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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think you too might've been approached by these two? And to be pissed off?

20 replies

walktothefront · 30/12/2018 20:32

I may sound like a crazy lady. But I assure you, I'm certain it's the same two men!

Basically, they have a stall up in the middle of the shopping centre, trying to sell photo sessions. They have examples at their stalls, all old fashioned style pictures. The children or babies/families are dresses with frills or old fashioned caps etc.

The first time I saw them was with my mum, about 5/6 years ago. I have siblings 17 years younger and she was pressured heavily into signing up, and paying their £20 odd deposit. The rest was to be paid on the day of the 'photo shoot'. My mum is a very anxious type who cannot say no, bless her lovely soul. She opened her purse and didn't have any cash. We were near Asda so the man suggested "don't worry, use the cash point". So she did. And he followed her over there! Shock He proceeded to stand right near her whilst she entered her pin to get cash out.

A week later, she tried going to the location she was told. Nobody was there. It was a warehouse. Nobody to be seen. Untraceable, we never saw them in the town centre again.

I came across them again a few months ago in a shopping centre nearby, about 10 miles away. They were there! It was definitely them! They came up to people, very in your face. One very old woman looking over 90 was being pressured to buy by the looks of it.

Here's the show stopper - I saw them YESTERDAY in my town centre! My mum lives in Essex, I live in the South East but miles and miles away. I kid you not, these same two men were standing there with the same shitting stall. I almost felt frightened (that's just me being silly, it was just so odd seeing them).

Can I go as far to question and report them, do you think?

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 30/12/2018 20:33

I wouldn't question them. I would report them. Trading standards?

catkind · 30/12/2018 20:38

Police surely? It's not trading anything it's pure fraud.

iRememberNow · 30/12/2018 20:40

Definitely report rather than confront directly, as they sound dodgy.

pyramidbutterflyfish · 30/12/2018 20:41

They’re crooks. They committed a crime against your mum.

I’d take photos of them (covertly) and report them to the police and the local trading standards / council.

walktothefront · 30/12/2018 20:43

I wonder if any Mumsnetters have seen them before? I'm sure I saw them more than once before they ripped my mum off.

It would be South Essex area (Basildon, Laindon)

And my area too... (Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire area)

OP posts:
TestyFleas · 30/12/2018 20:43

Speak to the shopping centres they are working from?

JohnCRaven · 30/12/2018 20:44

Definitely! If your mum can ID them once they've been arrested she might get her money back.

Darkautumn · 30/12/2018 20:45

My sister has been approached by these guys. Brighton shopping centre. She said they were pushy and aggressive.

NotTerfNorCis · 30/12/2018 20:51

Take a photo, then report to the police. It's definitely a crime.

mumsastudent · 30/12/2018 20:51

POLICE ring up & report - & contact shopping centre if it inside one too - you can actually contact police by facebook & twitter as well

thelonggame · 30/12/2018 20:52

There was a stand that sounds like that in my local centre a few weeks ago ( Surrey )

MickHucknallspinkpancakes · 30/12/2018 20:52

Can you remember the company name OP?

bobstersmum · 30/12/2018 20:53

I have no idea how they can get away with this, aren't town's in charge of who can set up a stall? Ring crimewatch!

walktothefront · 30/12/2018 20:57

I don't remember the company name at all Mick Sad not sure if we saw one.

I can describe them though - Two black males, middle aged. One had defined stubble from the first time I saw him to the most recent time I've seen him again.

One more friendly and mellow, the other (slimmer) one seemed more pushy and overbearing with no boundaries.

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 30/12/2018 20:58

You need to name the company too and stop anyone else bring defrauded.

You can also complain to the owners of the shopping centres (and the police too).

halfwitpicker · 30/12/2018 21:00

Bumping because these scamsters need catching

crow2018 · 30/12/2018 21:05

I've seen them before (SE near Dartford) they were trying to pressure me into having photos not long after my DS was born. I had to turn around and walk away from the woman after repeatedly telling her I wasn't interested and she was still shouting after me as I walked away into a store.

CandyCreeper · 30/12/2018 21:06

Yes! I have, im in south london. I remember telling them I had no cash and they told me where a cash machine was and offered to come with me! I made up an excuse about needing to collect my daughter from school

LanaorAna2 · 30/12/2018 21:10

Police. They'll be all over CCTV from the shopping centre.

BinaryStar · 30/12/2018 21:12

I’ve seen something that looked a lot like this in Stratford (London) but would have been a good while ago.

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