BBC
Web script for Great British Mobility
Presenter: Matt Allwright
|A 1970s scene, an old lady is sitting opposite a salesman in her home. |
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|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
|What’s going on here? |
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|You’re an old lady, aren’t you? |
|LADY NODS |
|And this chap? Well, he’s a salesman by the look of him. |
|SALESMAN LOOKS PLEASED WITH HIMSELF |
|Let me guess – he’s trying to sell you something which you might want but you’d like time to think about? |
|LADY NODS |
|Hold on, this is making him angry. Which isn’t at all like he was two hours ago when he first arrived. He seemed so nice then! He was full of |
|compliments. He even showed you pictures of his favourite horse! |
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|THE SALESMAN SEEMS NICER AT FIRST, REVEALS PICTURE OF HIS FAVOURTIE HORSE. |
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|But now he’s not so friendly any more. Would you do anything to make him leave? Even paying him a cheque, just to get him out the door? |
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|LADY NODS, LOOKING SCARED. |
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|Matt steps in. |
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|MATT (TO CAMERA) |
|Well today that won’t be necessary. |
|Go on, sling your hook, 70s salesman! |
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|SALESMAN EXITS. |
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|And relax. |
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|But unfortunately, we can’t. Because despite decades of campaigning and legislation to prevent it, old ladies are still being pressure sold to|
|by men in cheap suits. |
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|Don’t go anywhere, you. We’re going to need you in a bit… |
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|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|And so it gives me no pleasure whatsoever to introduce you to Great British Mobility – which is the trading name for The Mobility Rental Group|
|Limited. A company specialising in adjustable beds and recliner arm chairs. |
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|It’s based near Weston Supermare, and is run by 4 directors. Timothy Hedgecock, Graeme Pattullo, Nigel Edwards and Timothy Lockett. |
|But their salesmen are on the loose right across the country. |
|William and Janet Wood asked one to give them a free demo last March. |
|This is Jodie, their grand daughter… |
|JODIE WOOD: He brought a chair in for them to try out, he didn’t leave for 2 hours. He wouldn’t leave without a sale basically. They |
|definitely felt pressured into buying these chairs. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|The salesman wanted them to buy 2 reclining chairs - for £4,500. They say they felt pressured into paying the full amount that very day. |
|JODIE WOOD: I was very disappointed that he’d gone into the house and that he’d actually put this sale through without giving them time to |
|think about what they actually wanted. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|When Jodie complained, the company eventually agreed to rip up the cheque – but it left Janet very shaken indeed… |
|JODIE WOOD: She was very upset, she lost a lot of sleep over it - I think that it’s disgraceful. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Yeah, I can understand why. Right, time to do what we do best. |
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|We call Great British Mobility out to a house filled with tiny cameras. Awaiting them is Eleanor, our actress. |
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|Now this is a different GBM representative to the one Jodie’s grandparents met, and he’s here to give us a free home demo. That means, just |
|like magic yoyo’s, there are no strings attached. |
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|And who am I to doubt? |
|MATT (TO CAMERA) |
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|Look at me – open mind. Anything can happen. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|I settle in to watch proceedings with occupational therapist and mobility furniture expert Maggie Winchcombe. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: I’m Malcolm from Great British Mobility. |
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|“ELEANOR”: Oh thank you, yeah. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Malcolm sets up his demo chair, and measures up our actress. But it’s not long before the questionable claims begin. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: So this looks like an armchair but it’s actually designed to keep your health as good as possible. |
|MAGGIE WINCHCOMBE (to Matt) |
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|It’s getting a bit concerning because now he’s talking up the benefits, the health benefits, that somehow or other this chair is going to do |
|something for this person’s health |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: This controller is an inbuilt massage system – the massage stimulates the blood – gets oxygen into it – you can sit on one of these |
|chairs press a button it’s like going for a walk. |
|MAGGIE WINCHCOMBE (to Matt) |
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|Oh, sorry, and now he’s saying this chair will be like going for a walk, that’s not true. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Malcolm also lies by telling us that the foam in the chair helps to circulate your blood and that the massage function can numb pain. |
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|But the medical mischief gets worse. Eleanor tells Malcolm that she’s got a bad back. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“ELEANOR”: The doctor said did say I should sit with my back upright. |
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|MALCOLM: I’m not contradicting your doctor I would never do that – but this chair is supporting you – but what the doctor is really saying is |
|– you need to sit supported. |
|MAGGIE WINCHCOMBE (to Matt) |
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|So he’s not contracting the doctor but he is redefining what the doctor’s telling her. I don’t know on what basis he can give that advice |
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|MATT (to Maggie) |
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|When I have aches and pains I go to the doctor and then I usually seek a second opinion from a chair salesman |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|So that’s the magical health powers of the chair – but what about the price though? It takes him more than an hour for him to mention it, but |
|here it is… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: That chair would cost you £3860 |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Hold on…. Nearly 4 grand for a CHAIR?? |
|MATT (with Maggie) |
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|For me it would need a steering wheel and four tyres for that price. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“ELEANOR”: Can I sleep on it overnight? Is that alright? |
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|MALCOLM: What we try and do |
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|“ELEANOR”: I think it will give me time to turn it over in my mind and think about it. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|It’s a reasonable request. But Malcolm’s having none of it… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: What we try and do is, we try and get to a conclusion today because it’s all fresh. |
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|“ELEANOR”: Yeah but my mind, to be honest, is quite confused with all my different options. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Malcolm even tries desperation tactics, offering to pay the £700 cost of the additional massage function himself! |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: I will pay for the massage for you… |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|But Eleanor still insists she needs time to think. And she tells him so on 16 occasions… |
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|Malcolm’s response? The silent treatment… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“ELEANOR”: Let it go through my head and then think, ‘Yes’….you know? |
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|SILENCE |
|MATT (VOICEOVER) |
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|Let’s time it… |
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|No we can’t make you watch all of this… but trust me, it’s awkward… |
|TIMER ENDS ON 28 SECONDS |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOM: Is the speed of delivery… |
|Matt (to Maggie) |
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|Cor dear, he’s finally said something. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Malcolm’s final roll of the dice is the good old fashioned guilt trip. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|MALCOLM: Every time I jump in that vehicle and go anywhere it’s a cost, so to come back is an additional cost… |
|MATT (to Maggie) |
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|This doesn’t feel like a no obligation… |
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|MAGGIE |
|No |
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|MATT |
|…Demonstration does it? This feels like I’ve come I’ve spent money coming to see you therefore we ought to do this deal. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Sensing he’s beaten, after two and a half hours Malcolm finally packs his bags and leaves…. |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|So far then, Great British Mobility have lied to us, they made medical muppets of us, and they’ve given us the silent treatment in our own |
|home. |
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|It’s bad. It’s really bad. |
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|But I want more. Because I’m still hungry. |
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|Some cake appears from the side of the screen, Matt pushes it away. |
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|And I think there’s a lot more to come. |
|END OF PART ONE. |
|PART TWO. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Yes, we’ve decided to buy one of GBM’s chairs.. and Malcolm’s back to seal the deal. We’ve opted for a model called the “Cheltenham” – but |
|instead of paying more than 3 grand to get it made-to-measure, we buy one that Malcolm says has been already made up in the factory – for the |
|knock-down price of wait for it… £2200.… |
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|Look at it all… |
|SECRET FILMING |
|MALCOLM: Thanks for your business |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|No Malcolm, Thank you. |
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|5 days later, and the most expensive chair that I, or anyone else I know has ever bought arrives in all its glory. It’s.. oooh, it’s a bit |
|green isn’t it? |
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|But, is this a technological wonder seat? To find out, Simon Biddulph who’s from the British Standards Committee for rise and Recline Chairs, |
|I think he sounds like the man for the job… |
|SIMON (to Matt) |
|Well Matt, OK I’ve had a quick look at the chair. |
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|MATT (to Simon) |
|Yes |
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|SIMON (to Matt) |
|And it looks pretty much representative of what’s available on the market at the moment. You can buy them from high street furniture stores or|
|mobility outlets. It’s pretty much run of the mill. |
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|MATT (to Simon) |
|They claim it’s been made in the UK, what’s the truth? |
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|SIMON (to Matt) |
|The frame definitely is, but the actuation system as far as I’m aware is made in China. |
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|MATT (to Simon) |
|How much would you expect to spend on a chair like this |
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|SIMON (to Matt) |
|Anywhere between 5, 6, 7, 800 pound |
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|MATT (to Simon) |
|We paid 2200 for it |
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|SIMON (to Matt) |
|Really? That’s a lot, lot of money for this type of chair |
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|MATT (to Simon) |
|Does it make any sense at all? |
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|SIMON (to Matt) |
|No, I believe it’s grossly over inflated. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Now, all we’ve seen so far is the handiwork of just one salesman. |
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|The one we really want to see in action is the guy who pressure sold to Jodie’s grandparents. What was his name again? |
|JODIE WOOD: It was Nick |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|I’m sorry, once again. |
|JODIE WOOD: Nick. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Thank you Jodie. |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|Hmm, wouldn’t it be great if we could call this Nick out for a free no obligation home demonstration with one of our stoodges and find out |
|exactly how he works… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: Nick from Great British Mobility. |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|I love it when that happens. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Yes, it’s a new house and Nick Edmunds who dealt with Jodie’s grandparents is knocking on the door. |
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|Now, Katie, remember her? Well she’s back and raring to stooge. |
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|There is however a slight hiccup, you see it’s band practice tonight. But luckily, the boys have agreed, I can keep an eye on proceedings and |
|comment musically wherever appropriate. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: And please call me Nick as well |
|“KATIE”: Nick. Nick, OKAY. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Nick kicks off by talking us through the different chairs Great British Mobility have on offer… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|Nick: So all the parts, elements, components, motors, are British, they're not Chinese or Malaysian import. Okay. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Hold on… what was it Simon Biddulph said? |
|SIMON BIDDULPH |
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|The actuation system’s are made in Chin, made in China…made in China , China (fade out) |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|So that’s not true. Therefore Nick is potentially… |
|MATT (PLAYING WITH BAND) |
|(sings) BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW. BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW…. |
|MATT (to camera) |
|A commercial practice is misleading if it contains false information and it causes or is likely to cause the average consumer to take a |
|transactional decision he would not have taken otherwise. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|We’re an hour in to the demonstration and Nick still hasn’t mentioned the cost… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“KATIE”: So how much do these chairs come out at? |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|She’s just asked for the price so we should know any moment now. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Aaaany minute now… (fast forward footage)… no, no, Nick doesn’t tell us for almost another half an hour! |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: You’re looking at £2,798 is what you're looking at for that. |
|“KATIE”: That’s a lot of money |
|NICK: That’s a lot of chair. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|When Katie says she’s unsure she wants to spend almost 3 grand on a chair - Nick deploys the favourite tactic of the pressure seller. The old |
|‘call back to office on the off chance we can do a special deal!’ routine. |
|And sure enough, he’s now miraculously able to drop the price to £2200. Or offer us an off-the-shelf version of the same chair for £2000. |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: I’ve got you a fantastic price. |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|Yeah but we know that isn’t fantastic price, and therefore HE IS… |
|(plays with band) BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW. |
|Let me refer you to Schedule 1 paragraph 18… passing on materially inaccurate information on market conditions or on the possibility of |
|finding the product with the intention of inducing the consumer to acquire the product at conditions less favourable than normal market |
|conditions. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Ok, so now Katharine needs to tell Nick that she wants time to think it over. |
|Remember Malcolm? Eleanor said she unsure whether she wanted to buy today 16 times before he got the message. How about Nick? |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“KATIE”: I’m sorry, I can’t make an instant decision today |
|NICK: Well it’s not instant is it so, it’s not instant because of the work we’ve done today. |
|“KATIE”: Well it feels instant to me |
|“KATIE”: Maybe I should think about it a bit more |
|“KATIE”: I don’t want to make the wrong decision |
|“KATIE”: I don’t want to rush into anything |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|And it’s a new PB! Katie’s said she unsure or needs time to think 31 times before Nick finally gives up! |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: What I am slightly confused about is I don’t honestly know what you’re going to think about. |
|MATT (playing with band) |
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|BREAKING THE… (they stop playing) |
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|MATT (to camera) |
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|No, Wait wait wait, high pressure sales in and of themselves are not against the law, however Nick was invited into our home under on the |
|basis of a free no obligation home demonstration therefore his overall presentation was deceptive and breaching regulation 5 of the Consumer |
|Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and therefore HE IS… |
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|(Band start playing) BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW . BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW . |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|And after almost 2 and half hours Nick finally gives up and leaves… |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|So, two GBM salesman, two badgering high pressure sales pitches. Clearly, GBM is a company we need to talk to. Possibly with a bit of |
|accompaniment. |
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|MATT (to band) |
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|See you next week guys… |
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|MATT’S BAND MATE |
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|‘Plonker’ |
|END OF PART 2 |
|PART 3 |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|Well here’s the news… Nick Edmunds from Great British Mobility is on his way around. And we’ve put a new line up together to meet him. We’re |
|called No Obligation Home Demonstration. |
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|OK… |
|MATT (playing with band) |
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|One way or another, we’re gonna find you… |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Yes, Our actress Katie has called Nick round for a second consultation, except this time, my band and I are waiting to rock out in the |
|conservatory. |
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|Right on time, Nick approaches our house, so it’s time to stop rehearsals and get ready for the headline act. |
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|Katie answers the door whilst the band and I wait quietly in the back conservatory to see what he’s got to say… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|NICK: Hello, you alright? |
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|“KATIE”: Oh, hello. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|After a bit of chit chat whilst Nick sets up the demonstration chair, Katie asks him one more time about the £2200 he’s quoted her… |
|SECRET FILMING |
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|“KATIE”: You think this is a really good price yeah? |
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|NICK: Yeah I do, yes well it’s the retail price and you’ve got some discounts…. You do get what you pay for. |
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|MATT: (whispers) No you don’t. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|And that, ladies and gentleman is yet another potential breach of consumer legislation. He isn’t allowed to suggest it’s a good price when we |
|know it’s not. |
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|With that, we decide the serenading should perhaps begin. |
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|Katie asks Nick to come and check if the chair would fit into her conservatory….which clearly it won’t as currently squeezed in there are me, |
|a bass player, a drummer and a camera crew… |
|DOORSTEP |
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|“KATIE”: So, Perhaps you could have a look for me to see if you think it will fit alright out there. |
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|MATT: Nick, you are potentially… |
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|(MATT playing with band) BREAKING THE LAW, BREAKING THE LAW…. |
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|MATT: He’s gone he’s gone. |
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|Nick, Matt Allwright BBC Rogue Traders. You’re running off… How you doing? |
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|NICK: I’m fine |
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|MATT: The point we’re making of course is that what you’ve been doing breaches, we think, several regulations. Specifically, the Consumer |
|Protection against Unfair Trading Regulations of 2008. |
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|When you enter someone’s home on the basis of a free, no obligation demonstration in your home and then you pursue a high pressure sales |
|technique as we’ve seen you do… |
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|NICK: No I didn’t though… |
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|MATT: You did, I’m afraid because on 31 occasions, our lady expressed reservations about what was taking place and you overrode those and |
|tried to get an answer from her today. To get the decision today. |
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|NICK: That was fine and then I walked away from that. |
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|MATT: The chair that we were potentially buying is worth roughly 6 or £700 thats what the equivalent chair would cost if you were going to buy|
|it on the open market. Whereas in fact you were selling it for roughly 3 times that value, if you’re going to do that again it’s a potential |
|breach of the consumer protection against unfair trading regulations of 2008. |
|Do you have a copy? |
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|NICK: My company probably does yeah |
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|MATT: Do you know what, I’m going to give you one here. We’ve marked up the areas in which you were deficient and misleading in your sales |
|pitch Nick. |
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|NICK: Well I don’t mean to be. |
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|MATT: Can you see that when you’re pushing for people to make a sale on the day like that it leads people to make the wrong decisions- leads |
|people to make decisions they wouldn’t have made otherwise. |
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|NICK: Yeah it can do which is why I rarely do it. |
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|MATT: But you did on this occasion Nick |
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|NICK: Because I thought she needed a chair. But she didn’t need a chair did she, so you’re lying aren’t you. she didn’t need a chair. |
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|MATT: Well you can understand why we’ve done what we’ve done. I’ll tell you the circumstance under which we wouldn’t be having this |
|conversation right now Nick – is when she said I need some time to think about this, you say fine, here’s my card, take as much time as you |
|want because that would have been a no obligation, free home demonstration. |
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|NICK: So it’s the one thing really… |
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|MATT: Well we’ve got 4 possible, potential breaches here, ok, of the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations. |
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|We also have the fact they you’re saying it’s a great deal. |
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|NICK: What I first initially said was, was you can get cheap chairs and I make that very clear about that… |
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|MATT: We’re talking about equivalent chair. Would be available for about £700. |
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|NICK: Well I don’t know because… |
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|MATT: You need to know that when you’re telling someone it’s a great deal. |
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|NICK: Well I don’t need to do I because my company whatever they buy wholesale. |
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|MATT: You do need to know, you do need to know |
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|NICK: Well I do tell them that. |
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|MATT: If you’re telling people it’s a great deal you need to know it’s a great deal and not 3 times the cost of an equivalent chair somewhere |
|else. |
|MATT (VOICE OVER) |
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|Our conversation goes on for a few minutes whilst Nick packs his demo chair away. |
|DOORSTEP |
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|MATT: I think the crucial thing is, you’re going in for a free, no obligation home demonstration… |
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|NICK: But I am allowed to ask if they want to buy? |
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|MATT: Of course you are… |
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|NICK: Thank you, good. Because otherwise, commerce would stop. |
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|MATT: No no no, listen, we understand that people need to sell things. Yeah, that makes sense, but the way they sell them, which is what those|
|regulations are there to prescribe and make sure it’s being done properly is absolutely crucial. |
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|NICK: Yeah, well I’ll pass it on to my company and we’ll take it on board. And I certainly will. |
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|MATT: Thank you Nick. |
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|NICK: Well I won’t say it’s been a pleasure. |
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|MATT: Nice to meet you. |
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|NICK: Nice to meet you. |
|MATT (to camera) |
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|There goes Nick from Great British Mobility, I think he took some of that on board.. anyway, there he goes… rocking and rolling his way out of|
|Telford… |
|END OF PART 3 |
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