just had a run in with the maternity ward bounty photographer

[StateofConfusion]

And having previously defended them and loved my pictures of my eldest children todays 'rep' has made me agree they need to be removed from wards!

She arrived originally before breakfast turned on the lights and opened curtains waking me and the other Mum up, then continued to talk over the peadiatrician who was checking my dd over.

Eventually she sulked off but apparently came back when I was asleep (how dare I?) Last time she came back as I'd just settled dd and was eating lunch which had just arrived.

I said No photos at the minute thanks she got most insistant that its for security reasons?? (I'm going home today) and said she'd just lean round and take them, dd was asleep on my lap in a v pillow whilst I ate. I said again, not right now I'm eating she left brochures and went off muttering quite loudly.

I'm hormonal so ofc this has upset me, but not as much as the first time mum across they way! WHY are these people allowed to just walk around a maternity ward being so fucking rude!

But visualise we don't know when these anecdotes are from. Only 6 months ago were bounty employees told that the security/cb lies were a stackable offence. Prior to that bounty obviously thought they were ok.

I'm trying to play devils advocate. A bounty rep has posted here as has a MW both saying the same thing. Not all bounty reps will act in the manner described by some one here. My rep was kind and non pushy, but then I bought the photos and gave her my details. She popped back a few times because I was feeding or ds was sleeping, and at no point was she pushy. She was crap at spelling and reading a calendar, but she was nice.

cheerful I didn't know y were expecting! Congrats! Can't wait for little Shitta to make an appearance!

GlaikitFizzogTheChristmasElf the Bounty rep on here is refusing to admit she is a sales person so there is still a current culture of unashamed deception

All hospitals have very strict visiting rules, which is understandable as in the morning the peadiatric doctors have to do their rounds and blood tests, orthopods, breast feeding helpers there are lots of us running around. Then partners are allowed in later, stateofconfusion the same happened to me and they wouldn't let my Mum in either. But we have a job to do and that means being there every morning to stock delivery and scbu with nappies and wipes and try to see every mum before she goes home.

While I am sure that the person who works for Bounty has not used these selling techniqes, these people shold NOT be on the wards at all. I think it is fair to say that giving birth and the time after, no matter if its your first or 15th is a vulnerable, emotional time. The only people on the ward should be health proffessionals and family. The fact that security kept my family, including DP wait at the front door yet someone who I do not know has free unrestricted access is ridiculous.

If god forbid the worst happened and my baby was not with me due to complications or passing on, I would rather that the midwife is not telling strangers about it. That is MY business and no one elses.

They also should not be watching peoples kids for them on the ward.

4 babies and never net the bounty lady lucky me.

However if I'd got her at my last birth (different hospital to the 1st three) I would have gone divvy. My dh wasn't even allowed on the ward to help me carry my stuff out, he had to wait at the doors

That is true Glaikit - we don't know how old these stories are. But I imagine some of them are fairly recently. Any one out there with a pushy Bounty lady story from the last 6 months?

(That was to Dontbeatmeup)

But you dont work for the hospital Dontbeatmeupitsxmas, you are not a helper. You are a sales person. Instead of going door to door, you go bed to bed. Stocking up on nappies? For who? SCBU have their own supplies. Bounty doesnt supply every hospital with endless supplies of nappies and cream?

Bounty reps aren't really in the same league as paediatricians, orthos, MWs, nurses or BF supporters though, are they? All those people are helping mothers; Bounty reps are just trying to make money out of them.

I'm sure you're a very nice person, dontbeatmeup, but you are not doing a selfless, important job. The hospital would tick along just fine without a Bounty rep on the ward.

And how you can say "lots of us" as if you regard yourself as one of the hospital staff beggars belief.

Totally agree the bounty crap is appalling. My baby is couple of months old.I was in a private room whilst he was in SCIBU. They came in to pressurise me to take their shitty pack twice. Thankfully I'd been warned by MN so told them no and didn't engage. Got a shirty response back. And I'm pretty sure they used the CB form line. Alas I can't remember for sure as my mind was on other things. Funny that, almost like I was in a vulnerable position where I shouldn't have been hassled by uninvited salespeople I do recall they marched in without the usual knock and permission I was used to, from all nhs staff ranging from people getting my menu choices to consultants. They were the only ones who just clattered on in. (baby is fine now) Totally support any campaign

Why do you need to see every mum before she goes home dontbeatmeup? Of what benefit is it to her?

Also, please can you let us know how you get paid, as I asked last night? Not how much, obviously. But are you salaried with no incentives, are you commission only, or is it a mixture of the two?

VisualiseAHorse Sat 22-Dec-12 14:33:44

That is true Glaikit - we don't know how old these stories are. But I imagine some of them are fairly recently. Any one out there with a pushy Bounty lady story from the last 6 months?

The OP has a story from yesterday! Cant get more recent than that!!!

Pushy story from the last 6 months? State's barely out of hospital!

:o Glaikit ...stubborn DH is again refusing to let Shitta remain on the shortlist. Hmmph!

Aaargh it's not often I get angry on MN but this thread with the horror stories and Don'tbeatmeup's glib posts are winding me up. I'm outta here.

We supply scbu, birth centre and delivery with nappies, wipes, cream and baby wash. Lots of it, which is the distribution part mentioned earlier.

OK, so I haven't read all of this thread, I read the first few pages getting crosser and crosser. My last DC was born 7 years ago and I was never subjected to a Bounty rep, was just given bounty packs for each of them by the midwives. On my last pregnancy the photographer from the local paper did a visit and the midwives went to each 4 bed ward and told us if we wanted a photo to take our baby to the dining room and they were in the paper with any details you wanted to give. He certainly didn't wander about.

I think the best way to tackle this is to complain formally to the hospital involved. If the reps are taking details from the boards on the end of the beds, then the hospital are in clear breach of the Data Protection Act. It covers both electronic and written information. I would also say that each hospital should also be issuing each woman with a form to authorise or not the visitation by the rep to that person, as the hospital is receiving money for that right. There is a clear breach of the duty of care to the patient here, allowing them to be approached by salespeople when they cannot get away and are extremely vulnerable. The previous post about Trading Standards is quite correct, but I think is harder to get results from. TS to Bounty: we've had a complaint about your rep doing XYZ Bounty to TS: it must be a one-off we will address it by re-training. Nothing achieved.

I recommend the Information Commissioner?s Office here www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx dealt with a complaint I had about a debt collection agency that kept ringing up about someone who had never lived here and wouldn't stop. I complained as they weren't using the information about my phone number correctly, phone calls stopped almost immediately - and I'd suffered literally hundreds of calls for nearly a year prior to that.

and since when do newborns need wipes or wash?, it's cotton wool and water - their skin is v sensitive! stop makng out like you're as important as the phleb etc

You are fucking kidding me that bounty salespeople are allowed in SCIBU People I wanted to come into SCIBU to help me and my sick baby weren't allowed in due to infection control. But they're letting salespeople in?!

sorry www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx

Marceline! Thank you - was just about to post the exact thing myself. The whole reason for this thread is because this happened to State just yesterday! And her Bounty rep pulled the 'can't get CB' line on her.