Visited my mum tonight like I do every week, she is 80 and suffering from the onset of dementia.

Last week she had mentioned she loved the movie Dirty Dancing and would like to get the music from it so she could play it at home.

When I walked in she was all excited saying she had bought the music from a 2nd hand record shop.

The first problem was she had bought a 2nd hand copy on cassette and does not have a cassette player.

She then tells me she has to return to the shop on Monday to pay the rest of the money for it as she did not have enough on her when she was in the shop.

I had a look at the cassette and the price on it was £3.99 reduced from £4.99.

My mum said she had paid £20 towards the cassette and the guy in the shop had taken her name and address and also asked for her phone number but she could not remember it and told her to bring in the remaining £19.99 on Monday.

Now I know people will say how would anyone think the price of the cassette would be £39.99 but my mum does not have a clue what sort of price these sort of things sell for.

I was going to go into the shop tomorrow but it's closed, so I'm trying to get some time of work to go in with her on Monday.

Not sure about the best way to deal with this.

give him the chance to back out gracefully?

I believe you have made a mistake when reading your price label.

and politely smile at him.

what devices does she possess?

I wouldn't recommending a cassette probably last about a week being of that age.

I would be very cautious about the whole thing. I suggest that you go into the shop with your mother and keep it very nice and polite. Make enquiries and find out exactly what happened. You never know, maybe your mother hasn't quite remembered the story correctly. I would be recording the whole thing. If you find out that your mother has been ripped off then I would explain very politely to the guy about your mother's condition and suggest that for the amount of money at stake, he ought to let it go. If he insists on getting his money then it's up to you to refuse if you want, but I would make it clear to him that everything has been recorded and it will be put up on YouTube and linked on this forum as well as being on Twitter.

If you discover that it is a rip-off then let us know the name of the dealer.

find out who served her first, if the shop owner then suspect a rip-off. If some youth explain to store owner that a mistake has been made and can they sort it out

Well Bankfodder looks like you were spot on, thank god I did not name and shame, went into the shop with my mum and spoke to the manager who I would say is in his 70's.

This is the 'young man' my mum said had served her, the manager asked me if I was in to pick up the 'unit', I didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

He explains that my mum had ordered a 2nd hand cassette player unit with radio and had put down a £20 deposit on Friday and would pay the rest today.

I asked my mum but she denies ever ordering it, I know by the managers reaction he was telling the true story.

The manager then says he does not normally return deposits but would in this instance then my mum tells him she want's to keep the £3.99 cassette.

So we leave the shop with my mum's £16 from the deposit and an old 2nd hand Dirty Dancing cassette tape.

Looks like my mums in a worse state than I had thought and needs a good deal more watching in the future.

Can you not spoil her Maroon and get her a CD player with the CD version...all that PPI you have won:-D

Andy

Can you not spoil her Maroon and get her a CD player with the CD version...all that PPI you have won:-D

 

Andy

Already got the player, just need to get the CD now

She will only listen to it when I visit because she does not have a scooby how to work it !!!

£3.....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Dancing-Eric-Carmen/dp/B000026F9F

Keep the cassette though it worth £41 from Amazon

Thought I'd update this, my mums been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia she's been staying with me since April, caused so much stress in the family she's in a Care Home for respite at the moment and she is loving it, after a wee boxing match with my wife Social Services have agreed she cannot return to my house and I have a meeting with them and the Housing Department on the 15th with a view to getting my mum somewhere permanent.

I'm hoping we will have her settled by Christmas.

Hi Scott so sorry to hear about your mum dementia is a cruel disease, i have total respect for you caring for your mum as you say very stressfull, as you say your mum is in respite and loving it,just want to say and i hope you don't mind when you go view care homes ask as many questions as you can think of.. eg do they have choices of meals do they have activies in place if you go to look around in morning go again in the afternoon and check their cqc report online talk to the carers.