Virgin Media sold expensive TV and internet package to Fareham pensioner with dementia

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A PENSIONER with dementia was sold an expensive package by Virgin Media after he called the firm for help when an error message appeared on his TV.

Sydney Gill, 85, from Fareham, was sold the £45-a-month package – with £65 set up fee – which included fibre optic broadband, film and sport channels – all despite his daughter telling the company five times about his diagnosis.

The retired Metropolitan Police officer has no smart TV, mobile phone, computer or tablet and has only watched one channel since he got dementia.

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Attorney general Suella Braverman, Mr Gill’s MP, said the telecoms firm’s actions were ‘insensitive and unscrupulous’ and has vowed to take up his case in government in a bid to bring an ‘end to the exploitation of the elderly’.

Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110)Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110)
Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110) | JPIMedia Resell
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Virgin has admitted failing to label him as a vulnerable consumer and has apologised to Mr Gill’s daughter, but said he did agree to the deal on the phone.

Sales team took over call for help

When Mr Gill called the firm last month about a message on his TV, he was transferred to the sales team who plunged him into the pricey direct debit. Virgin said Mr Gill asked why his TV was not working, and they then asked him if he wanted to resume services.

Sydney Gill, 85, who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after the firm ignored warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9178)Sydney Gill, 85, who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after the firm ignored warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9178)
Sydney Gill, 85, who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after the firm ignored warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9178) | JPIMedia Resell

It was later intercepted by his 55-year-old daughter Janet Thorpe, who got his lasting power of attorney after his dementia diagnosis in 2017. She is now campaigning against companies taking advantage of the vulnerable.

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Ms Thorpe, a former project manager at the Lloyds Banking Group, told The News: ‘They sold him the top package even though we have told them at least five times over the phone that he has dementia.

‘The Financial Conduct Authority has a big policy around organisations’ behaviour towards people they could class as vulnerable customers, so it defies belief how they can sell that package to an 85-year-old who has zero devices in his house.

‘Where are Virgin’s morals and what were the questions they asked my dad on that phone call?’

The message on Sydney's television which prompted his call to Virgin Media, and the sale of the package. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9081)The message on Sydney's television which prompted his call to Virgin Media, and the sale of the package. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9081)
The message on Sydney's television which prompted his call to Virgin Media, and the sale of the package. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9081) | JPIMedia Resell

Pensioner previously sold a car and conservatory windows

Mr Gill, who now has carers and spends four days a week at Lockswood Day Centre, was a Virgin television customer until August, 2019. When he called last month he only had a phone package with the company but previously had a TV package.

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Ms Thorpe and her sister have had to take control of his bank account to ‘save him from himself' and stop cold-calling firms taking advantage of him.

During the early stages of his dementia, the retiree was sold a brand new car by a dealership despite his own three-year-old vehicle having only done 15,000 miles.

Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110)Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110)
Janet Thorpe, 55, with her dad Sydney Gill, 85 who has dementia and was mis-sold a top-end Virgin Media TV and internet after ignoring warnings of his condition. Picture: Sarah Standing (280220-9110) | JPIMedia Resell

Another firm sold him an entire set of new windows for his conservatory for £9,000 when only one needed replacing.

Ms Thorpe now wants to spearhead a campaign to crack down on ‘endemic mis-selling' to people like her dad.

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She said: ‘I could understand if these were fraudsters, but 95 per cent of the mis-selling is from supposedly reputable companies.

‘I want to know what’s being done to hold these companies to account and get them to put in place robust practices for vulnerable customers.’

Attorney general hits out at ‘exploitation of the elderly’

The prospect has been backed by Ms Braverman, the newly-promoted attorney general and MP for Fareham.

Mrs Braverman said: ‘I sympathise wholeheartedly with Sydney.

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‘It deeply saddens me that Virgin Media has behaved in such an insensitive and unscrupulous manner, forgetting the human element to the customer relationship.

‘In my capacity as Sydney’s MP I will raise his case with the business minister to ensure we put an end to the exploitation of the elderly, so that others do not suffer as Sydney has. I thank his daughter, Janet, for running this campaign.’

Ms Thorpe said her dad was 'too confused’ to understand he had been sold the package.

Virgin Media said it was not made aware of Ms Thorpe's lasting power of attorney.

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It is understood member's of the firm's sales team earn commission on packages they sell.

A spokesman said: ‘We have apologised to Mr Gill’s daughter for not correctly updating her father’s account details to reflect that he has dementia.

‘As a gesture of goodwill we have offered six months’ free service which has been accepted.

‘Virgin Media is committed to ensuring our vulnerable customers are treated with care and we provide specialist training to our front-line staff so they can support customers appropriately.’

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Mr Gill does not understand what has gone on, his daughter said.

News consumer champion takes aim at Virgin Media’s actions

VIRGIN’S handling of Mr Gill’s phone call has also been criticised by Richard Thomson, The News' consumer champion.

Mr Thomson's Streetwise column has clawed Portsmouth-area consumers back more than £250,000 in the past six years.

He said: ‘If Virgin were not aware, they should’ve known the Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers this sort of thing.

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‘To have capacity, a person must be able to understand the information related to the action they want to make.

‘They must be able to retain the information for long enough to be able to make the decision.

‘They must be able to weigh up the information available to make the decision, and they must have capacity to communicate their decision by any possible means.

‘That covers this situation and Virgin should certainly be aware of that act.

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‘Clearly they were not, otherwise they would not have tried to take advantage of this man.'

In its summer 2019 review on vulnerable consumers, the Financial Conduct Authority said: ‘Any changes to the terms or features of a product should be communicated in a way that vulnerable customers will understand.

‘Firms should proactively check that vulnerable customers understand communications at the point of sale.’

It also said firms should have systems in place to ensure relevant information is available to all staff and ‘customers don’t have to repeat information about themselves’.

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