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The elderly are particularly targeted by canvassing by construction companies. Le 20 Heures went to meet one of them who emptied her savings account and took out 18 consumer loans to carry out her work.
The favorite targets of some construction companies are the elderly. They are more accessible through canvassing than the rest of the population. This is what happened to Jean-Yves Le Cadre, 74 years old. It all started with the repair of the roof, 10,000 euros, then 80,000 euros of solar panels, in four installations. When the roof was completely covered, the company that approached him offered to offer him a garden shed to offer him new solar panels to install on it.
In ten years, he will have had his attics insulated five times, his facade cleaned twice and two ventilation systems installed. “They presented their thing, the advantages. (…) There are tax credits, there is this, there is that”, explains Jean-Yves Le Cadre. In all, he will have spent 212,000 euros on work. Suffice to say that his 2,400 euros pension cannot cover the costs. He is forced to empty his savings account and take out 18 consumer loans. The company, contacted by journalists from 20 Hours, says it ignores the vulnerability of its elderly customers. An investigation is underway for abuse of weakness.