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Original poster

AIBU do I need to confess?

23 replies

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 16:36

Long story short my husband owns a repair shop, I no longer work due to my health and other things, I do help my husband when staff are off and I sit on reception, before this I worked for Nokia and Samsung so I have a good knowledge of phones.
12 days ago a customer wanted a phone repair my husband or another member of staff quoted her £40 the part arrived and it was faulty so another was ordered for next day delivery at our expense, it never arrived as it was due on Friday, we waited until Saturday and it still has not arrived despite our wholesaler saying it has been posted, so Saturday my DH ordered an original screen from the manufacturer but they would not get the order until Monday and we would get it sometime this week.
Now the problem is not with the customer but the woman who speaks for her as either the customer or this woman calls everyday for an update and we have told them what has been going on.
This woman was a bit rude to me last week in the shop but I just told myself some people are like that, anyway my husband has had to go away for 2 weeks (we still have engineers on site) and this woman called today and I told her their was no update but we will compensate her for her patience, a few minutes later the woman calls back and speaks to another member of staff threatening legal action and informing trading standards, I said that they could now take the phone and we will count it as a loss (as we are meant to send faulty parts back for a refund and it was still on the customers phone) so we told her to collect her phone.
The woman Congress in wouldn't let us explain what was going on and she was filming us on her phone, she kept shouting see you in court.
Have I got anything to worry about and should I inform my husband? As I really don't want to give him something extra to stress over if I don't need to.
There is obviously more to the story but I think it's long enough as it is.

OP posts:

OlennasWimple · 26/02/2019 16:38

I don't really understand what has happened

But you should tell your husband that there has been a difficult customer and what has happened with her phone

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 16:42

Customer wants phone repaired
First screen for repair was faulty
We have to wait for another delivery
Customers friend/social worker came in and shouted at me
Still no new screen
DH arranges better screen at a cost to us
Customers friend phones shouting
We phone customer back and tell her to collect her phone
She collects phone with defective screen and her broken one (we are out of pocket)
Friend tries to rile us up and is recording US on her mobile, she is going to take legal action/trading standards.

Is that a bit easier as I do tend to waffle on.

OP posts:

HilaryBriss · 26/02/2019 16:47

Legal action for what exactly? I would say that you have done everything that you can and have nothing to worry about.

Gazelda · 26/02/2019 16:50

So customer has her phone back, but still with broken screen.
The business is out of pocket because of the screen you've ordered.

From what you say, she won't get very far in taking you to court. You won't get your money back from the screen that's been ordered.

I think that all parties have had a bad deal here. But best just to put it behind you. I would tell DH that a customer of the business has had an unhappy experience in case she starts making public complaints. But I don't think any action needs to be taken.

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 16:51

That is what I was thinking, but I really worry and over think things and as this woman was so angry I'm thinking I am in the wrong, I did ask her not to film me as well.

OP posts:

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 16:54

The actual customer was really nice and understood that we have no control over parts we need to order. And they would of got a £70 screen and a gift voucher as that's what my husband does if things don't go to plan.

OP posts:

Karigan195 · 26/02/2019 17:11

So you declined to provide the service due to their behaviour basically. I take it you didn’t charge them? In which case I doubt they have a leg to stand on. Write down an account now so that you have a contemporaneous note should they try it on but I don’t think you need to worry.

Adeste · 26/02/2019 17:22

If it were me, I would tell dh because either
a) there’s nothing to worry about, or
b) there’s something to worry about and it’s better to be kept in the loop than blind sided later.

So yes I think you should tell him.

But when you use a word like “confess” it makes me wonder if everything is alright. How do you think he would react? Do you feel he would blame you?

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 17:27

He wouldn't blame me but he is in a very stressful part of his life at the moment and I don't want to make things worse, I used the word confessed as I feel that I couldn't deal with the customer like I would of done due to this other woman screaming at me, he would of done the same as I didn't see how vile this woman really was until she started shouting at one of my husband employees. So on that basis I refused to carry on with the repair.

OP posts:

theworldistoosmall · 26/02/2019 17:29

Of course you tell him. Imagine his reaction IF he receives court papers and you don't let him know.

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 17:41

Omg so she can take him to court.
I won't be able to talk to him until tomorrow now due to the time difference. I honestly didn't know what else to do and ironically the other screen is due in tomorrow.

OP posts:

Dodie66 · 26/02/2019 17:46

Take him to court for what? She didn’t pay you any money so has lost nothing, I think you were very reasonable

starfishmummy · 26/02/2019 17:51

I'm not a lawyer but what can they take him to court for?

Fluffyears · 26/02/2019 17:57

Court papers? That’s not going to happen what would she claim?

Karigan195 · 26/02/2019 17:59

She could try breach of contract. Unlikely to get anywhere if OP gets her ducks in order and ensures records are kept but she could try

Smotheroffive · 26/02/2019 17:59

I think it's important to know what the TP was shouting at you? What were they claiming as being the problem./issue? Had you promised a repair within a certain timeframe, or a particular part replacement ...what was their issue specifically?

Singlenotsingle · 26/02/2019 18:07

What is her loss? If there was a loss she might be able to sue for it, but there isn't, is there? Circumstances conspired so that you couldn't do the work, but you compensated her. She'll just have to go somewhere else to get the work done.

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 18:12

She was so shouty I'm not sure what she was actually wanting, everyone I tried to explain the situation she accused me of not letting her speak, when we called in today I tried explaining to the actual customer that due to the abuse we was not willing to complete the repair and that we have left the faulty screen on and I also have her back her damaged screen, all while the woman was shouting at one of my husband's employees and filming us.

OP posts:

marvellousnightforamooncup · 26/02/2019 18:17

There was nothing else you could do. You've done nothing wrong, she's just an arsehole. I would mention it to your DH but play it down. I'm sure the employee who was shouted at would vouch for how vile this woman was being.

Court is not an option for her. She was just sounding off.

Smotheroffive · 26/02/2019 18:21

Well, she had condemned herself really ifnshe was abusing staff whilst filming!!! That will go along way! [against her]

You don't have to stand for being abused by anyone, and would absolutely be sufficient reason to refuse continue any work just on that basis alone.

ShesABelter · 26/02/2019 18:23

You shouldn't really of left the faulty screen on no. You should of returned the phone to how it was when you were first given it. Even at that I doubt there's anything she can take you to court for..I'd not even be stressing over this..I'd just say to your husband customer xs representative wasn't willing to wait for the replacement screen to come and came in and started being abused to a staff member so I have returned the mobile and said we won't be able to carry out any further work due to the abuse.

You have all orders placed to repair the phone as proof of your side of the story and evidence of trying to rectify it. And if she has recorded herself basically shouting at you I'd doubt she will use it as any evidence and if she did she'd get laughed at and told her behaviour was inappropriate. Sometimes things don't go to plan. As long as you kept them updated (which you did) and don't try rip them off,which you weren't and infact were going to give a gesture of goodwill. Then she has no come back.

Original poster

6demandingchildren · 26/02/2019 18:26

If the shouty woman didn't involve herself the customer would of got a discount on the repair and a voucher for the inconvenience. This was what I was trying to say but not sure if I was heard.

OP posts:

Smotheroffive · 26/02/2019 18:28

As far as I can see she has lost nothing except are expectation of timely service, but unless you make a promise to complete a repair within a certain timeframe and take money on that basis they have lost nothing, just being shitty people because of stuff that happens.

So they said nothing specifically about what reason they would take you to court then? Just angry that the phone wasn't done yet? I imagine perhaps the phone was supposed to be taken over by friend or something for her to be getting so overly invested in its completion.

Was your worry that you had put a stop to the repair? Was that your 'confession? You were within your rights to do that afaik

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