Virgo Healthcare Nottingham - on Watchdog

trumpton

According to this article from Sam Routh's home town, he is "taking it in his stride" having been on Rogue Traders. Oh dear, named and shamed in his home town. Tough for his family to face the neighbours after that one.....

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Rogue-trader-takes-TV-stride/article-2295874-detail/article.html

It suggests he isn't bothered by the fuss, so why should we be?

Just because something is just-about legal, does not make it acceptable. To defend this group of people on the grounds of "that's what the world is like" is complete b.s., used by the wicked to justify their lack of morality. I may as well say - you do bad stuff, you get resentment and hassle, that's what the world is like.

I assume Mr Routh is one of your family and you are not enjoying the attention his actions have brought. It is he who is responsible for your predicament, not the MSE forum.

These are elderly, often vulnerable, people, harrassed and badgered in their own home for hours on end. 16 times the woman on the secret filming said 'No' and still Emma Whyte would not leave. It takes a lot to stand up to that kind of pressure - but that is why Virgo Healthcare and others target the elderly, simply because they are less able to withstand hours of harrassment.

To come on here defending it as acceptable business practise is reprehensible. It doesn't matter what others are doing, that doesn't justify it.

I suspect the sacking of Mark Murphy is an attempt to make it look like they care. Matt Allwright said it was one of the worse cases they had seen, Trading Standards had 300 complaints - it is completely clear that what Sam Routh, Emma Whyte, Mark Murphy, Amarjit Gill, and Stewart Young do, is plain and simple MORALLY WRONG. If you cannot see that, there is something wrong with you.

Proc - these companies don't change, I agree. Scamming the elderly is their business model and it generates a lot of money. That's why we need Watchdog and MSE - to expose and warn as many people as we can. I prefer to believe that you can do something about these companies: campaign, warn others, whatever.

It is tough to 'educate' the elderly, they are often far too trusting. If someone had gone to a shop and paid over the odds, fair enough. But these people were harrassed in their own home and the fact is that some of what this company were doing was illegal - hence the court injunction forcing them to trade fairly.

Driver8

Proc wrote: »

No. You're too thick for this.

There's no point trying to get these door-to-door sales companies to change their tactics.

Hound them out all you want. A new one sets up, under a new name, by the same people. Hard selling isn't illegal, and I doubt that it will be any time soon.

If you want change then it's the old people who keep purchasing this over-priced crap that need educating. Some sensationalist headlines and people have been saying that they hope these people catch every disease possible? Over-reaction much all because what...they purchased something they could have got cheaper elsewhere?

If you strip away the whiny emotions from people such as Driver8, the slickly-edited Watchdog, and the arrogant toss-pot salesmen; what are you left with? A company, that hard-sells beds to pensioners.

Get a grip you over-emotional clowns.

Do not ever call me thick son.

I do sincerely hope your mum and dad, if you ever had them, gets ripped off by scum what were on the programme and see how you feel then.

It's not emotion from me. I believe in justice but unfortunately it's rather lacking in this country. If you are a law abiding citizen then you're in court to get money out of you for the most minor indiscretion but scum like those "sales people" get away scot free.

Tell me, how do you educate very old people? They are vulnerable and need looking after not being ripped off. Hopefully you won't make it to pensionable age to find out. In fact i hope you don't make the day out as the world is a much better place without the likes of you and your ilk. Scum

Paul_Varjak

Proc wrote: »

Although I don't think Virgo or whatever is a particularly pleasant company, I kind of agree with "Routhy".

It's hard sell. Hard sell, and over-priced. There's nothing really illegal in that.

Actually, what they are doing is illegal, that is why Trading Standards got an injunction against ABM Mobility:

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

In order to avoid the injunction, Amarjit Gill simply set up a new company (Virgo Healthcare) and carry on in his illegal ways.

Now that they have been caught out again, Virgo Healthcare has ceased trading and now they trade as Nationwide Healthcare. That is three different companies in less than 1 year - all operating from the same address, same staff, same attitude, same con tricks.

trisontana

But his brother Tom Routh, 20, of Tetney told the Telegraph "I knew it was going to be on the television. He is just taking it in his stride.

"He's got two kids to support and he obviously needed to make a living and have food on the table.

A mugger or an armed robber could equally use that "justification"

Driver8

Proc wrote: »

No. You're too thick for this.

There's no point trying to get these door-to-door sales companies to change their tactics.

Hound them out all you want. A new one sets up, under a new name, by the same people. Hard selling isn't illegal, and I doubt that it will be any time soon.

If you want change then it's the old people who keep purchasing this over-priced crap that need educating. Some sensationalist headlines and people have been saying that they hope these people catch every disease possible? Over-reaction much all because what...they purchased something they could have got cheaper elsewhere?

If you strip away the whiny emotions from people such as Driver8, the slickly-edited Watchdog, and the arrogant toss-pot salesmen; what are you left with? A company, that hard-sells beds to pensioners.

Get a grip you over-emotional clowns.

Just had a look at other posts you have made. You really are a nasty piece of work, you have nothing good to say about anything or anyone. Get a life.

You must have been bullied at school, was you? Didn't your parent's (if you had any) love you? You're a very well balanced little man or woman, you have a massive chip on both shoulders.

You are car park attendant? Traffic warden? You certainly fit the criteria. A very sad individual who probably has no mates and so has to have a go at other's on an internet forum sat on the side of your bed in a little pokey bedsit. Scum.

Proc

Driver8 wrote: »

Didn't your parent's (if you had any)

How could I not have had parents? I didn't just magically appear.

You are car park attendant? Traffic warden? You certainly fit the criteria. A very sad individual who probably has no mates and so has to have a go at other's on an internet forum sat on the side of your bed in a little pokey bedsit. Scum.

I'm neither a car park attendant nor a traffic warden. It interests me though that you've just labelled all traffic wardens and car park attendants as people who have no mates and as very sad. Not sure who you're trying to have a dig at, but in your attempt to offend me you've completely slated a completely different group of people.

I'm not going to go tit-for-tat name calling, but you did call me "scum" before I'd said anything to you.

Having said that, I still maintain that you're thick. And thanks for the PM. I won't go near Huddersfield knowing that an internet tough guy is looking out for me. FWIW, I wouldn't go near a cheap place like that anyway.

If you're going to disagree with me, don't do it so emotionally. Unless of course, you're just trying to entertain me, in which case you're doing great, clown.

Routhy

Simple breakdown of what happened on the show:

2 unhappy customers shown

2 unhappy customers got full refunds (this was mentioned on the show very briefly, before they got back to their busy schedule of slander)

The brilliant no-o-meter, counting phrases like 'I'm not so sure' as a 'no' - Honestly one of the mildest 'hard sell' pitches RT has ever featured.

1 TERRIBLE salesman mocks his customers, but is later fired.

1 Sales trainer shown training new recruits to do exactly what every company on earth does. Over-price to enhance profits.

Public response:

ATM/Virgo/whatever workers stalked, harassed, threatened and abused.




Still think you're doing the world a favour by posting public information of these people online? Get a clue, sensationalist media sources deliberately angle their stories in their own favour, even as far as RT shows go, this one was pretty tame. Every customer on the program got a refund and the only salesman who has really done anything worthy of mention is fired.

Grow up and stop harassing people, you do more damage to the family and friends than you do to the person. (Note I'm saying DAMAGE, not 'oh boo hoo we're so ashamed of him' - This is actually causing DAMAGE to our lives)

The_Unready

Routhy wrote: »

Simple breakdown of what happened on the show:

2 unhappy customers shown

2 unhappy customers got full refunds (this was mentioned on the show very briefly, before they got back to their busy schedule of slander)

1 TERRIBLE salesman mocks his customers, but is later fired.

And do you think that the refunds would have been forthcoming or the salesman sacked if the company hadn't appeared on RT?

Of course not.

Virgo (or their apologists) claiming credit for these actions in response to the weight of public opinion is no defence at all.

The Unready

dacouch

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/cpregs/oft979.pdf

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VyAuab5QdF4J:www.businessballs.com/freepdfmaterials/consumer_protection_regulations_guide26may08_oft931int.pdf+consumer+protection+from+unfair+trading+regulations+2008+flowchart&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj4KIHrT7I6MedeRMcVurM4_bgv56Fwr8XEUskuNOgfQY7HNoDCxCmHsxE4-HF5Rb-g7iXE3sx084jCoHTsyI53eavtbc24KAmYtF1vjPz8H6dITPd92KPG7rZm4rgJgR8eezUu&sig=AHIEtbR9MJmbxjvdXcF6J-bMi1bEZfjnVg

trumpton

Are you honestly saying Watchdog/Rogue Traders investigated a company with only 2 unsatisfied customers? LOL.

It is near impossible to get a story on Watchdog because they are overwhelmed with complaints to follow up. You have to be pretty special to get on the Rogue Traders segment.

Again I say, 300 complaints to Trading Standards in one year and a court injunction. That doesn't sound like a run of the mill company with standard business practises. It sounds like one that is rotten to the core.

I am sure that if the story is full of lies, Mr Routh and Amarjit Gill will wish to see their solicitor about suing the BBC.

Nobody on here is harrassing the workers/family/friends of Sam Routh - reading some unpleasant home truths and personal opinions does not constitute harrassment. If you are being physically harrassed then go to the police about it. I certainly would. But don't some on here defending Sam Routh's actions and expect a positive response.

It is a great public service to name Sam Routh, Amarjit Gill, Emma Whyte, Stewart Young, Mark Murphy on Watchdog or MSE. It warns others. If the knock-on effect of that is that their family and friends are harrassed - though I have seen no evidence of that on MSE - then you really need to take that up with the person who got you in that situation by getting himself on the telly.