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Homecare Home Improvements
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emmell
Posts: 1,228 Forumite
A representative of this company came to my gate (3 dogs in the garden, so he didn't venture in) on Sunday afternoon claiming to be from the local council, my reply was "It's not a council property". But he insisted in telling me that he had come to save me money and make my home more efficient, I told him as my husband was away there was no way I was interested. He proceeded to tell me I didn't have cavity wall insulation, ok he was right, but I didn't say I wanted it. I actually said I do not make any financial decisions without my husband, he then mentioned the loft, I told him it was boarded out. I repeatedly told him I was missing the Grand Prix, he then said he would call back when my husband was in and I told him he'd be very lucky to catch him in.
Anyway to cut a long story short, because he was stood at my gate for quite a while. I get a letter this morning saying I had indicated an interest in having insulation measures installed in my property and their representative would arrive between 9am and 12pm on Friday.
If the appointment was not suitable I could ring their 0870 number.
It was no problem for me to go to 'say no to 0870' and find their 'real' telephone number to cancel. But I was thinking, if that had been my late mother she would have fallen for this. The chap said he was from the council and flashed a badge, the letter looks very official with a logo not dissimilar from our local councils and instead of putting their office number they put an 0870 number. The company is not even in my local council area.
I always thought when I watched things like Watchdog, how do people get taken in, but I understand now if companies are claiming to be working on behalf of local councils.
Anyway, rant over, all it cost me were 20mins of missed F1 and a local phone call.
ML.
Anyway to cut a long story short, because he was stood at my gate for quite a while. I get a letter this morning saying I had indicated an interest in having insulation measures installed in my property and their representative would arrive between 9am and 12pm on Friday.
If the appointment was not suitable I could ring their 0870 number.
It was no problem for me to go to 'say no to 0870' and find their 'real' telephone number to cancel. But I was thinking, if that had been my late mother she would have fallen for this. The chap said he was from the council and flashed a badge, the letter looks very official with a logo not dissimilar from our local councils and instead of putting their office number they put an 0870 number. The company is not even in my local council area.
I always thought when I watched things like Watchdog, how do people get taken in, but I understand now if companies are claiming to be working on behalf of local councils.
Anyway, rant over, all it cost me were 20mins of missed F1 and a local phone call.
ML.
He who has four and spends five, needs neither purse nor pocket
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Comments
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You should have kept the appointment and told him where to go when he turned up !0
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He was a bogus caller - report it to the police."You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"0
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I always thought when I watched things like Watchdog, how do people get taken in, but I understand now if companies are claiming to be working on behalf of local councils.
Actually these companies do work with local councils , there are normally initiatives that the council advertise in the local newspapers, or by posting to your house etc, when I was working for councils doing this job I would have letters and badges issued by them to introduce myself to house owners, its all above board and done properly.
If I was cold calling on people I would identify myself with badges from my company, explaining exactly who I am, and why I was calling on them, and if they were interested in having a free survey I would arrange an appointment that is convenient to the house holder. I would never be underhanded and say I was from the council, because its not worth the hassle and problems that occur.Excel Parking, MET Parking, Combined Parking Solutions, VP Parking Solutions, ANPR PC Ltd, & Roxburghe Debt Collectors. What do they all have in common?
They are all or have been suspended from accessing the DVLA database for gross misconduct!
Do you really need to ask what kind of people run parking companies?0 -
He did flash a badge (no idea what was on it) but I was more aggrieved at the fact they sent me a letter saying I had expressed an interest.
Not once did I express an interest, in fact it was the opposite. I explained to him that I hardly had any walls as such, I have a conservatory that takes up half the size of the side of my house with a 10' patio door on the other half, an 8' french window round the back and very large windows everywhere else. It's like a greenhouse in summer I have to have my blinds closed all day to keep the sun out. I also told him the loft was boarded out. Not once did I encourage him as a matter of fact I told him quite a few times I was watching the Grand Prix so I don't know what he would have been like if I had shown an interest.
Also the letter that came with an appointment had a 0870 number to ring to cancel, I googled say no to 0870 and they had a proper landline number, so another way to scam innocent people.
ML.He who has four and spends five, needs neither purse nor pocket0 -
He did flash a badge (no idea what was on it) but I was more aggrieved at the fact they sent me a letter saying I had expressed an interest.
Not once did I express an interest, in fact it was the opposite. I explained to him that I hardly had any walls as such, I have a conservatory that takes up half the size of the side of my house with a 10' patio door on the other half, an 8' french window round the back and very large windows everywhere else. It's like a greenhouse in summer I have to have my blinds closed all day to keep the sun out. I also told him the loft was boarded out. Not once did I encourage him as a matter of fact I told him quite a few times I was watching the Grand Prix so I don't know what he would have been like if I had shown an interest.
Also the letter that came with an appointment had a 0870 number to ring to cancel, I googled say no to 0870 and they had a proper landline number, so another way to scam innocent people.
ML.
Some people have no ethics I am afraid, and all they can see is a way to make money, but I am a surveyor myself, and its not good to turn up on such appointments as its a waste of time on the customer if they are not interested, and on the surveyor's time for a pointless appointment.
Also you have no obligation to this company to keep appointments with them, if I was you I would have sent the surveyor packing but ensuring that I told him that their canvasser lied for the appointment.
In regards to your house you mentioned, obviously without looking at the job so can't be 100% accurate, conservatories are often no problems and the installers have specialist equipment to insulate above them, but very often they have to insulate inside as well, or the whole section can be brushed off, so not insulated at all.
The loft obviously once boarded cannot really be done unless you are prepared to lift up the boards.
Can I just say that it because of people like that canvasser that gives a bad reputation to all callers at your door, the vast majority of whom are not trying to rip you off or be underhanded.Excel Parking, MET Parking, Combined Parking Solutions, VP Parking Solutions, ANPR PC Ltd, & Roxburghe Debt Collectors. What do they all have in common?
They are all or have been suspended from accessing the DVLA database for gross misconduct!
Do you really need to ask what kind of people run parking companies?0
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