almost certainly something unpleasant so I rather suspect it was someone from the GB Mob in discovering the cheque had been stopped. Unfortunately the number was not available so we will never know.

hioneday

beardedbenito wrote: »

I now see that the Great British Mobility company is in receivership with a voluntary arrangement. For those looking for the addresses of the directors - this is still possible you need to get hold of the 363a annual return that was filed at companies house on 08/10/2008. This lists the addresses of all the directors.

It was also noted that Peter Kitson is director of this company. He is also a director of the following companies:
Gardening Offers Limited
The European Mobility Group Ltd
The Grey Group Limited
The Mobility Rental Group Ltd
The Great British Bathing Company Limited
Beds & Chairs Direct Limited
The Great British Scooter Company Limited
The Great British Bed Company Limited

I hope this helps somebody

I am surprised to see that GBM has gone into voluntary liquidation as I was visited by one of their saleman on 24/11/2011 and he was very much selling the chairs. I am ashamed to say that I am one of these foolish people that was taken in and I parted with a £4866 cheque for 2 rise and recline chairs. I was completely taken in by the salesman and believed every word. On reflection I decided that I would cancel the contract and on the 25th sent an email to a jenny simpson of GBM, I also tried phoning the firm, getting first the cleaner I believe and then appointments. Neither could help me so yesterday I sent another email. I had a call from sales who said he understood I had changed my mind and would it help if he lowered the price by £1000. I declined but asked him if I would be getting my cheque back, he said he had no knowledge of the finance dept and could not even give me the phone number. His advise was to stop the cheque at the bank. I took his advise first thing this morning even though I was charged £10 for the service. I hope this will be the end of it although I am worried that they may hassle me about a broken contract. It does state on the paperwork that I had 7 days to change my mind, it only took 1. A lucky escape I think.

trumpton

Very pleased to hear that you stopped the cheque. Consumer regulations are that you can cancel within 7 days of delivery - not the order - even if you invited them to your home. Companies sometimes try to get round this by saying that the goods were specially made to measure, but this is very often not the case with most mobility goods. Of course, actually getting these companies to refund, even when legally obliged, is a different matter.

It is an offence to trade whilst insolvent so it would be good if you could inform your local trading standards of your dealings with this company:

Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06

System

My oh made the mistake of requesting a brochure !!! They were on the phone every week untill i sent them an email telling them straight to stop.

pretender_2

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