Sorry for the nondescript title, I know it can be annoying, I am trying to forgo any words which may be picked up by the company involved. Please be ready for appalling typing as I continue this!
I will keep things succinct because of this but please understand this is not to drip feed, any further info required will be supplied freely!
My parents have returned from holiday today. They have been visiting, for the second time, M.a.l.t.a
They have bought a t.i.m.e.s.h...... (Does this even work? It's hard going!)
We previously had family living abroad and my dad in particular was very forthright in telling the sellers of said items where to go but somehow they have gone along with it this time.
As much as I (and my sister- hello if you're reading this!) want to sit back and enjoy the cheaper h.o.l.i.d.a.y.s, I cannot relax knowing that my dads pension is paying for it (he is 66 and still working, I don't know if that's relevant?) when it all looks too good to be true.
For reference- they have no internet, they do not trust credit or debit cards (although use one on h.o.l.i.d.a.y), have no debts or loans aside from remainder of very small mortgage and above all are not one bit worldly wise. They are the kind of folk who 'befriend' a waiter abroad and think they may well be friends for life iyswim.
I can provide as many details as I can about the company- preferably by pm if that's okay- and have googled myself to find a horror story or two but I guess my main questions are a) is there any way to get them out of this if it is crap and b) how to break their hearts when (if?) I have to tell them?
AIBU?
Need help with parents
SilentBob · 13/11/2015 19:39
Hi - sorry no useful advice for you really but do sympathise as had a vaguely similar situation with my own DM a few years ago. She and her DH (my stepdad) somehow got suckered into giving up their (not insubstantial) house in part exchange/equity release-type thing for a park home. I was 
and 
and then 
as it was very clear it wasn't going to end well but I felt unable to speak out a great deal as it was my stepdad's decision my DM just wanted to go along with it as it was what he wanted. It's really tricky when it's not blood relatives - would have been a lot more outspoken if it was both of my parents.
Suffice to say, within a year or two the whole thing went spectacularly tits up - they were found to be occupying the park illegally, paperwork over the sale of the house was falsified, the owner became untraceable after swiftly flogging the park and they meekly sold gave away the vastly devalued park home and went off to live in a tiny house, of which they only own a small share as they have virtually no money left. The guy was convicted, but a conviction doesn't mean any redress for the victims unfortunately. I'm still bloody furious as the stress of it all nearly finished them off and I deeply regret not doing more to intervene at the time, but it kind of felt like it wasn't my business.
Sorry for dramatic story- your parent's situation doesn't sound as bad, but please do investigate as much as you can. Their money to spend, yes, but it's worrying how easily older people can be conned sometimes.
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