Forum Topic

Scammers

I would like to inform everyone, especially the elderly of a what I believe is a scam going around. Today 2 Asian Men arrived in a white unmarked van, Knocked on my door and told my husband they were delivering a bed for Patricia from Mediquip. Hearing my name mentioned I went to the door and asked what was going on. I informed them I had not ordered a bed,they were quite insistent that they had to deliver this bed to me,I asked for the name who placed the order,they gave the name Gosia.They seemed uneasy when I questioned them for further details, I said I would contact Mediquip for answers, and if they  couldn't give me answers I would contact the police, they said maybe I should. I have checked on line and door to door delivery is one of the current scams going around. The telephone number I called for Mediquip was answered by a man, I asked if I was speaking to mediquip, he said yes, but when challenged didn't want to answer my questions.I rang off and have blocked the number on my phone.Has any one else had this type of experience?

Patricia Ann Sears ● 1994d20 Comments

I've never seen a Medequip van without its name on. I think you were right to challenge them. They picked the wrong 'victims'!

Susan Kelly ● 1994d

Medequip is a genuine firm/business, but from what I can gather, is only interested in selling their products, and have no desire for any further interaction with the buyer, particularly with regard to complaints or returns of any sort. It also attracts too many negative reviews for my liking.

Brian Coyle ● 1994d

If they were going to just hand over a bed, you wonder what their scam is.

Vivienne Cox ● 1994d

Well after you have signed for it...

Philippa Bond ● 1994d

https://conversation.which.co.uk/scams/online-safety-bill-open-letter-anabel-hoult/

Philippa Bond ● 1994d

'Medequip is a genuine firm/business, but from what I can gather, is only interested in selling their products'.That's an odd take. Their main job is to deliver for the NHS which costs the 'customer' nothing.

Susan Kelly ● 1994d

Regarding what the scam is, maybe just gaining access to the house to commit a distraction theft.

Susan Kelly ● 1993d

"That's an odd take. Their main job is to deliver for the NHS which costs the 'customer' nothing". It has nothing to do with cost - it seems to be their appalling customer service that's at fault. "Not fit for purpose""Employees are liars""Shambolic""Useless". Just a few of many complaints to put me off.

Brian Coyle ● 1993d

I can only speak as I found. We had many deliveries from them when my husband was at home dying, from liquid food for his stoma to a rubber mattress to stave off bed sores. And then they came and took everything away after. I found them reliable and certainly not 'useless' or 'shambolic'.

Susan Kelly ● 1993d

"That's an odd take. Their main job is to deliver for the NHS which costs the 'customer' nothing". Correct, but it has absolutely nothing to do with money. It's to do with their customer service, or rather lack of. I had  quick look at some of the complaints from customers, and found the following:Disgusting company avoid at all costsAbject negligenceReally bad customer serviceShocking company, appalling customer service Complaints politely ignoredRude staffNot fit for purposeEmployees are liarsShambolicUselessI'm afraid I would use them only as a last resort. Admittedly, there are also positive comments, but far, far too many negative ones.

Brian Coyle ● 1993d

Seems like Susan has some genuine experience of the company, unlike you.

Carl Wynne ● 1993d

Maybe there is more than one company? I suppose it is also possible that a District Nurse or someone has decided that there is a need for something?

Philippa Bond ● 1992d

I've had a delivery from this company for my elderly mum, a walking frame which we never asked for. They said the NHS just tell them to drop stuff off and can't tell you why. I took the frame as thought it might come in useful, but ended up not using it. I rang Mediquip to take it back as it wasn't used and they said they couldn't and I had to dispose of it myself. I gave it away to someone. No wonder the NHS has no  money.

Tania Bapuji ● 1992d

I've had a delivery from this company for my elderly mum, a walking frame which we never asked for. They said the NHS just tell them to drop stuff off and can't tell you why. I took the frame as thought it might come in useful, but ended up not using it. I rang Mediquip to take it back as it wasn't used and they said they couldn't and I had to dispose of it myself. I gave it away to someone. No wonder the NHS has no  money.

Tania Bapuji ● 1992d

The trouble with outsourcing is that you have to spend more time monitoring - so it often isn't a monetary saving.

Philippa Bond ● 1992d

Nothing at all to do with outsourcing.The medical aids 'after market' has been with private suppliers for well over thirty years as I recall private companies delivering to my mothers home when my father had a series of strokes back in the early 1980s.

N V Brooks ● 1992d

I stand by what I wrote.

Philippa Bond ● 1992d

Home delivery of medical supplies for the NHS is an obvious thing to outsource. What's the alternative? The NHS buying little vans and employing their own drivers?

Susan Kelly ● 1992d

The NHS used to do it all themselves but didn't seem to have the staff and technology to do it well.  Some of the equipment is very expensive and some not so and bought in bulk. I understood that it was cheaper for a lot of it (eg the walking frames) to be left for the patient to dispose of.We did have an expensive electric air cushion and that although organised by the NHS came from a private company who delivered and set it up and then when we no longer needed it came to collect at a time that suited us both ie not just totally random and we weren't told to leave it in the street or in the hall of a block of flats.  It was a breath of fresh air after trying to get a collection from the NHS from somewhere we weren't living! It would have suited us better to have everything collected at once - or we could have delivered it all.  Instead for the NHS equipment we had a phone number which no-one ever answered.It took me two weekends to get the raisers off the sofa because the guy who set it up had been put them on with an electric screwdriver and I couldn't find anyone with one in the block of flats.  I wish they'd warned me beforehand that they wanted me to do that!We really wished they had a better way of dealing with the equipment as so much could be reused so long as it was cleaned properly.  I remember many forums discussing this in the past.  There should be a service for cleaning and checking/testing.  I've heard too many stories of equipment just being taken to "the tip".  An amnesty ever so often for returns would also be good.I hate to think how much equipment they lose (including expensive electric armchairs) they NHS loses because no-one knows where they came from and how to return them.Just because something can work well though doesn't mean that it can't or won't be taken advantage of. On the other hand you may not know how much easier you will find something new is until you try it.

Philippa Bond ● 1991d

And why would I or anyone need genuine experience from this company to pass a comment?

Brian Coyle ● 1989d