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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be absolutely fucking fuming!!!!

86 replies

Mumof2NDers · 11/04/2024 20:03

So I get a message from DS1(16)at work today to tell me there’s a skip in our front garden. They’ve shoe horned it into the tiny front garden of our terraced house. In the process they’ve hit the wall knocking off 3 header stones, damaged the wall and even worse the brick gate post is now wobbling! It’s nearly 5 foot high and moving right at the bottom. What’s worse is I didn’t even order a fucking skip!
I’ve phoned them and pretty much all
they said was we’ll come and collect it tomorrow!
I’ve emailed them with photos and video of all the damage.
I’m raging!

OP posts:
LT1982 · 14/04/2024 09:57

Tbry24 · 11/04/2024 22:47

The poor person who did need the skip!

A days delay receiving a skip hardly compares to the OPs issues. What a pointless comment

CobraChicken · 12/04/2024 23:10

Alicewinn · 12/04/2024 23:07

Can you at least fill it up with any crap you don’t want?

😂

CuriousJBJ · 12/04/2024 23:10

I arrived home once, complete with bloody caravan on the back of my car, to find a skip had been delivered in error and was straddling the caravan hard standing and my parking space. The skip company were very nonplussed about it and weren’t in a rush to fetch the damn thing back. Meanwhile, I had to find somewhere to dump my caravan for the night! Wasn’t amused at all so I feel your pain!

Alicewinn · 12/04/2024 23:07

Can you at least fill it up with any crap you don’t want?

Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 20:39

JoleneTookHerMan · 12/04/2024 20:25

I work for a skip hire company. As back up, I suggest following up the phone calls with an email basically saying that further to the phone call, you are sending over an email to re-iterate the phone conversation (include the name of person you spoke to if you took it) and also send over the photos of the damage caused so that the transport manager can take a look upon his arrival back to the office after his holiday. Attach all photos you have taken because regardless of whether they took photos or not, you want to have proof that you have sent everything to them, especially if they are slow getting back to you.

They should have known that putting a skip over an almost 5 ft wall was going to cause damage! Also, should you need to take it further, double check with your council and make sure that the council allow skips to be placed off the public highway because if not, the company were breaking council conditions. You can do this by googling 'skip permit <your council>'

Thanks for this^^.
Ive emailed all the pictures and a short video of the movement in the gatepost. There is actually green paint off the skip on the brickwork so the driver can’t really deny hitting it.
I’ll have a look at our counciL website but I think they probably were following council conditions. They’re a very big well known company in our area.

OP posts:
Edenmum2 · 12/04/2024 20:29

We had a skip company destroy a gate post on our drive, they refused to admit to it and wouldn't do anything. So enraging

JoleneTookHerMan · 12/04/2024 20:25

I work for a skip hire company. As back up, I suggest following up the phone calls with an email basically saying that further to the phone call, you are sending over an email to re-iterate the phone conversation (include the name of person you spoke to if you took it) and also send over the photos of the damage caused so that the transport manager can take a look upon his arrival back to the office after his holiday. Attach all photos you have taken because regardless of whether they took photos or not, you want to have proof that you have sent everything to them, especially if they are slow getting back to you.

They should have known that putting a skip over an almost 5 ft wall was going to cause damage! Also, should you need to take it further, double check with your council and make sure that the council allow skips to be placed off the public highway because if not, the company were breaking council conditions. You can do this by googling 'skip permit <your council>'

Tbird5 · 12/04/2024 19:59

Mumof2NDers · 11/04/2024 20:46

This is my concern, that they’ll deny doing it 😪. Did your friend get it sorted?

Sorry I've just seen this. Yes all sorted in the end. Luckily next door have a camera on the front of their house and quite happily provided the footage. They couldn't argue much with that lol. Seen your update and I'm glad they're taking responsibility.

C1N1C · 12/04/2024 11:57

Free skip! - fill it with crap and say it's not yours. Their fault. If they kick up a fuss, mention you didn't order it AND that they damaged your property.

mrswhiplington · 12/04/2024 11:35

Glad it's all being sorted for you. It's stress you don't need.

I remember a few years ago a council bin lorry reversed into our neighbour's fence post. Completely demolished it. He got out of the cab and had a look and then got back in and drove off! I saw what happened from the window but thankfully we've got CCTV which caught it all. Our neighbour told the council he had evidence and they eventually sent someone to fix it.

CharlotteBog · 12/04/2024 11:10

2chocolateoranges · 11/04/2024 20:11

No point being fuming about it, you can’t change what’s happened, they will fix it.

Dh’s work colleague backed a lorry into someone’s brick wall and his company paid for it to get fixed.

I'm pretty sure anger has a place in the range of expected and healthy human responses to such a situation.
Sure, if she's still fuming a week from now, or if her anger gets out of hand and she starts rampaging around the place you might have a point, but right now I think she can fume away.

Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 10:44

BusyMummy001 · 12/04/2024 10:18

Make sure you claim for any damage to the garden itself - replacing mature shrubs and re-levelling any law or gravel should also be included. What a bunch of cowboys.

I hope you can have a therapeutic cuppa/chocolate bar or something to help bring that pulse rate down.

I’m going out with DM and DSis. Guaranteed to cheer me up 😀

OP posts:
Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 10:43

ns87 · 12/04/2024 10:24

What a fuss, poor you!

Was it a case of them having the wrong house?

Right house number. Wrong street!!🙄

OP posts:
ns87 · 12/04/2024 10:24

What a fuss, poor you!

Was it a case of them having the wrong house?

BusyMummy001 · 12/04/2024 10:18

Make sure you claim for any damage to the garden itself - replacing mature shrubs and re-levelling any law or gravel should also be included. What a bunch of cowboys.

I hope you can have a therapeutic cuppa/chocolate bar or something to help bring that pulse rate down.

Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 09:34

Uncooperativefingers · 12/04/2024 09:19

The fact they even employ an "old brickwork specialist" suggests this isn't an unusual occurrence for them!

Glad they seem to be being responsive about making good though

I thought this too but the guy who picked up the skip said it happens a couple of times a year! To be fair the company are a builders merchants too so perhaps that’s why they know this guy?
It’s going to be a big job, he’s going to have to take it down brick by brick, clean them all then rebuild. 🤦‍♀️

OP posts:
thecatwiththesilveryfur · 12/04/2024 09:29

This happened to us (not a skip, but an unrelated vehicle which had nothing to do with us!) - we wrote an email to the legal department saying 'to be clear, the house is on a hill, we are concerned about slippage and danger to people and property'. They came out pretty swiftly to fix it. Hope it's as easy for you OP Flowers

Nolongera · 12/04/2024 09:23

Fill it up with any shit you want rid of and deny you put it there, skips are expensive, then get them to pay to repair the wall.

Uncooperativefingers · 12/04/2024 09:19

The fact they even employ an "old brickwork specialist" suggests this isn't an unusual occurrence for them!

Glad they seem to be being responsive about making good though

Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 09:17

LenaLamont · 12/04/2024 09:04

Let’s not borrow trouble for an already stressed OP.

OP, I’m glad they were responsible about their mistake, I’m sorry you had a stressed night, and I hope it’s all sorted without further aggro.

A big G&T this evening, and I hope you get a space to relax this weekend.

Thankyou. I think a G&T sounds like a plan 😀

OP posts:
Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 09:16

Whinge · 12/04/2024 08:43

I wouldn't be happy with the response of someone will come out early next week

What happens if the damage gets worse in the next few days? For example the wall falls down. They could easily turn around and say they're not fixing it, as the damage is more significant than when they first examined it.

Also, just to check all communication has been over the phone? So there's no actual proof in writing that they're going to fix anything?

Edited

It has been over the phone although I did email them aswell. The driver who picked up the skip said it will definitely be sorted as they don’t mess about with things like this. He said there will also be an enquiry. They’re a massive well known company so I imagine they won’t want any bad press

OP posts:
Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 09:14

Whinge · 12/04/2024 08:43

I wouldn't be happy with the response of someone will come out early next week

What happens if the damage gets worse in the next few days? For example the wall falls down. They could easily turn around and say they're not fixing it, as the damage is more significant than when they first examined it.

Also, just to check all communication has been over the phone? So there's no actual proof in writing that they're going to fix anything?

Edited

The guy they use is on holiday til Tuesday. If I were to ring round for quotes etc it’ll probably take longer than that.

OP posts:
LenaLamont · 12/04/2024 09:04

Whinge · 12/04/2024 08:43

I wouldn't be happy with the response of someone will come out early next week

What happens if the damage gets worse in the next few days? For example the wall falls down. They could easily turn around and say they're not fixing it, as the damage is more significant than when they first examined it.

Also, just to check all communication has been over the phone? So there's no actual proof in writing that they're going to fix anything?

Edited

Let’s not borrow trouble for an already stressed OP.

OP, I’m glad they were responsible about their mistake, I’m sorry you had a stressed night, and I hope it’s all sorted without further aggro.

A big G&T this evening, and I hope you get a space to relax this weekend.

Nicetobenice67 · 12/04/2024 08:57

Mumof2NDers · 12/04/2024 08:25

Yes. Transport manager has said someone will come out early next week. The guy who picked up the skip has just pointed out green paint on the gatepost so there’s no denying he hit it. Just relieved they’re going to sort it without me having to do the donkey work of getting quotes etc.

Good ....WTAF though tell them you want some sort of compensation worth a try

Whinge · 12/04/2024 08:43

I wouldn't be happy with the response of someone will come out early next week

What happens if the damage gets worse in the next few days? For example the wall falls down. They could easily turn around and say they're not fixing it, as the damage is more significant than when they first examined it.

Also, just to check all communication has been over the phone? So there's no actual proof in writing that they're going to fix anything?

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