To ask for help with this. Elderly relative

[Partey]

Posting here for traffic.
Hoping for some guidance please.
An elderly relative of a friend has signed up at the doorstep for new windows and doors totaling 3.5k.
They’re not needed and the relative is in the early stages of dementia. Upon discovering this my friend attempted to cancel. Company very vague, hard to get hold of but now they’ve engaged they are refusing to refund the deposit. They’re saying costs have been incurred due to the goods being bespoke/already made.

I’d helped friend appeal to their good nature, explaining the health issues. It’s very clear his relative isn’t in the best of health.

Is he stuck? Other than giving poor review/social media shaming(which he wanted to avoid- he gets that business are struggling). Does he have any options?

Any advice appreciated

Citizen’s advice will help. There are laws against taking advantage of elderly people. If they have a diagnosis of early dementia you can take them to court.
Someone will hopefully be along soon to tell you exactly what the law is...

Go onto Gov.uk website (assuming you're in UK) and there is information regarding door to door selling, cancellation rights etc etc.
Local CAB and/or Trading Standards dept. may also be able to help and advise.
Does your friend have Power of Attorney for his relative?

When was the purchase made?

I believe there is a 14 day cooling off period for sales made in ones own home.

Here is a letter template if they are within the cooling off period I mentioned above.

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-to-cancel-a-contract-made-in-person-at-your-home

@Wingedharpy he has recently applied. Relative has carers visit too and it seems to have happened between them going that day. Her health has took a downward turn just recently. Deposit is £875 so not an unsubstantial amounts.

He’s worried that because she signed and because they’ve already started making the windows that he might just have to write it off.

It’s a local company, would a good old twitter shaming session go against him in anyway?

@Aprilx sadly outside of the cooling off period.

Could your friend negotiate with the company to at least reimburse some of the deposit?

What they have done would come under mis-selling though, if she has early dementia, it may not have been fully apparent that she wasn't completely in full possession of her faculties.

TBH, your friend has also been a bit slow in dealing with his relative's cognitive decline.
The discussion about Power of Attorney should have happened long ago - though, I fully appreciate it is not an easy conversation to have.

@Wingedharpy I appreciate that, as does he. The decline in her health has been quite rapid. POA was applied for in September.

They are claiming their costs so far are £23 less than the deposit so have offered to refund that.