Seven sentenced for mobility product scam

Seven people have been sentenced to three years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court today for their role in a scam that targeted homeowners on their doorsteps.

Using misleading and aggressive sales tactics, the criminals deliberately targeted ‘No Cold Calling Zones’ and neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of people living with a disability by pressurising them for hours into buying furniture they did not want or need.

The sentences follow an 18 month investigation into Life Comfort Products Ltd by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards, with support from the National Trading Standards Tri Region Investigation Team. The defendants entered guilty pleas to professional diligence charges contrary to consumer protection legislation at an earlier hearing at Peterborough Crown Court.

Two directors from the Peterborough-based firm were sentenced along with four employees after their business carried out aggressive selling to vulnerable elderly customers. Life Comfort Products Ltd as a legal entity was also found guilty.

The sentences handed down by the Judge included:

• Directors of Life Comfort Products Ltd, Geoffrey Bernard Turner (64) and Jacqueline Turner (60) both of Hall Lane, Werrington, Peterborough, were sentenced to 12 months and 9 months respectively.
• Sales manager David Turner (62) of Swan Close, Spalding was sentenced to 9 months.
• National marketing manager Tim Clark (43) of High Road, Wisbech was sentenced to 6 months.
• Sales demonstrator Joel Henry (54) of Furniss Close, Daventry received 2 months suspended for 12 months, 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement, 200 hours unpaid work and £2500 costs.
• Sales demonstrator Ben Donohoe (59) of Cogging Close, Newark was sentenced to 4 months suspended for 18 months, 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement, 200 hours unpaid work, £500 costs and £500 compensation.
• Sales demonstrator David Perrow (62) of Newark Road, West Vale, Liverpool, was sentenced to 2 months suspended for 12 months, 20 days rehabilitation activity and £500 compensation.

Comfort Products Ltd, registered at 48 Papyrus Road, Werrington, Peterborough PE4 5BH, as a legal entity sentence was adjourned to Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in October.

The investigation followed hundreds of complaints to Citizens Advice concerning aggressive and misleading practices by their sales and door canvassing teams all over England. Officers from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards executed a warrant at the Life Comfort Products offices, where they seized a range of scripts and training materials that encouraged hostile sales tactics.

Evidence gathered confirmed that Life Comfort Products Ltd employed very aggressive and misleading practices to secure sales of expensive rise and recline chairs and electric adjustable beds. The company actively targeted older consumers and people living in vulnerable situations. This included:

• tasking canvassers to seek out addresses with disabled access ramps, grab rails and other indicators of a potentially vulnerable homeowner
• giving three-hour demonstrations to extremely vulnerable individuals without anyone else being present. Evidence was gathered showing a number of demonstrations had been given to customers with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, with family members stating that their parent's vulnerabilities would have been plainly visible to anyone.

HHJ Cooper said the business model was based on bullying and lies, staff told to bulldose through objections, use of sham measuring to circumvent consumers rights to cancel, business model was motivated by greed at the expense of consumers, vulnerable being treated like the enemy to be broken down.

Consumers were also told that the furniture – which included rise and recline chairs – were manufactured by the company at their Peterborough factory. In reality, the furniture was purchased from another manufacturer and sold by Life Comfort Products with a considerable mark-up.

As part of the investigation, three independent furniture reports showed that the chairs were not fit for purpose, had not been made to the consumer's individual’s measurements and had a number of manufacturing defects. In two cases there was evidence suggesting that a chair and an electric adjustable bed actually made the consumer's health complaints worse.

Lord Toby Harris, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:

“These criminals deliberately targeted neighbourhoods in ‘No Cold Calling Zones’ so they could prey on homeowners in more vulnerable situations, such as people with a disability or older people. They were aggressive on the doorstep and pressurised victims to buy products they did not want or need.

“I would urge everyone to keep an eye out for family, friends and neighbours who may be targeted by scams like this. If you suspect you are being scammed or defrauded then you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.”

Peter Gell, head of regulatory services for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards, said:

"These sentences reflect the seriousness of the offence and that this company was using very aggressive sales techniques against victims, many of whom were targeted because they were vulnerable.

"Not only this, but the rise and recline chair products that the company was selling were found in some cases as not fit for purpose with numerous manufacturing defects. In two cases there was evidence suggesting that a chair and an electric adjustable bed actually made the consumer's health complaints worse.

"The excellent investigational work carried out by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards supported by National Trading Standards has resulted in the sentencings and this should go out as a strong warning to other company's who think they can get away with targeting vulnerable and elderly people for their substantial financial gain."

Carl Robinson, Chair of the NTS (Tri) Regional Investigation Team said:

"This was a particularly nasty case where elderly and often vulnerable people were targeted in their own homes. Officers from our Regional Investigation Team were pleased to be able to assist in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.

"This highlights the value and success of partnership working between local authority Trading Standards services and regional assets such as the Regional Investigation Teams."

A number of canvassers and product demonstrators working for Life Comfort Products also accepted cautions, prior to the company, two directors and four employees pleading guilty.