How my 87-year-old mother-in-law got satellite television

She had cable, with which she was pleased, but one day: “This man came in and did something with my TV. I signed some papers and I no longer had cable.”

The “something” was disconnection of cable and installation of receiver dish and coaxial lines. “This man” also left two recording devices, with instructions, which, of course, any 87-year-old non-technical person can easily understand.

With my mother-in-law now in an assisted living facility and no longer using the satellite system, the company said it would charge her credit card $360 for early cancellation and $600 for receiver boxes if my wife and I did not return the devices by Oct. 24.

I find it infuriating that a company representative can take advantage of an elderly woman living alone, but then the company insists we take time and 40-miles driving to return pieces of metal and plastic. To the company’s credit, it made available a postage-paid box. I took the box with devices inside to UPS on Monday.

I wonder how often that sort of thing happens? How many times a day do salespeople and others take advantage of elderly persons’ good manners or confusion? And we, sons and daughters and in-laws, do not know until it is done.