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AIBU?

to think maybe I should report this to the police?

122 replies

chakra2 · 16/10/2019 11:46

Last week I moved home and I booked a moving company via a website called Shiply. Basically you post details of the job and a bunch of supposedly "vetted" moving professionals make bids. You choose which bid to accept.
I accepted a bid from a guy who had reasonable reviews. The price was confirmed and I paid the deposit.
On the day I noticed the guy seemed bizarre. He was flirting with me horribly and demanding I go on a date with him. His helper was a lovely guy and seemed embarrassed by this behaviour.
During the move the older guy just slammed my sofa and bed frame down on the dirty street. He seemed in an enormous hurry.
Right at the end of the move I paid the agreed amount and decided to add a £20 tip (mainly because the younger guy had been so hard working and helpful). The older guy then went mental.
He said that the fee I'd agreed to was not the fee he felt inclined to charge and he wanted at least twice that amount. It got really ugly. At one point he said he was disappointed in me (???) because he'd found me so attractive (WTF?). Then he said I'm a scammer and that he's going to drive away without accepting the cash I was offering him. I asked why on earth he'd do that and he said "don't you worry -- I'll be back to get my payment using other means."
It was HORRIBLE. He kept gaslighting and lying and asking for more and more money and telling me I should be ashamed of myself. I showed him the email confirming the agreed price, and he just tried to gaslight and say I was seeing things!
Eventually I got him to accept the cash payment but he demanded I make contact to send him more money at a later date.
I reported him to Shiply who did nothing at all besides email me his home address.
The guy is now bombarding me with calls and texts demanding more and more money.
He's a REALLY thuggish type of person. Not sure what to do.
I've now read every single one of his hundreds of reviews on Shiply and several previous clients of his reported feeling afraid for their personal safety and having been extorted out of 100s of £ by him

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student26 · 16/10/2019 11:47

Yes, call the police!

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Windydaysuponus · 16/10/2019 11:52

Def report them...

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TheRobinIsBobbingAlong · 16/10/2019 11:53

Why would you not call the police? Do it now OP!

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Beccaishere · 16/10/2019 11:54

POLICE NOW! Don’t let this horrid man get away with it. Protect yourself now.
Take care of yourself x

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chakra2 · 16/10/2019 11:57

@TheRobinIsBobbingAlong

Why would I NOT call the police? Because I'm afraid of a police visit making the guy get even more aggressive, that's why. He knows where I live. As so far he is not really committed a crime, I'm not sure the police could do anything?
All I want is to de-escalate the situation and have him forget I exist.

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RedWine123 · 16/10/2019 11:59

Def call police. Go with your gut instinct

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mauvaisereputation · 16/10/2019 12:00

Harassing and intimidating you to try to get money out of you is definitely a crime OP. So sorry this is happening to you. I think you need to call the police for your own protection. Do keep records of all contact from him.

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SuchAToDo · 16/10/2019 12:01

Op call the police, the fact that he said he would get payment by other means and leading over you with the comments and flirting would lead me to think he will be back and expect sex as payment...

You need to call the police , they can deal with him, if you don't then who will protect you from him coming back and harming you

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HowlsMovingBungalow · 16/10/2019 12:01

Yup I'd call the Police on his thug arse.

Fucking creep.

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ThreeLittleDots · 16/10/2019 12:02

As so far he is not really committed a crime

He's threatening and harassing you. Call the police for advice, at least. Keep all evidence.

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ThreeLittleDots · 16/10/2019 12:03

In a similar situation I sent a text saying:

"Do not contact me again. Any further contact in any form will result in a report to the police for harassment"

Stopped it dead.

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Gazelda · 16/10/2019 12:06

You can either report it, or just hope it goes away.
Personally, I'd take control here and report it to the police before blocking him.

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OnlyFoolsnMothers · 16/10/2019 12:08

I'd respond back with a warning text as per *ThreeLittleDots"

Im so sorry OP how awful for you

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chakra2 · 16/10/2019 12:08

@ThreeLittleDots

well done! Hopefully the police threat will be enough to make this guy fuck off.

I believe what he's doing is trying this little act of doubling the fee with most or all of his customers and that many of them just cough up the cash immediately because they feel intimidated.

He's got some damn nerve to be harassing me now for more cash.

Was your experience with a removal guy you hired online?

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chakra2 · 16/10/2019 12:10

@Gazelda

I called 101 a little earlier and then hung up before speaking to the police. I want to give them the details so there's a record of it but I don't really want them showing up at this thug's home in case he tries to retaliate. I'd have expected him to just write me off by now as a customer he failed to extort cash from, but he seems quite determined.

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StrongTea · 16/10/2019 12:10

That is really scary. Def report it and make sure your home security is up to date.

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Idontwanttotalk · 16/10/2019 12:11

Of course you should report it to the police. Threatening behaviour and harrassment. You should also feel a moral responsibility to try and prevent him from doing this to anyone else.

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ThreeLittleDots · 16/10/2019 12:12

Was your experience with a removal guy you hired online?

No, it was with a driveway bunch of cowboys who did a terrible job on a driveway hardcore resurfacing job. We found nails, plastic, rubbish and condoms in it!

We refused to pay them the full price for the job and walked them off the property, which they were not happy about and kept calling and texting me to ask for the rest of the money.

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mankyfourthtoe · 16/10/2019 12:13

Call the police
Sent him a message saying you paid the agreed amount and not to contact you again by any means as you will consider it harassment.
Get a ring doorbell/cctv to put your mind at rest.

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Joerev · 16/10/2019 12:15

Yes. I would also state you fear for your safety. I would really impart to the police how utterly scared and terrified you are

We had someone try to kill us a few years ago. Different type of story. But the police put us in a safe house. We also got a button. Which if stood on. Would alert them.

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chakra2 · 16/10/2019 12:19

@Joerev

Oh my God! That's terrifying. Did the police catch the perpetrator?

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chakra2 · 16/10/2019 12:20

@StrongTea

Re home security -- it's a block of flats. Has CCTV. Video intercom. I have a door chain and a multi-lever secure front door lock. That's about it. Not sure what I can add to it?

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Sunshine93 · 16/10/2019 12:25

Sorry but I think you have to report it. I would also contact Shiply again and let them know the full details of the harassment. If they don't pull his details off their site he will continue with this (that's on him not you but it needs stopping)

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GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 16/10/2019 12:25

You should not be feeling terrified in your own home FGS.

Call the police now. And tell them how harassed and terrified you feel.

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barnun · 16/10/2019 12:26

I was in a slightly different situation but also involving a removal guy some years ago. He just wouldn't leave us alone. The police recommended a restraining order and we never heard from him again. YMMV of course.

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