"So How Do You Pull It?"
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
United States
March 9, 2016 3:24pm CST
I was quite shocked when one of my clients confessed that she had given her personal information over the phone to a company that promised her a "free" back brace. Told her how she really should never give out that information to anyone that calls her.
What really ticks me off is these companies get away with such bad practices. They promised she would not have to pay for this back brace. She has a bad back and told me she has always wanted a brace to make it feel better.
If a doctor feels that you would get relief from wearing a back brace it would be prescribed to you. Also, I might add that ordering one from a vendor that calls you or markets their product by commercial means doesn't mean the brace you receive will work for you.
You should always find a reputable vendor who is local and be measured and fitted for any bracing. Sometimes what the doctor orders isn't going to be what actually works for a patient. Having worked in the DME field, I know that there are a lot of different bracing options that fit and work differently.
When you order by mail or over the phone, you really are not certain that it will fit or give you the comfort and bracing that you truly need. If you are fitted by a local vendor you can insure that it will be fitted properly and give you the best relief.
As I read the paperwork that was supplied with the brace my client received today, it said that if she wasn't happy with the product it could be returned, but she would be charges a restocking fee.
After showing her how to put the brace on she kept asking "so how do I pull it?", referring to the pull tabs that tighten the brace. First off, she is 84 and her finger dexterity isn't great, nor is her upper body strength or the strength in her hands. She will be unable to adjust the brace herself or put it on alone. I am certain that these things were not taken into consideration when the sales person talked to her about the brace.
So, I guess this is a buyer beware post. Be careful who you give your personal information to. Also, please consider using local vendors as opposed to ordering by mail or over the phone. You get what you pay for or may even have to pay in full, even if you were told it would be free.
Rant over.
7 people like this
8 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
9 Mar 16
You are so right Elusive. And when ordering by phone or online, really they have your credit card info and they can charge again...it happens.
Aw poor lady that you take care of there. I feel for her at not being able to get it on her.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
9 Mar 16
I called the company and they said that she wouldn't be charged for the brace if her insurance didn't pay. I rolled my eyes on that one. I told them that I wouldn't let her sign the form that they sent because it clearly states that if the insurance doesn't pay that she will be responsible for payment.
If she were fitted for a brace at a local vendor they would have found a brace that she would be able to don and off easily.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
@jaboUK I had a client who was 100 and her mind was sharp as a tack as well. Some younger people had less cognitive skills than she had.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
Unfortunately companies like this prey upon the elderly who are easily confused.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
10 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly I agree that some elderly can be easily confused, but I was just trying to point out that elderly and confused don't always go together. My husband is 85 and as sharp as a tack.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
They said that she contacted them, but she told me that they called her. I truly believe her over them. She gets more phone calls from telemarketers during the daytime. Sometimes I am able to intervene, but I am not there all the time.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
10 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly
I would believe her over them also since she gets so many telemarketing calls. Hope she has learned to say NO to them.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
@Marcyaz I do believe her. These predators are relentless. She said she wouldn't give her information out again. I told her we need to watch her bank account closely.
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
10 Mar 16
Aww sounds like this poor old woman didn't get something that will really work very easily for her. I'm sure she could have found a better fit if she had gotten a recommendation from a doctor.
I did have triple A called me about a week ago and let me know that my coverage had lapsed and I gave them my credit card information over the phone to get it updated. I was worried it might not be legit but I knew that my coverage had run out so was hopeful it was a legit call. I see on my bank statement the charge from Triple A. I was nervous about this after I saw that my account got hacked by someone in Florida.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
I would have been nervous as well. We have ordered items online and worried over it despite the fact that the site was secure.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Mar 16
What great informationyou have given. I got a free carpal tu nnel night brace for m y right wrist from my hmo insurace quarterly catalogue.But the one thing they nelgected to mention was how to take it off so I could go potty as well forgive me for being blunt but one uses her right hand to dry off after a potty time. Came back had one horrid time trying to get the brace onto my wrist again. As y ou said I m elderly t oo and,my hands do not have the strength that they had at age forty.So he conraption
sits in my drawer unused.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
9 Mar 16
I believe that you can get those braces at least once a year if I remember correctly. Call your doctor for a prescription and take it to your local vendor. They will give you one that you can easily put on and take off yourself.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
9 Mar 16
@Hatley good luck Patsie. I hope that you are able to get one soon. Carpal tunnel is painful.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly yes I havehad i for several years so I could see mu dpctpr cp,e tp tjol abpt ot do have a prescripton as its on the paperwork with my bloodwork from the last time I saw my doctpr amd told him about y right wrst.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
The calls are constant. She must get at least 3 every hour. Some are just phishing calls. When she answers there isn't anyone there. I told her that it is computer generated and they are seeking information on the times that she answers the phone so a live person can call.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
10 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly These companies are awful! It should be illegal to do what they are doing.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
10 Mar 16
wouldn't ya jest love to tar'n feather all those folks who peddle schtuff like that 'n parade 'em up'n down the street? :(
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Mar 16
She tried several times to adjust it on her own. I know that she will not be able to put it on alone.
1 person likes this
