Has anyone been approached by "Medicare"?

[Sue]

I was phoned recently by someone asking me to sign up to a scheme which apparently offers "benefits" to NHS staff and is just starting up in the East Dulwich area.

They claimed at least three local people had recommended me as a "complementary therapist" and that if I offered discounts to NHS staff this information would go out in payslips of staff at King's.

They told me of other local businesses who had already signed up, including, bizarrely, the dental practice I go to (I haven't checked this out yet) and that make-and-paint-your-own-pottery place. I would have thought that was a breach of confidentiality.

They said they couldn't email me information about the scheme (can't remember why) and couldn't post it because "that would be too expensive" - however they managed to send out a hard-sell guy in a car, presumably that was much cheaper than the post.

They said that of course the NHS couldn't be seen to be spending money on a staff benefit scheme, so I would have to pay to be in it - they wouldn't divulge the amount on the phone.

To cut a long story short:

I am not a complementary therapist. I do have a sideline selling magnotherapy wristbands, after I used one successfully myself for arthritic symptoms and migraines. Most of my business is mail order from recommendations, and I am quite sure there aren't any local people who would have recommended me as I have never sold any locally. The only place I have been described as a "complementary therapist" was when I was offered a free entry in a local directory (where this category was the only place my very part-time business would fit).

The guy who came to see me went through a process like a double-glazing salesman would - is anyone else involved in the business with you, if so they must be present, you must sign up today, can't have time to think about it etc etc etc., he had official-looking letters from HR people at King's and Lewisham hospital, etc etc.. (I think these were genuine, I recognised the name on the King's one as I used to work there). he said "what sort of percentage increase would you be looking for" etc etc etc

Anyway - no way would I sign up to something without being given time to consider it, and the minimum "investment" (his words) involved was hundreds of pounds.

Is this genuine? I googled Medicare before agreeing to see this guy, and they do indeed seem to be being used by both the NHS and DVLA. But the way they are going about things makes me very very suspicious indeed.

Anybody else been approached? Can anybody shed any light?

[haggis]

Hi Sue, it sounds like the NHS gold card scheme? I'm a nurse at kings and received one when I started, they give you one of these and a little booklet of local businesses that are signed up where you can get a small discount. I have never heard of it being called medicare though.... sounds a little odd

[Sue]

When I said that I had worked at King's in the past and had never received any info about discounts with local businesses with my payslip, they said that this scheme was "just starting in this area".

??? :-S

[Siduhe]

Sue, I've never heard of this organisation, but I note their website is registered to an individual and at a residential address in Wigan. This doesn't mean they aren't legit, but it's a bit unusual - normally this would be in the name of the business - unless the company is a total startup.

[Fuschia]

It's a scam

http://www.fsb.org.uk/discuss/forum_posts.asp?TID=1764

[Sue]

Fuchsia thanks, I am going to write to King's - the name on the letter they showed me was one I recognised.

Funnily enough, I put the phone down on them during my initial conversation with them because I was convinced it was a scam, but they phoned me back and (sort of) convinced me it wasn't.

However as soon as the sales person told me I had to sign up that day, it was clear that it must be. No reputable company uses that kind of sales tactics.

Also, the only possible place they could have got my name was from a directory, because the details they had (eg the way the business was described as "Quiet Earth Magnotherapy" and the description of me as a complementary therapist), could only have come from that directory as I have never used them elsewhere.

So to say I had been recommended by several local people, and that they "only use people who have been personally recommended to them" was quite clearly a complete lie.

OK, I'm on their case - just to add to all the other stuff on my to do list (and I'm supposed to be working today, as I type :)) )

[joom]

I had a meeting with a Medicare person, took nearly 2hours when they said it would take 30mins...

They are the agency that puts together and provides the directory of local businesses to NHS staff. It seemed quite a good idea to me, but I couldn't afford the rates. The guy let me mull it over for 2weeks but I did have to sign there and then. I thought it was quite expensive and the directory quite poorly designed. But I also think that with so many NHS staff that there probably would be a return.

[Fuschia]

joom Wrote:>

> They are the agency that puts together and

> provides the directory of local businesses to NHS

> staff. ... I also think

> that with so many NHS staff that there probably

> would be a return.

Except if you google it, you find complaints on the Federation of Small Business website that few NHS staff are actually aware of the directory and there is little or no return on any advert replaced

[Sue]

Also, the money they ask businesses for is not, as I originally thought, a one-off payment.

You pay hundreds of pounds a year. Plus VAT.

And they told me my details would be sent out "with payslips". I know from previously working at King's that it is actually quite difficult to arrange for information to be sent out with payslips, so I'd be quite surprised if this was the case - anybody know?

[SueJ]

Sue, hi

I was not approached by Medicare but was approached by someone claiming to be from Southwark Council asking if I wanted to advertise with them in their local directory. They said I would be one of only 3 catering companies and that I had to sign up "today". I took the chaps name, number, email address and telephone number and rang Southwark council to confirm. They tried to contact him and all details turned out to be false.

My alarm bells only rang because the chap gave me an email address which was [email protected] and I know that southwark are [email protected] and his number was 0207 516 ???? and I know that southwark are 020 7525 ????

Just thought you may be interested to know.

All the best

Sue

www.suzannejames.co.uk

[Sue]

Sounds very similar I must say, but Medicare do have a glossy website with NHS and DVLA plastered all over the homepage.

Sounds a similar pitch though, "only three of your kind of organisation" and "must sign up today."

[Fuschia]

Reminds me of this, which I came across at work

http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/2432/companyname/Parliamentary-Yearbook.html

[Fuschia]

and blagger has this on medic care, i nnte

http://www.blagger.com/db4/company_id/9990/companyname/Medic-Care-Ltd.html

[Sue]

That's interesting Fuchsia.

Cynically, maybe the NHS don't care - being able to tell staff they get the "benefits" of local discounts, it makes them look like a good employer, and what's it to them if the businesses involved are getting lied to and ripped off?

[Fuschia]

I presume NHS get some kickback

[Fuschia]

I presume NHS get some kickback

[Sue]

That's a bit worrying.

[Sue]

That's a bit worrying.

[Eloise]

Hi

we got a visit today,was all pretty much as for you. Alarm bells rang as soon as I was offered 'exclusivity as one of only three' etc etc. We are a very small business in Crystal Palace and it did not make sense for any company to approach us first. We were told we were recommended etc d when I wrote down some of the contact details of other businesses who had signed up ,the chap said the scheme was not up and running yet in this area. He said that it was only running in Scotland and Devon and Birmingham.

We had lots of spiel which did not really seem relevant with a presentation on his laptop .It did not all match up but the best bit was when he pulled out a book from Doncaster dated 2008 to 2009 with details of all the discounts available.

[Eloise]

soory lost the link . When I queried the date he said it was a misprint from the printers. But the book looked really old and shabby.

We got the hard sell and a push for a deal immediately. It was hard to get rid of him and we were made to feel very , uncomfortable esp when he asked if we did not trust him etc .I called one of the ladies named on the letter from Kings and the scheme is already running everywhere but he is not definitely not part of it. Would advise everyone to stay clear.

[Sue]

Sorry I don't understand, did he say he was from Medicare?

How can he be not part of the scheme?

The guy who came to see me had laminated letters from King's and Lewisham hospitals, and I recognised the name of the woman from King's HR department.

He did not get very far with me because it was very evident that he had been led to believe by the minions back in the office that I was running a full-time complementary therapy business, not selling a magnetic wristband here and there , even though I had made it quite clear to them on the phone what I did :))

[Eloise]

He did say he was from medicare ,but my thoughts are that either he really isn't and is a fraudster as he specifically stated that the scheme was not up and running. He had no literature to leave me, his lap top presentaion looked like it had been possibly downloaded etc or the other possibility is that the whole company is a bit of a scam.

No respectable company would want a payment straight away and be so reluctant to allow potential customers to contact existing clients .The sales spiel I got was identical to the one you received re percentages etc .

Thank you so much for flagging this up as a warning:))

[Sue]

They did seem to have a whole set-up somewhere up north - I spoke to three different people at various times apart from the guy Julian who came to the house.

I was very suspicious initially, and a woman gave me a whole spiel which on the face of it sounded OK.

If you google Medicare, they have got a website with NHS and DVLA featuring prominently on the homepage.

I have been too busy to write to King's yet, but I will do at some point.