Betterware Barsts

Author
Discussion

Marvtec

421 posts

158 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
OP certainly is trying hard to keep most of the estate for him & his wife, grumbling over the occasional £5 betterware purchase.

Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
If that is the case then surely the best course of action would be to take her to live with them or some other relative or somewhere else she can be looked after?

Not blame someone who leaves a catalogue outside the door!?!

Don't get me wrong, I should imagine if you put a note in the bag saying please don't call here again, they will stop delivering to you, it is as simple as that.
I think it is being implied the Betterware person is well aware the OP's mother in law is not all there and is taking advantage.

Leptons

5,113 posts

175 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
I think it is being implied the Betterware person is well aware the OP's mother in law is not all there and is taking advantage.
She's probably their best customer. These people make fk all money, even less when you start binning the catalogue that they've had to pay for if the problem persists. It'll soon stop.

HD Adam

Original Poster:

5,143 posts

183 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
Marvtec said:
OP certainly is trying hard to keep most of the estate for him & his wife, grumbling over the occasional £5 betterware purchase.
There is no estate. We bought her the house she now lives in. She has nothing but her weekly pension.
We pay privately for a carer to go in every day to get her up, give her breakfast, get her in the shower and then come back and get her lunch for her.
My wife or daughters go round in the evening to get her a cooked dinner.

Really, she should be in a home but she doesn't want to go into one. I respect her wishes so she is taken care of. Maybe that will change soon.
We tell her not to open the door to anyone. She is one of those old ladies who would fall prey to a dodgy builder or driveway specialist.

We have left notes in the catalog bag, thrown various away and left a note on the door. None of this has worked, hence my view that they are taking the piss.

Thank you all for your insights and suggestions. I'm home for 2 weeks so this will get stopped now.

Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
I woudl raise it with BW head office - just say that MIL has mental health problems and I imagine they will ask the sales person not to bother her anymore.

If you can somehow demonstarte the MIL actually has a mental health condition and the salesman persists then there may be breaches of the law.

Kiltie

7,504 posts

245 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
OP, there's no question that you do very well by your MiL.

Everything is taken care of for her.

This is the last thing I'll say on the matter.

Are you sure, in your heart, that the Betterware thing might not be one of the last "choices" she has?

I've found, with my folks, that the holding on to independence thing can sometimes manifest itself in odd ways.

Also, I sometimes have to be careful when I "think" I'm offering my mother choices that i'm putting the point to her in such a way that it's actually fait accompli because I've essentially decided what's best anyway.

I'm just suggesting that, maybe, perhaps, buying the Betterware tat is her choice and giving your wife the Betterware tat is her choice.

Maybe, perhaps, she doesn't actually know what she's doing but it makes her happy; because it's her choice.

I'm just asking you to do one last check in your own head that, maybe, perhaps, by doing what is absolutely clear to you as the correct thing, you might be taking something away from her which she likes - a choice.

That's all. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and New Year.

catman

2,490 posts

174 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
Marvtec said:
OP certainly is trying hard to keep most of the estate for him & his wife, grumbling over the occasional £5 betterware purchase.
Nice post. totally wrong, of course.....

HD Adam

Original Poster:

5,143 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
Kiltie said:
Are you sure, in your heart, that the Betterware thing might not be one of the last "choices" she has?
Kiltie, in all honesty, she's at the stage in her life where if you knocked on her door and offered her some magic beans, she'd buy them and probably hold out her purse for you to take the right money because she can't see very well.

She thinks she's "helping" us out buy buying us useful things but it's not that.
She can spend her own money as she sees fit but I firmly believe that she is being ripped off.
I believe that the Betterware rep sees her as an easy mark given that I have asked politely (via notes) for them to please stop this.
God know how many other vulnerable little old ladies in the village make up their round. Yes, I'm making assumptions but I'll bet I'm close.

As it's the season of good will, I will be going round tomorrow with Mrs HD so it stays civil and ask them to stop in person.

Sausages are in the freezer as back up biggrin

Pit Pony

8,265 posts

120 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
Nail up her postbox, and put a sign on it saying where to post the MIL's mail, then you can burn all the junk mail before she gets it.

Even better. Invite her to stay with you and rent out her house to a nice family, and use the money to take her on some nice holidays.

HD Adam

Original Poster:

5,143 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
Pit Pony said:
Nail up her postbox, and put a sign on it saying where to post the MIL's mail, then you can burn all the junk mail before she gets it.

Even better. Invite her to stay with you and rent out her house to a nice family, and use the money to take her on some nice holidays.
All good points except for they knock on her door and our house is not suitable for her in her present condition.
She lives in a bungalow and her bathroom is converted to a wet room as she is on a walker and cannot really step up or down.
Anything more than shuffling around the house is a wheelchair job unfortunately and she doesn't like to go away any more.
We used to take her to see her sister out in Spain until a few years ago but health insurance for her is a bit iffy and she doesn't like the ignominy of being loaded onto the plane like a piece of freight.

Thanks though for the suggestion.