When is impartial advice not impartial?

I make no apology for returning to a subject that I've touched on before, when it is something as important as choosing the right mobility aid. The Independent Living website only exists to provide as much information as possible, so that anyone looking for assistance in any area of daily life can inform themselves of the choices available. Equally, where there is more than one possible solution, we always recommend that the user should "try before they buy" - preferably in a non-pressured environment, such as a Disabled Living Centre.

This is one of the reasons why we are concerned about the involvement of supermarkets in selling mobility aids, since it is bound to lead to people picking products off the shelf, without either knowing that what they are buying is the most suitable for them, or indeed that there are alternatives to what they see on display.

But we have recently become aware of an even more potentially hazardous marketing technique, namely the peddling of what purports to be impartial information, but which is actually only promoting the products of, and generating leads for, one supplier. We have seen examples relating to products from stairlifts to mobility scooters, and unless the reader had good knowledge of the market, they would probably not realise that they were being misinformed about product options, and directed towards a particular supplier who might not actually be the best option in their particular circumstances. What is worse, in order to receive the information, the enquirer is required to give personal contact details, and can no doubt look forward to a follow-up call with a persuasive sales pitch....

As always, it seems that the onus is on the buyer to practise constant vigilance; not to take information at face value; and to dig below the surface of any useful-sounding "free" offer - even if it is something as innocuous as free information. Somehow, that pamphlet has been paid for, and if it is not immediately obvious how, then you should probably be a bit suspicious about the motives of the supplier.

Sadly, many of the people looking for aids to mobility and daily living, are, by definition, more likely to be frail and/or vulnerable to high-pressure sales techniques. Perhaps the "good guys" in the industry - of whom there are many - should get together to stamp out promotional practices that are calculated to mislead?

Let us know what you think! You can post your comments, anonymously if you prefer, below.