Tru Diamonds

Mojisola

Mods - if this should be on another board, please move it.

My (very) elderly Mum has received a pair of "diamond" ear-rings and a "diamond" pendant along with an invoice for £22.88.

Do they send out unsolicited stuff and expect people to pay for it or do they do phone sales? My Mum has hearing and memory problems and isn't competent to manage her own affairs any more.

If they had phoned, she might have talked to them but she has no recollection of a phone call - that's not unusual. She often phones me several times, forgetting that she's just spoken to me.

The invoice says that £2.89 has been paid and the rest will be taken from her card in 30 days time. I doubt my Mum could tell you where her debit card is and I can't imagine that she could get things together enough to find her card and hear what information they wanted her to give them. It would be obvious by her confusion that she was not competent.

The invoice also has her as "Mrs X Smith" rather than "Mrs Y Smith".

I'll talk to Trading Standards tomorrow but I just wondered if anyone knew anything about this company?

meritaten

mojisola - reputable companies dont ring people up to sell them 'diamond' earrings as far as I know.
I think its a scam - but, as you say your mum is a bit hard of hearing and can get confused (sounds like mine) its hard to say if she actually gave details on the phone.
try googling Tru Diamonds - sounds an iffy name to me.

Mojisola

meritaten wrote: »

try googling Tru Diamonds - sounds an iffy name to me.

I've done that - expecting to find others talking about unsolicited mail - but found very little and that's mostly people talking about the jewelry.

meritaten

hmmm Glowing accounts? but not much substance?
try ringing Trading Standards or is it Consumer advice?
or post on Praise Vent and Warnings - maybe someone there has come across them?

sashadesade

I know nothing about Tru Diamonds, but if they are a reputable company then maybe someone's using their name for this scam? Do the contact details on the letter match those on the website? If so I would contact them to try and figure out what is going on.

mrs_marty

There is a post on netmums about them taking £125 from someones account and no goods delivered and a complaint on ASA re a misleading advert x

mishkanorman

if you look at their website there is an offer for a 'free' pendant and with it they will sell you a 'free' pair of matching earrings, you just pay p+p costs of £2.89

http://www.trudiamonds.co.uk/

sounds like a scam to me . . . .

Mojisola

meritaten wrote: »

hmmm Glowing accounts? but not much substance?
try ringing Trading Standards or is it Consumer advice?
or post on Praise Vent and Warnings - maybe someone there has come across them?

Thanks. I've spoken to Consumer Advice who are concerned that Tru Diamonds only has a post office box address on their website. As there's no-one to sign for recorded delivery at a PO box, it's impossible to return items and gain proof of delivery.

I've had a PM from Tru Diamonds' PR firm who say the only way Mum could have received the goods is if she proactively ordered them from a magazine offer. It's been years since she was able to do anything like that.

I'll contact the PR firm later and see if they can give me a real address for Tru Diamonds so that I can return the goods.

meritaten

Mojisola wrote: »

Thanks. I've spoken to Consumer Advice who are concerned that Tru Diamonds only has a post office box address on their website. As there's no-one to sign for recorded delivery at a PO box, it's impossible to return items and gain proof of delivery.

I've had a PM from Tru Diamonds' PR firm who say the only way Mum could have received the goods is if she proactively ordered them from a magazine offer. It's been years since she was able to do anything like that.

I'll contact the PR firm later and see if they can give me a real address for Tru Diamonds so that I can return the goods.

Actually Mojisola - If you recieve unsolicited goods through the mail, then you can contact the firm who sent them and ask them to make arrangements for their return AT THEIR EXPENSE. Inform them you will keep the goods safe for (now I am not sure of the legal length of time here) say, 30 days! If they have not picked up or made arrangements for the return of the goods within this time then you will dispose of the goods as you see fit!
Yes this is legal, a good friend was advised to do this by Consumer Advice when she was sent a rather heavy item which would have cost a small fortune to send back!
My son also aquired a television in this manner when the set he had returned to the shop as defective was repaired and sent back to him! (He had already been refunded the money) and numerous phone calls to the company to ask them to take it back were ignored!

shelley_crow

The ASA investigated this company for false advertising, the address on the report is given as

Monark Global LTD (T/A Tru Diamonds)
Suite 158
2 Lansdowne Road
London
W1J 6HL

Is this the address you have?

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2009/3/Monarch-Global-Ltd/TF_ADJ_45909.as

Mojisola

meritaten wrote: »

Actually Mojisola - If you recieve unsolicited goods through the mail, then you can contact the firm who sent them and ask them to make arrangements for their return AT THEIR EXPENSE. Inform them you will keep the goods safe for (now I am not sure of the legal length of time here) say, 30 days! If they have not picked up or made arrangements for the return of the goods within this time then you will dispose of the goods as you see fit!
Yes this is legal, a good friend was advised to do this by Consumer Advice when she was sent a rather heavy item which would have cost a small fortune to send back!

This was one thing I went through with Consumer Advice but the situation is a little blurred because they are claiming that Mum ordered the goods.

The PR person has so far been unable to provide me with an actual address for Tru Diamond which I find very strange.