to think that a Bounty photo salesperson has no place on a post natal ward?

[Boboli]

Is this the norm nationwide? At our hospital, one of the first people you'll see after you've given birth is a photographer from Bounty who will give you a sales pitch for photos of your newborn. The photos are not cheap and I find it pretty incredible that mums are approached hours after given birth when they are likely not quite in the state of mind to decide on pricy photo packages.

My SIL had the pleasure of this Bounty lady an hour after reaching the post natal ward in the morning having been in labour all night. She had to specifically insist that she did not want her baby woken and photographed.

When had DD1, no-one except birth partners were allowed on the wards because of the swine flu outbreak yet the Bounty lady made it through. In other words, she was allowed to my bedside but my mum wasn't. This can't be right, can it?

In 2008 after the birth of DS1, I accepted the bounty pack but said explicitly that I did not want my details passed on to any third parties. Within 3 weeks, I received an email from Debtbuster loans from the email [email protected] with the phrase at the bottom "You received this email because you said you were interested in receiving emails from other companies through Bounty." (did a search to find the specific email just now) Utter bastards! Preying on new families for loans even when new mothers explicitly asked for details not to be passed on! Needless to say for DS2 I told the bounty woman where to stick her free crappy bag and said I can get the child benefit forms elsewhere! Please Mumsnet could you do a campaign?

Not a bad idea Kazriina! In fact if there are any prepaid envelopes from Bounty or that originate from Bounty selling your details to anyone - this thread gets printed out and these companies receive a lot of copies of it :o

Just reporting back after my most recent experience having DD last week.

Well, the bounty lady came round - didn't explain who she was just said she'd 'come to take some details'. I was standing up, changing DD and said 'I'm really not interested, I'm fed up with all the bounty emails'.

I thought that would be enough to make her go away but she pushed it and said "You don't have to give your email address". So I got firm and said "I'm not interested in sharing any details. Sorry." - she gave me such a evil look you wouldn't believe it and muttered something under her breath. Then she went.

I pulled the curtain closed and carried on.

I overheard her going to the next bed - a Chinese couple - he had very limited english, she had none at all. Again, Bounty woman didn't explain who she was or why she was collecting details. Funnily enough after starting the interview she realised that the woman had been readmitted so she was no good to her and she left - only to come back to me, open my curtains again and ask me if it was my first child or not. I cannot believe the cheek, seriously. I spluttered at her I was so taken aback but because she caught me unawares I actually did tell her she was my second and kicked myself afterwards for sharing information that I had no wish to share.

Just sharing my experience, as i still can't get over it!

I wrote on my birth plan bit of my notes in BIG letters - NO BOUNTY WOMEN TO BE ALLOWED NEAR ME AT ANY POINT.

Sure enough, I saw no bounty women. However, they did try to get round it - I had a MIDWIFE come to give me the hard sell instead! (a handful of hours after a cs) Brandishing the form, telling me I 'had to' fill it in, and when I said I did NOT, she said the bounty women wouldn't be paid. I said 'boo hoo - I don't want to get spam, i don't want my details passed on etc.'. After trying to tell me that doesn't happen I said I needed a copy of the company's policy, saying in writing this would not happen, before I sign a thing. She left.

She returned a few moments later saying 'OK, you don't have to fill the form in, they wouldn't have passed on your details, but the lady says it doesn't matter'.

Un. Believable.

I didn't realise they got paid per address, explains why the one that bounced into my cubicle went from sweetness and smiles to scowling and nasty when I took the freebies then nobbed her off when she asked for my details. She flounced out with a ' I expect you don't want the photo either do you' :)

My suggestions for how Bounty's activities on wards should be curtailed:

1. Reps should be based in the day room to allow families to approach the rep, not the other way round
2. Child benefit forms should be removed from the Bounty pack. The government should not be seen to be endorsing a business in this way
3. Bounty should be forced to introduce a staff uniform which is very different from an NHS uniform and have the Bounty logo clearly displayed
4. There should be a cooling-off period for people that order photos
5. Any member of Bounty staff that does not comply by their code of conduct should immediately be removed from their post

whooops, posted on old thread rather than the current one ! Although if you're interested it's here

I can't believe there's not a code of conduct for anyone selling/promoting anything by whatever means whereby the first thing they have to tell you is which organisation they represent and why they are approaching you! Anything else is unethical!