What do I do?

[punch*drunk]

My dad is suffering from dementia, last weekend we were camping and his phone went flat. He recharged when he got home and coincidentally was contacted the same day by telemarketers claiming to represent Telstra.

The first I knew about it was him telling me Telstra will be sending him a letter  about his phone....he cant remember anything else about the call, but I have checked the number and its definitely telemarketing.

So what do I do? Try and ring them and fix it up now or wait it out until the letter comes. Bearing in mind I'm not the account holder and I'm not 100% sure what, if anything, he's signed up for.

Is there some kind of cooling off period with these things or will he be locked in if I dont get onto it straight away?

This is the number that he was called by   http://www.reverseaustralia.com/lookup/0894244710/

[azureline**]

Punch, the POA should be a completely separate document to the Will, even if they are kept together.

If you need to put the POA into effect you will need to get the original document from the solicitor and take it to places like your father's bank and anywhere else you may require to use the POA.

Ring places like the health fund and insurance company to ask if they require a copy to be sent etc.

By rights every provider of services that you may have to deal with should sight the original document, but many are happy to be sent a copy...you can not just ring up and say 'I have POA..."

We have copies, have not once been asked for the original yet, bank, centrelink, doctor, insurance, car reg. nursing home. We do have a certified copy to carry with, just in case. The solicitor keeps the original. NSW.

[katydidthat]

A POA is a convenient document, but also a dangerous one.  When I had a POA for my brother (he lived in Thailand and owned a property in Australia), people kept asking me to send them a copy ... but, if I sent them a copy, they could send anyone else a copy and claim that they had the POA.  So, I refused ... most firms saw the sense.  

[azureline**]

A POA is a convenient document, but also a dangerous one.  When I had a POA for my brother (he lived in Thailand and owned a property in Australia), people kept asking me to send them a copy ... but, if I sent them a copy, they could send anyone else a copy and claim that they had the POA.  So, I refused ... most firms saw the sense.  

it has the POA 's name and address on it? and signed by them. It is like a minefield isn't it?

[katydidthat]

Absolutely, Az.  A bit of "white out" and you can be anyone.