How best to rip off and con an OAP

In message , "dennis@home" writes

I was planning on using a DVR, Dedicated Micros Sprite,

and then remote accessing, this way I could used standard video cameras without the expense of IP cameras.

Only reason being because one is available at a very cost effective price :-)

Reply to
Bill
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I went off standard cameras as they are expensive for HD quality. A 4ch DVR for 1080p/i costs around £700 and the cameras cost around £150 each. You can buy 1080p ip cameras for less than £150 and the system still works even if the DVR is busted.

A good reason to use it.

I am going to get a £140 5M pixel camera next.

Reply to
dennis

You don't need one. There are "dynamic DNS" services that you can sign up to that will handle it without.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

As do IDNET

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I'd probably take it straight to small claims court. In this case you have = the physical evidence, you have websites selling batteries specified as sui= table for disability aids, and you have a prima facia case for fraud. The c= ourt tends to lead more toward the consumer than the retailer. You might ge= t a 100% refund, and can then sell the old unit on.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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> "They said even if an amount was above 50% it would still be considered to

Even ninety-nine hundredths is a fraction.

SteveW

Reply to
SteveW

And AAISP - free. Things are a bit tight with RIPE now, but I got loads.

Reply to
Bob Eager

In message , snipped-for-privacy@care2.com writes

I'm waiting until I've seen just what is involved before deciding on anything further. But all thoughts gratefully received.

Reply to
Bill

Selling something at a huge mark up is not illegal.

If the parties freely enter into that contract then there is no fraud. To show fraudulent trading you would have to show that the seller misrepresented the product in some way (or something similar), and whilst this may be possible here, it certainly isn't clear cut

tim

Reply to
tim.....

Yes, but in the case in question, it was about selling a new product rather than what was needed - a new battery.

Reply to
Bob Eager

Needed but not necessarily readily available? I may have missed something but I thought the OP had not yet established that a replacement battery was available - and by that I mean a guaranteed compatible battery, and one which can be fitted without having to cut open the original manufacturer's propriety casing in order to see what they used, then gluing/welding the casing back together. I also think a court case is by no means a dead cert. Eg the trader might argue what he actually said was "I don't have a replacement battery to fit your hoist. I just don't have any call for them these days. In any case I think that after 5 years you'd be better off with a brand new hoist". That is, he'd argue it was more a case of the 90-something parents misunderstanding what he said. The judge would have to decide on the balance of probabilities who was right. Of course there are other arguments possible such as that any competent trader should have known that a battery could be obtained and fitted safely but I think that might lead the to need an expert witness.

Reply to
Robin

In message , tim..... writes

If the item was sold in the persons home then were they offered the statutory cooling off period or asked to sign away their rights? If neither then they have a case

Reply to
hugh

In message , hugh writes

"If the contract was made at home

If you enter into a contract at home, your place of work or during an excursion arranged by the trader, the 'Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer's Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008' give you a seven-day cooling-off period during which you can cancel.

There are some contracts these regulations don't apply to including:

things worth less than £35 items delivered by a rounds person such as newspapers and milk contracts for the sale, construction or rental of property."

Reply to
geoff

In message , Bill writes

Right!

War is about to be declared. I have now seen the equipment and had a more detailed account of what happened. The worst part about the whole saga is that the replacement unit is identical to the original apart from the stuck on labelling.

Also the advert was in a national newspaper and not a local one as I had first thought.

As far as the unavailable battery pack goes, it contains 2 SLA batteries that are available from Farnell at £19:00 each. So being kind I would say that a company could have replaced them for £100:00 and still been in profit.

Any way on Monday I will start serious research into what if anything can be done to retrieve something from this mess. I have a feeling that apart from some adverse publicity and setting Trading Standards and BBC Watchdog, both of whom probably know them anyway, onto them there will not be a lot I can do. It would seem from Google that this is not an uncommon sales practice for this company.

Photo of the "unavailable" battery pack.

Farnell Order Code: 1769775 X2

What do you think?

Reply to
Bill

Including the sane 'unavailable' battery? That would be a killer...

They might have a case that they're not in the business of re-celling, if what you are saying is that that is the normal methof of replacement. Or is the 'normal' battery the casing including the two SLA batteries? If so, can you find them for sale anywhere?

Adverse publicity is good. Just stick to the facts...

Reply to
Bob Eager

In message , Bob Eager writes

What you see in the photo is the dismantled battery pack. It is designed to slide in/out of the main unit so that it can be charged away from the bathroom. It is bolted together and designed for easy strip down. So that in either case a new complete battery pack should be an option and by the removal of 7 bolts and sliding out the batteries then battery replacement would be a simple task. I imagine that it is a bespoke pack for the range of units and would not be readily available elsewhere.

Oh yes, one just has to find the right places to use it and make sure it all happens at the same time. I am gathering info from dad, which isn't the easiest of tasks unfortunately. Some is verbal and his memory isn't as good as it was, but he has told me the same scenario 3 times now with no serious discrepancies. Some of what the visiting salesman allegedly said is so much out of the "how to con a trusting OAP handbook" as to be laughable, but for the fact that it had worked. Unfortunately, of course, it is only one persons word against another's as to what was said. There is also a paper trail, although not a very condemning one.

Another annoying part is that they used the old wall mount bracket to mount the new unit onto and took the new one away. So although they left a perfectly serviceable unit behind I do not have a bracket to fix it to!

Facts are an important part of my life and all will be factual. So much so that I will be giving the company a phone call and asking them for their version of events before taking it too much further.

It is a while since I have had a decent battle and I wouldn't want to spoil it by not getting enough info/facts before engaging them. Having said that, Google appears to show that others have had similar experiences, not all with good outcomes.

Reply to
Bill

That was my point. As long as it *is* readily available as a complete unit...

...of course, if it isn't then the replacement system has been sold with no way of maintaining it!

Reply to
Bob Eager

In message , Bill writes

removed for now, trying not to identify the makers of the unit. But believe me it is a very simple bolt together pack.

Reply to
Bill

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