Preying on the Older Generation

My mother is 83. She doesn't look it, and she is still fiercely independent.

It disturbs me, though, that now my mother has reached a venerable age, she appears to be increasingly vulnerable to cold-callers.

In the summer, she had a very persuasive sales person call, and after some time, she was persuaded to sign an order for new soffit boards around her house. If my mother has a fault, she finds is very hard to say "no", particularly when the sales person comes across as being so charming.

I managed to get the order cancelled, and we had her soffit boards striipped and re-painted by a reputable builder for a fraction of the signed order price.

Yesterday, my mother was called again, on the telephone, by a company offering to come and survey her security at home. Again, finding it hard to say "no", mother tentatively agreed to make an appointment. Fortunately, I was with her when the company called back to confirm the appointment. With mother on the phone, I told her to inform the company that she wasn't interested, and this message was passed on.

The reply from the company representative?

"Oh, he's a mind reader is he?", and with that the representative hung up!

I appreciate that economic times are tough, but I would urge companies to deal with the ageing population with a modicum of respect and compassion. It must be relatively easy for the unethical sales person to get their foot in the door of someone of a certain age, and then charm them into signing a piece of paper that they barely have time to peruse. I would question whether that was selling at all, or just insidious bullying.

In the past couple of years, my mother has lost her husband, broken her arm in a fall, had an attempted burglary at her home while she was in bed and had a suspected heart attack (she is fine!). She loves her home and her independence, and doesn't need to be badgered by sales people looking for the quickest and easiest route to commission.