'Despicable' cold callers charged dementia sufferer £250

 Violet Martin, 83, who has been coping with Alzheimer’s disease at home, was persuaded to reveal details about the joint bank account she shares with her husband Cyril to Swansea business Residential Redress. 

Cyril and his son Paul care for Violet and were furious, not just about how the payment was taken but the time and effort they were forced to spend afterwards trying to get the charge refunded. 

“We didn’t consider the service offered had any value and was not in any way worth the outrageously large price tag,” Paul told Crusader. 

“Had my father been at home when the call came through, he would have put down the phone. 

“When he did see the paperwork and tried to find out what had been going on, my poor mother wasn’t really able to say what had happened. But she knew matters were not right and was very distressed. 

“We cancelled the contract the next day by recorded delivery post and well within the seven-day cooling off period.”

Residential Redress confirmed on June 24 that it would refund the fee within 28 days. 

“But it did not turn up, so my father sent another letter, spending time he does not have as a carer chasing the company. It’s a disgraceful way to treat vulnerable people,” said Paul. 

Earlier this month the family, from Flint, Flintshire, decided enough was enough and asked Crusader for help. 

Cold-calling is not illegal and Violet was free to answer the phone. But even if the company’s caller did not realise her delicate state, which Paul finds hard to accept, its failure to do what it promised afterwards was utterly shameful, he believes. 

Residential Redress has a thick skin, it emerged, after Crusader demanded it return the money. The company, formerly Green Deal Assessors Ltd and whose director is a Clive Davies, rejected our criticisms. 

It maintained it provided a valuable checking service helping households save money on bills from water charges to car insurance. 

It also insisted it sent a cheque to the Martins at the beginning of this month. 

Dismissing the claim Paul said: “We certainly never received this and even if we had it would still have been weeks later than promised.”

After justifying its actions Residential Redress said it had now cancelled the alleged cheque and would refund Violet through her bank card. 

The family has now confirmed that this has been done. 

Crusader did inform Swansea Trading Standards about the episode but has not received a response. However, the issues an incident like this throws up are of major concern and are not uncommon, according to the national charity the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Its policy head George McNamara said: “People with dementia may not have the capacity to understand what they are asked or forced to do, and can be an easy target for cold callers or financial abuse. 

“To prevent exploitation [those] supporting them must understand the risk factors and be able to spot the signs this is happening.” 

Cyril and Paul did all of that and more. But however much they felt in the right, they also realised what a struggle they were facing for any justice in the face of such unscrupulous behaviour. 

“It was your help that resolved this matter,” Paul told Crusader when thanking us last week.