Taking advantage of the elderly

[TomLane]

As some have already mentioned, I don't know how these so called 'tradesmen' have the balls to charge/quote so much for work!

Whenever I quote/charge for work I always make it as fair as possible & think of the customer as if they were a member of my family, & what would I be happy for them to be charged.

I know this isn't necessarily the most effective way to do 'business' & make a reasonable living but I find it works & have had plenty of referral for doing a good job at a reasonable price!

As for treating the elderly or anyone in a similar vulnerable situation as the previously mentioned old lady, in such a disgusting manner as they have done makes me wonder what they would do to their own families?!?

 

[tamz]

As for treating the elderly or anyone in a similar vulnerable situation as the previously mentioned old lady, in such a disgusting manner as they have done makes me wonder what they would do to their own families?!?

Probably clean their bank accounts out. There is plenty of that goes on.
Such is the society we live in where for many; morals, scruples, or even common decency has given way to everyone for themselves and greed.
Some people have no shame.

 

[acecharly]

I think it would be a good idea to have to register any work completed in a property just like we have to with gas after seeing this.


2 weeks and you to can be a plumber on 70k.....sooner this lot are made illegal the better.

 

[JON]

people go through life as so called tradesmen maybe 30-40 years but still are shocking at what they do!

 

[petercj]

Probably clean their bank accounts out. There is plenty of that goes on.
Such is the society we live in where for many; morals, scruples, or even common decency has given way to everyone for themselves and greed.
Some people have no shame.

Very true, common decency and moral responsibility has been abdicated to "the market place", where the main objective is profit, and 'the end' is frequently used to justify 'the means'.

But let's not pretend this is just about a few individual small-time traders, because one of Britain's largest, and once respected, national companies has led the way in this regard.

It wouldn't be appropriate for me to mention the name of that company in this post, but most people on this site will know who I am referring to.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Such is the society we live in where for many; morals, scruples, or even common decency has given way to everyone for themselves and greed.

Very true, common decency and moral responsibility has been abdicated to "the market place", where the main objective is profit, and 'the end' is frequently used to justify 'the means'.

I don't think this is a new thing. Throughout history, there have always been scum.

Because we consume more in general now, there are probably more scummy consumer incidents in total than before, but I reckon that there are just as many good people and bad people as ever there was.

 

[petercj]

I don't think this is a new thing. Throughout history, there have always been scum.

Because we consume more in general now, there are probably more scummy consumer incidents in total than before, but I reckon that there are just as many good people and bad people as ever there was.

The fusion of a particular political ideology with economics as implemented some 40 years ago has produced a culture that accepts that profit is more important than moral responsibility. Individuals will shrug their shoulders and say: "this is just the way it is, what can I do?"

The irony with the tale of this elderly lady is that it could be taken as a warning not to trust small traders and to opt for the large scale national company I have referred to, which is to seek security in the arms of another bunch of rip-off merchants.

The only difference between the people you refer to as "scum", and the people I refer to, is the mantle of respectability they hide behind, which is "cleverly" maintained by the astute lawyers they employ.

The radical free market mentality we have had to live with over the past 40 years has provided psychopaths with a licence to prosper and to be seen as champions of the system by their actions, and it's not just the Bankers that have hit the headlines, there are plenty of large highly respectable organisations headed up by them.

In the greater scheme of things, Joe Bloggs, aka rogue trader, is a small-fry distraction from the massive scamming operations of the national companies that are ripping us off on a daily basis.