Directors of Peterborough firm which used hard selling techniques on elderly to be sentenced

Senior staff at Life Comfort Products were set to appear at Peterborough Crown Court for sentencing today (Friday).

However, the case will now be heard on March 23.

Aggressive sales from the firm, which sold items such as chairs and beds, included giving misleading information to customers, including telling them chairs were made at their family owned Peterborough factory. Sales staff also ignored no cold calling stickers, made appointments when asked not to and even disrupted mealtimes and other commitments for the customers. Directors Jacqueline and Geoffrey Turner and the firm itself admitted designing a script and training canvassers to increase pressure on customers to agree to a demonstration.

The company in its entirety, two directors (Jacqueline and Geoffrey Turner), the sales manager (David Turner), the national marketing manager (Tim Clarke) and two demonstrators (Brendan Donahue and Joel Henry) will be sentenced at the next hearing.

Directors Geoffrey and Jacqueline Turner, of Hall Lane, Werrington, senior officers David Turner, of Sawn Close, Spalding,andTim Clark,of High

Road, Newton,Wisbech and the firm itself, based in Papyrus Road, all admitted to engaging in commercial practices that contravened the requirements of professional diligence.

Employee Brendan Donahoe, of Clogging Close, Newark admitted acting as a trader knowingly or recklessly engaged in commercial practices which contravened the requirements of professional diligence and materially distorted or were likely to materially distort the economic behaviour of the average consumer.

Employee Joel Henry, of Bluebell Close, Daventry,admitted acting as a trader engaged in aggressive commercial practices that significantly impaired or were likely to significantly impair the average consumer’s freedom of choice or conduct in relation to a product through the use of harassment, coercion or undue influence.