Dementia and Telemarketing Calls

[grandmoon]

Has anyone any advice re telemarketng calls when the person answering the calls has dementia.

[lyndal1838]

Using a mobile phone will not help...the pests have lists of Aussie mobile numbers too.

I got my mobile phone years ago when my father was in the Nursing Home and we had dialup internet.  The only people who had the number were immediate family, the family solicitor and the Nursing Home.

When I started to get the telemarketers calling I managed to find out where they got the number from.   I rang the company and had a blazing row with them....told them they had no right to sell on numbers that were not generally made public.   They promised to remove it and I believe they have done so as the only calls I get now are from the original couple of companies that called.

These companies have been warned that I will not take any calls on the mobile number and just to prove the point I answer the call but put the phone aside for half an hour or so without hanging up.   They seem to be getting the message.

Even if the person should change any utilities providers you should be able to intercept it before too much damage is done.  You usually have 10 days from the time you receive the paperwork to decide if you want to go ahead.   Just cancel in that time and there is no damage done.

Also, does he have the authority to enter into a contract....are the bills in his name?   If not, then there is nothing to worry about at all.  They cannot enforce a contract that was made without the account holder's authority.

[the_great_she_elephant]

That's interesting - and a bit alarming, Lyndal We've never had a problem witha ny of our mobiles, but there's hardly a day goes by when we don't get an unwanted call on the landline. Ours has caller ID so unless it's a name or number we recgnise we just let it go through to the answering machine, Then if someone starts to leave a message and we want to speak to them we pick up.

That might not be doable for someone with dementia though.

[johcaschro]

I almost never get a call from a telemarketer or a scammer on my landline.

I think that is because I have an unlisted number but more importantly I do not give my phone number out by signing up for things like "loyalty cards" or any other sort of card be it Myers or Baker's Delight (it helps that I don't shop at those places)

I even had a shop assitant hassle me for my contact details when I once bought a cheap pizza oven and he got rather angry, verging on abusive when I refused the info and had the nerve to tell me that the guarantee would be void if I didn't comply.

It's not like I was buying a gun or anything.

Years ago I used to receive phone calls almost every day from a woman asking to speak to "Terry".  It turned out that Terry was the live-in son and carer for his mother who had dementia and when she wanted to speak to him she would (mis-dial) her own telephone number and call me instead.

Can a person who has been diagnosed with dementia enter a legally binding contract offered by someone who has cold-called them on the phone? I don't think they can, providing that they have been registered as not having testamentory capacity. Legal advice is needed on this one.

[lyndal1838]

If you have been cold called you have 10 days to decide whether to go ahead with the contract after you receive the paperwork.

It is very easy to just cancel within the time and no harm is done.

Where would you register someone who no longer has the capacity to enter a contract?

I would think this could only be enforced if there was a Power Of Attorney in place but how would the cold caller know anyway?

I can beat you on weird phone calls.   When I first moved in here I was alone a lot as my OH was in the Navy.

I started getting calls after 10.30pm quite regularly....women demanding that I send their husbands home.  It freaked me out at first until I discovered that my phone number was one digit different to the local RSL club.

Most of the women were apologetic once I explained their error but there were a few that became very abusive so I decided to have some fun with them....I think I put the wind up them nicely but still they rang my number.

In the end I gave up the battle and changed my number as it was becoming very annoying....and disturbing my toddler whose bedroom was very near the phone in the hall.

[graham_paige]

There isnt much you can do about the calls, but you can change the name of the accounts to ensure that any change to the account must be approved by someone other than the person with dementia.  That way whatever he agrees to over the phone isnt binding and the existing providor should reject it and by law cannot change it.  wont resolve the issue, but will make the scammers job much easier.  You should also do the same with bank accounts and credit cards, that way you have recorse back to the bank.

[domino-710]

From experience.

The no call register is only valid within Australia.

The calls that are received - like - your internet is going to be discnected etc etc - are done through the likes of Skype  & others.

They are not controlled by the No Call Register.

[cat_mioux]

I'd never had a problem with receiving telemarketing calls on my mobile until some bright girl gave my mobile number when she signed up for some info on online study (one of the telemarketers gave me this info). The business then promptly 'sold' my number to dozens of telemarketers. I would receive 10 calls a day every day. I would block each one but that didn't stop them using different numbers. This went on for a month until the Do Not Call Register kicked in and gradually they stopped.

They are a carbunkle on the butt of humanity!