Is QVC Predatory With Seniors?
My 88 year old mother has burned through tens-of-thousands of dollars on QVC over the past decade buying multiples of useless things. She lives alone, is in the advance stages of Congestive Heart Failure and consequently is unable to do much in the physical activities; she's out of breath just walking to her mailbox.
In her basement are mountains of QVC shipping boxes and packing materials.
She actually has 3 weed whackers that are still shrink wrapped.
I have answered her phone while visting and it was actually aperson from QVC trying to sell her something.
She has started to give the things she buys away to the UPS man, the mailman, the lawn care people.
She does not have dementia.
Any suggestions on how to deal with this situation? Can one stop QVC from selling her things?
15 Answers
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I do think the catalog companies target the elderly. And if an elderly person orders things, they will start getting 100 catalogs a month! My father was horrible to shop in catalogs. It was a very difficult situation. He rarely spent less than $500 and often spent his entire check plus ordering perfectly useless things from catalogs. He would order the useless things in threes -- one for himself, one for my mother, and one for me. None of these things were ever wanted or used.
My father died six months ago. I have tried canceling the catalogs. The number is down, but some keep sending. The catalog list people are despicable. They are as bad as those telephone solicitors that are now calling late at night.
QVC is doing what business does, taking full advantage of willing consumers but I think it's not a bad idea for there to be more public awareness around this issue.
On three seperate occassions I have contacted HSN &QVC asking that they stop doing business with my sister. I have sent letters discribing her disabilty and the financial damage she is doing to herself by shopping with these firms. Along with my Power of Attorney documents. Every time I write the close down the accounts I reference in my letter and within weeks open new accounts for my sister. Both companies told me they would not stop doing business with her nor would they flag her accounts for no further business. They even had the audicity to tell me my sister has the "right " to shop and they will continue to do business with her. They do prey on people who are lonely. My sister is on a first name basis with the firms sales people and spends hours on the phone with them. She calls to purchase a dress and by the time she's off the phone they have convinced her to buy the matching shoes, jacket, jewelry, hand bag, etc. I have blocked their cable stations and she manages to find a way to get them unblocked every time I do so. The Better Business Bureau won't even rate these firms. There has got to be a way to stop them from taking advantage of people. DC HIKE
One always knows they’re dealing with an exploiter when they hear things from them like someone "has the right to shop.”
Yes, my mother "has the right to shop” for endless cakes and confections from QVC, but as a result, she now has full blown Diabetes Type 2 and will eventually become a burden on the tax payers when she spends the last of her money with you and has to go on Medicaid.
Such a state of affairs.
It's not the TV show's fault or the advertisers fault that a person has no control when it comes to shopping. It's a medical addiction that needs help, similar to that of gambling. People gamble and lose their life savings, shall all the casinos close up? Stop the lotteries?