Talk

Is it a tax dodge?
When you get your ironing back, hopefully perfectly ironed and nothing amiss! You’d feel you’d have to give him twenty pounds say and he’d consider that a gift rather than earnings so he’d not pay tax? Then he only ‘works’ in future for paying customers?

Scam. Expect a contribution to get your clothes back, or this is simply a recce to get to know when people are in or out of their home on the excuse of picking up/dropping off clothes.

Generally, be very careful telling people you don't know when you are in / out. I remember people being burgled after giving too much info to would be buyers.
Here is an article on the issue www.caldersecurity.co.uk/is-selling-on-social-media-attracting-burglars-rather-than-buyers/

So weird.
I agree with the theory that it's a sub/dom thing.