Mobility aids Medical claims and pressure sales

Beware of medical claims for mobility aids

Our experts were concerned that three of the four adjustable-bed companies made questionable medical claims, again breaching the BHTA code. Sun Mobility was the only one that didn’t. 

The Oakdale Beds sales rep told Yvonne that raising the head and foot of the bed would ‘absolutely’ stop her husband snoring. This is not backed by any evidence.

Oakdale Beds did not address this point directly but said that it does not consider itself a healthcare or mobility business but a bedroom furniture retailer.

'Ridiculous claims'

The salesman from Adjustamatic Beds told Yvonne that most people who bought its beds with a massage system didn’t need to go for physiotherapy and osteopathy any more. ‘This is a ridiculous claim,’ said occupational therapist Maggie Winchcombe. ‘There’s no way that a piece of machinery will be an alternative to a qualified person with specialist equipment.’

‘To suggest they might cease professional treatments is wrong,’ Adjustamatic said.

The hard sell

Yvonne was also subjected to the hard sell. Five companies – Adjustamatic, All Handling Movability, Bath-Knight, Craftmatic, and Nationwide – offered discounts if she bought the product immediately, which the BHTA labels a ‘high-pressure selling tactic’ and has been illegal since 28 May 2008.

Craftmatic pushed for a deposit by telling Yvonne: ‘It’s not money. It’s a cheque.’ The company responded: ‘We take great care to ensure that our representatives do not use “high-pressure” selling techniques.’

Yvonne also felt ‘worried’ by Oakdale Beds completing a sales agreement and asking for a cheque and her bank details, despite her insistence that she needed to talk to her husband. Our experts thought that this was bad practice.

‘The home demonstration market has a very bad reputation,’ Oakdale told us. ‘We most certainly do not want to be seen as a company that operates in this manner.’