Virgo Healthcare Nottingham - on Watchdog

trumpton

Terrifying report by Rogue Traders Matt Allwright on today's Watchdog about this company pressure selling to the elderly.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2010/06/rogue_virgo.html

Heres a summary:

Previously known as ABM Mobility, Nottingham Trading Standards received 300 complaints about them and took out an injunction against them. Read about the injunction and some horrific customer experiences here:

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Mobility-scooter-company-given-injunction/article-1417833-detail/article.html


So they started up again as Virgo Healthcare.

Salesman Stewart Young had persuaded an 82 year old with dementia to sign a contract for £1700 for a chair. She phoned the police she was so distressed. Company refused to refund, but she eventually got her money back.

In a secret filming, saleswoman Emma Whyte spends 2 hours trying to persuade an actress pensioner to buy £7000 worth of stuff - she only wanted to see a mobility scooter. After badgering the woman, who says 'no' about 16 times, she finally leaves, having tried all the 'phone call from head office, special offer, price reductions etc., pressuring her to sign saying "You can always cancel".

These are the Virgo staff mentioned:

Amarjit Gill - boss - drives a very new Mercedes CL500, £160k new reckons Matt.

Emma Wright - sales rep

Stewart Young -sales rep

Sam Routh -sales trainer

Mark Murphy - sales rep - filmed bragging happily because a customer died after paying, but before getting the gear, because he still gets his £2k commission. Filmed, after 2 hours of badgering an elderly man, "It was like nicking a Mars bar off a baby", he sits in the van mocking his customers speech disability.

Salesmen are on commission and the higher the price, the higher the commission goes. Sam Routh proudly tells the story of how one customer was ripped off:

"When I was back in the field 2 weeks' ago," Routh told our undercover operative, "I went to this house, it was the scruffiest smelliest awful house you've ever seen in your life. So I sold him a dual Balmoral bed for £5300. Went back in I sold him a Midi 4 Plus [a scooter that even Virgo only charge £3200 for] for £5200 and then a couple of days later I went back to deliver his scooter and managed to sell him a rise and recline chair for £4600. So all together I got £15000 out of that one customer."

An absolutely despicable, shameless company.

Remember, you can cancel a contract signed in your own home even if you have invited them round -within 7 days.

Go to Consumer Direct for more info and to contact Trading Standards:

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

Sadly, the people most in need of reading this will probably not be researching companies on the internet. When is this sector going to be more strictly regulated to prevent companies like this preying on the vulnerable?

4743hudsonj

Scum. Absolute Scum. No politer way to describe them

trisontana

I wonder what the neighbours of the above people think about them? If I lived near any of them I know what I would do.

I particularly liked Sam Routh's comment when asked why they employ these techniques. His answer was :- "at the end of the day everyone wants to make a good living". Yes I think "scum" neatly sums them up.

Alborz

Was I the only one watching that thought Emma Whyte looked kinda fit?

I mean she had the whole black leggings, high boots and stylish handbag aura going on :T

hoyles10

I have just watched it and it actually made me angry seeing how this pond life treat people. I only hope that one day these people fall ill themselves and get the same treatment that they've given these poor people.

I truly hope they rot in hell.

trisontana

I like this comment on Digital Spy:-

I did notice one thing though, next to their offices was a branch of City Electrical Factors.

Now most Electricians I know are salt of the earth guys I would love it if they "accidently" started scratching this group of Scums posh cars, with trunking or metal conduit.

For the record the Company's details are:-

VIRGO HEALTHCARE LIMITED
telephone 01475 489219-07795 172536
address 397 TAMWORTH ROAD, LONG EATON, NOTTINGHAM, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, NG10 3JP

redmalc

They must be using that address as an office only because the telephone number is not a local one ?

trisontana

redmalc wrote: »

They must be using that address as an office only because the telephone number is not a local one ?

Yes, it seems that address is that of a firm of accountants. So it's just their registered office. As for that phone number, the code is for an area on the outskirts of Glasgow. That can't be right.

I have now found these details:-

Virgo Healthcare Ltd. 2 Forbes Close. Long Eaton. Nottingham. NG10 1PX. 0115 9464533.

Paul_Varjak

The good news is that that Virgo Healthcare are no longer trading. The bad news is that they have re-invented themselves yet again -this time as Nationwide Healthcare!!!

cyberbob

4743hudsonj wrote: »

Scum. Absolute Scum. No politer way to describe them

Yeah I don't like Matt Alright either:D


It always amazes me how easily companies like this go under then restart under a different name to continue taking advantage of people

Paul_Varjak

ABM Mobility could have only traded for a few months as they were only incorporated in September 2009 (there is now a proposal to strike them off Companies House register)

Virgo Healthcare were incorporated in December 2009, and now replaced by Nationwide Healthcare.

Interestingly, it is still ABM Mobility that rents the premises from the landlord (Gainsborough Property). Let's hope that Gainsborough Property will not lease to either Virgo Healthcare or Nationwide Healthcare.

When ABM Mobility get struck off (which will no doubt happen) I assume that Gainsborough Property will seek to evict them.