Age UK has been forced to launch a vigorous defence of its commercial operation once more after a Channel 4 show claimed that a number of its “competitively priced” goods and services were available elsewhere at almost half the price.
C4’s Supershoppers exposé follows claims made earlier this year by The Sun that Age UK Enterprises’ energy tariff with E.On was more expensive than the energy provider’s cheapest rate.
While the charity later suspended this arrangement, it insists that the new claims are both “misleading” and “grossly unfair”.
In particular the programme highlighted the cost of car insurance and a mobile phone on sale from Age Enterprises. The show claimed the charity was selling a Doro PhoneEasy 508 mobile phone for £34.99 while it was available in Argos for £17.99.
However, Doro UK said that the Argos phone was for a contract where the user had to sign up to a monthly fee, while Age UK was selling the phone as a one-off SIM free purchase.
And in a statement, Age UK said: “The methodology applied by Supershoppers fails to give a fair representation of the competitiveness, quality and value of Age UK products.
“To base any conclusion on the basis of one individual’s quote for car insurance, or to provide only a limited assessment of the price position for the Doro Easyphone 508 and the incontinence products we sell, is a misleading and grossly unfair approach.
“The insurance products we offer are priced competitively and provide great value. Our other products are priced at the equivalent of, if not better than, other providers more than half the time.”
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