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07/05/2012 01:46:37 AM · #1 |
Actually, mother-in-law. They are coming back today to 'apologies' but I'm not sure what else I can do. I'm very angry, to put it mildly. Here's what happened:
So, my mother-in-law has Parkinson's Syndrome and because of her age she also has some Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's isn't much of a problem when we're not around. Even though she's suppose to sit up, do basic sit/stand exercises, she doesn't. But that's besides the point.
Her bedroom is next to the outside hallway, which is open as in no walls...it's like being outside) so there's a window there to let in a cool summer breeze during those hot days. There are bars up on the window so nobodies getting in or out. A sales persons from one of the largest newspaper companies was in our building. Our building has a locking system, so unless you have a key with sensor in it, you can't get in. He likely got in by convincing someone on the intercom to sign up, or he was here collecting. Although I doubt it was collecting since most of that is done automatically.
My mother-in-law, 80 years old, doesn't know the day or the month, is laying in bed and the newspaper guy decides to talk with her when nobody was answering the doorbell (Because we weren't home). He started his sales pitch and convinced her (Which isn't something very hard to do) to sign up for the paper. He passed her the papers through the bars, as she was laying, but she couldn't read or understand all the information on the sign-up paper. She passed the papers back and HE signed her up instead. He asked for her information and HE wrote it down on the contract.
There are ALL sorts of wrong going on here.
So when my wife gets home she sees my mother-in-law clutching a piece of paper. She asked what it was but I think my mother-in-law was a bit scared that she had done something wrong. My mother-in-law is old, she is sick, but she's not that far gone. My wife was especially upset that there was suppose to be some sort of gift certificate (A way to get people to sign up) with the papers, but she couldn't find any. She thought that maybe the salesperson took it.
She called the company right away, talked with the regional manager. When it came to the gift certificate the regional manager said "Oh no, that's just something we write down for our records." Which sounded like BS to the both of us. When I got home and heard of everything I told her I wanted the regional manager and the salesperson back at our apartment with an explanation as to how the hell this was appropriate sales techniques.
They're coming in about an hour or so. Not sure what I can do except get angry...again. I'm not all that interested in a free subscription to their paper. Kind of unsure as to what to do. So far, get angry is all I have.
The regional manager talked with me on the phone...or I should say listened but didn't give much of any type of response or explanation. I'd ask a question and it was like the phone would go dead, I'd have to ask "Are you there?". Anyways, just blowing off some steam but also looking for some advice. |
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07/05/2012 04:16:49 AM · #2 |
It's awful when elderly folk are taken advantage of, like that. My Mother was scammed out of thousands upon thousands of dollars, most went to Nigerian scammers, and some went to a 'so called' friend. She was in the early stages of dementia, as she was a pretty sharp woman before that.
I hope you get all this sorted out, and have apologies given. The local community needs to know of this aggressive behaviour. |
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07/05/2012 10:06:35 AM · #3 |
| wow, that is really messed up. call the news station! |
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07/05/2012 10:37:57 AM · #4 |
I agree with  ChinabunUse the very tool these rotten people are using to make money and expose them for the crooks they are! Local television station, local radio station and if there is another paper in town...write and editorial piece and send it to the competition!
Such bad behavior! It doesn't bode well for the moral conscience of some people these days! *gets off soap box* |
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07/05/2012 11:05:50 AM · #5 |
It is illegal to sign anyone else's name. If your mother-in-law's name is on the form, and it isn't her writing, you have a criminal complaint against the salesperson, and can (and probably should) file charges against him and his employer. You have a much more difficult situation to try to pin down the newspaper company. Most likely the salesperson is self-employed (for legal purposes) and the newspaper company can claim they neither knew or approved of the salesman's method(s) - as inappropriate as they are. As someone once said, "Don't pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel!"
My first response to the thread title was, "Oh, what's new?!"
Regardless of whether the newspaper company was involved, I think that if you don't file charges against the salesperson, he is going to do the same thing to other folks. Forgery is a serious crime, and if he has a felony conviction, it will keep him out of certain professions - like brokerage, insurance salesman, etc.
What the salesperson did was a very serious breach of ethics, and most likely criminal.
Message edited by author 2012-07-05 11:07:33. |
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07/05/2012 11:08:06 AM · #6 |
| Tell them to publish an apology in their newspaper or you're going to the local TV and radio stations. Or the other papers; who I'm sure would jump at the chance to smear a competitor. |
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07/05/2012 05:25:13 PM · #7 |
| I would ask the police to be there when they arrive to see you. This is criminal and they will know you are serious. I doubt the press will respond if you called them. |
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07/05/2012 05:42:52 PM · #8 |
| I see that you are living in Japan. I have no idea what the laws regarding elder abuse are there, but in California, this would warrant a call to the District Attorney's Office. If she she is suffering from dementia, this is getting into elder abuse territory and would be taken seriously. Also, our local television station does special investigations on situations such as this. The threat of seeing their actions on the evening news has gotten a lot of these shady dealers to pack-up shop. |
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07/05/2012 05:49:22 PM · #9 |
Best bet...communicate with the authorities where you live, find out what the law actually states with regards to such scenarios.
There are a myriad of legal issues that come into play relative to similar situations where I live, but these may not apply where you live.
Any free legal advise you might garner in this venue is worth every penny you paid for it... Guide yourself accordingly. :O)
Ray |
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07/05/2012 08:14:14 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Enlightened:
I doubt the press will respond if you called them. |
Hell yeah they will. Local TV news loves this kind of shit. Every station has a reporter that digs through this kind of thing. If there is any pattern of this (and there always is), they'll track it down for the ratings grab.
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07/08/2012 06:47:29 AM · #11 |
Thanks for all the replies.
The salesperson and his superior came. The salesperson was a kid, looked to be in his early 20's. Sweating like a pig. His boss, also not very comfortable with the fact he was talking with a much larger than expected person.
The explanation given seemed like he didn't really know what he was doing. My mother-in-law was returning from her daycare service in the middle of everything and didn't recognize the guy. I said "See, she doesn't even know who you are." I then asked my mother-in-law through the window, what day it was "I don't know'. OK, what month is it "I don't know." OK, what season is it "Well, it's hot so I guess it's summer."
They got the point. Only at one point did I go ballistic on the superior. I explained that I also do sales in a way, I try to get new students for my private English lessons. I would NEVER try to sell something to a child. He chimed in say "Oh no, we wouldn't either." To which I replied "Yeah, but a child knows the day of the week, the month and probably a whole lot more than my mother-in-law. Can't you tell by her bed (Which can be see from outside the door) that she can't even reach the front door, it's a 'medical bed.'" I also mentioned that in ANY other business, signing someone up, as in filling out all the information out instead of the customer, is just ridiculously stupid and would get the average person fired, at the very least. I added that it wasn't up to me whether the salesperson should be fired or not but that NO WAY is the newspaper allowed in this building pulling any of that crap again.
In the end, they are sending me an official report of what happened and a promise that it won't happen again. It's supposed to be brought up at the weekly meetings (Most companies have them to discuss issues). The both bowed, apologized profusely, sweat like they were facing a firing squad. Well, my old "A big foreigner lives here, ring at your own risk" is going back up on the door. It was taken down by the building manager in my old apartment...but somehow I think I'll be OK here. |
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07/08/2012 01:29:10 PM · #12 |
| Kudos for remaining calm. |
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