Telly investigation exposes Age UK ‘flogging goods and services to pensioners at DOUBLE high-street prices’
Special investigation reveals charity charges high rates for products such as mobile phones and car insurance
BRITAIN’S biggest pensioner charity is selling goods and services to the elderly for almost double the price elsewhere.
Age UK has a charter that promises its customers “competitively priced” goods.
But a Channel 4 investigation revealed it charges high rates for products such as mobile phones and car insurance. It comes months after The Sun on Sunday revealed Age UK took a £6million payment from E.ON and pushed expensive power deals to the elderly.
A Government probe was launched over our findings.
The charity raised £39.9million last year through insurance and “other income”, as well as £25.4million from “other trading income”.
Investigators for Channel 4’s Super Shoppers found the Doro PhoneEasy 508, designed with older users in mind, was being sold by Age UK for £34.99.
The same product was £17.99 at Argos.
A car insurance quote for a person with 50 years’ driving experience was £349, compared to £213.68 at Hastings Direct with the same or better terms. Last year alone Age UK sold policies worth £22million. A price check of 100 products on its website found just under half could be found for much less at other retailers.
A spokesman for Age UK said last night: “The methodology applied by Super Shoppers fails to give a fair representation of the competitiveness, quality and value of Age UK products.”
Super Shoppers is on Channel 4 tomorrow at 8.30pm.