Wine hard sell

Potternerd

My OH came back today from visiting MIL. She has been tricked into buying a case of wine for. £200. Basically some people turned up on her doorstep saying they had her details because she had filled in a survey. Foolishly she let them in and they talked her into buying this wine.. What particularly concerns me if that although she lives in her own flat, it is part of an Anchor complex. She is 79, not in good health and quite lonely. I feel as though she has been preyed on. OH Said there was an invoice in the box, but didn't bring home. So at this stage not sure what the name of the company is.

hollydays

Have you informed the police?
What has your husband actually done about this?

"What security is in place at Anchor’s retirement villages?

Our retirement villages are not 'gated communities' in the sense that there are no locked front gates. Security is achieved in a more passive way - primarily through a community of residents and over 100 staff who will notice anything that is out of place. Having said that, we also have extensive CCTV, perimeter fencing, coded access to all buildings and initially a gate guardian.
- See more at: http://www.anchor.org.uk/help-and-guides/faqs/retirement-villages#36"

worried_jim

Does it taste nice?

London50

Hi

Find out the name of the company ASAP and get intouch with them saay that your mum does not require anymore wine from them and tell them to remove your mums details from their system.
OK she may have to pay for this box {check t & c's with the company but hopefully it will be the first and last that you or your mum will hear from them.
I know a good number of years back I had the same type of thing {did a survey online and had a "prize" of something. I was under the impression the "prize" would be posted to me but no, instead I had a salesman with the hard sell and it cost me around £100, then a few months later a letter came to say they would be calling again in a few days to see what other wines I would like, I phoned them and told them that I did not require anymore wine and if they came I would not let them in, they tried to come but I refused to answer the door and when the sales person left I phone the company and said if I had anyone else on my doorstep trying to sell me wine I would call the police. To date I have never heard from them again

Potternerd

hollydays wrote: »

Have you informed the police?
What has your husband actually done about this?

"What security is in place at Anchor’s retirement villages?

Our retirement villages are not 'gated communities' in the sense that there are no locked front gates. Security' is achieved in a more passive way - primarily through a community of residents and over 100 staff who will notice anything that is out of place. Having said that, we also have extensive CCTV, perimeter fencing, coded access to all buildings and initially a gate guardian.
- See more at: http://www.anchor.org.uk/help-and-guides/faqs/retirement-villages#36"

She lives independently in her own flat in this complex, it's not a home or even sheltered housing. She let them in, but they will have known it was a retirement village.

Potternerd

London50 wrote: »

Hi

Find out the name of the company ASAP and get intouch with them saay that your mum does not require anymore wine from them and tell them to remove your mums details from their system.
OK she may have to pay for this box {check t & c's with the company but hopefully it will be the first and last that you or your mum will hear from them.
I know a good number of years back I had the same type of thing {did a survey online and had a "prize" of something. I was under the impression the "prize" would be posted to me but no, thank you; this is excellent advice. Will get the name and get OH to phone instead I had a salesman with the hard sell and it cost me around £100, then a few months later a letter came to say they would be calling again in a few days to see what other wines I would like, I phoned them and told them that I did not require anymore wine and if they came I would not let them in, they tried to come but I refused to answer the door and when the sales person left I phone the company and said if I had anyone else on my doorstep trying to sell me wine I would call the police. To date I have never heard from them again

many thanks will get OH to phone them

Potternerd

Update on this. The company is called Pieroth. MIL bought the wine about 3 months ago. She was phoned by them yesterday saying they were coming round today. She said she didn't want them to but woman said she'd be round between 11 & 1.

Fortunately I had some time off work today so went round to MIL's. Told the woman that if she contacts MIL in anyway again I will contact police and trading standards. Even then she was doing the hard sell and trying to get access to MIL.

MIL had filled in a survey. So beware of this company!

Gers

I'd advise a letter to company saying that you want the name and address removed from their lists. Keep a copy.

London50

Potternerd wrote: »

Update on this. The company is called Pieroth. MIL bought the wine about 3 months ago. She was phoned by them yesterday saying they were coming round today. She said she didn't want them to but woman said she'd be round between 11 & 1.

Fortunately I had some time off work today so went round to MIL's. Told the woman that if she contacts MIL in anyway again I will contact police and trading standards. Even then she was doing the hard sell and trying to get access to MIL.

MIL had filled in a survey. So beware of this company!

Yes that was the company I had the problems with, glad to hear you dealt with it the way you did but I will warn you expect MIL to get a letter from them nearer to December saying that there will be a special Xmas gift/discount for the patrons and quite likely either an attempted visit/phone call.
Just tell MIL to slam the phone down it is a phone call or refuse to let them in if they knock :0)

peachyprice

I came across these people at the Ideal Home show, they tried the hard sell on my mum, we only wanted a free glass of wine!

hollydays

Diethylene glycol. It was being used to add body and sweetness to inferior wines, imitating that of higher quality.

In Germany, following a lengthy investigation, six former leading employees of the wholesale dealer and bottler Pieroth were sentenced to fines of one million Deutsche Mark by the Landgericht in Koblenz in April 1996

One of their sales pitch is " tutored wine tasting"
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186216-i15-k6624056-Wine_Tasting_Experiences_London_or_UK-United_Kingdom.html
Numerous other stuff on the web about these .