Fuming- apparently I need to be more "chill"

[FurCoatNoSnickers]

this is going to be ranty.

There are different levels of decency and different ideas of normal. She might do it if approached quietly and politely - as she has nothing to lose in that scenario, no embarrassment.

If OP goes after the decorator publicly, QB might well get drawn in and display all her least decent qualities, publicly.

OP needs to think carefully about what she wants to get out of this situation and how best to get there. That may be quite different from what she feels like saying right now.

That's awful. I'd be fuming too!

He should've asked permission to use photos of your house on his own website, let alone allowing someone else in to take photos and put them up online!

He certainly shouldn't have allowed a family member (or even a friend for that matter), to enter your home for a nose.
A decent tradesman would've asked your permission first (for someone looking and separately about them taking photos).

Would definitely leave a honest review and contact any official trade 'quality of work' membership (eg, council approved) he has as he'll have broken their code of conduct.

I'd be absolutely fuming! Report and review to the high heavens why would she even come in?! Pair of weirdos.

Chic

I found him through Checkatrade

But workman do take photos of their craft as kind of an online portfolio to advertise their work, and during your initial contact or contract, this would be highlighted. I would separate what your friend told you and check that you did not give consent before wading in.

Totally unprofessional. I would feel unable to let him be in the house unsupervised now. If you can't do this, then I would either sack him for breach of trust, or wait until he's finished and then tell all on every review site. As long as you just tell the truth, there can be no come back. This will lose him business for sure. I certainly wouldn't employ a P&D who did this.

When I've been stuck in a situation and I needed to respond to someone, I would say that I was seeking further professional advice on the situation and will respond to them shortly.

This is absolutely the best advice ever. Gives you time to calm down while not being a push over.

I'd be looking at the terms and conditions for membership of Checkatrade very carefully then! I'm fairly sure by letting someone else in to the house he'll have breached them!

I don't blame you OP!
It's a massive breach of your privacy.
We had work done last year and our tradesman took pictures and shared the before and after on his business FB with some derogatory statements about the "before". He didn't ask me if he could do this and I was annoyed (more about the derogatory remarks). End result us I won't use him again for the work we need done now

He has countered by saying that she's a member of his family and he trusts her and we should be flattered

Oh well that’s alright then

JFC I would be livid if a tradesman invited a family member into my hone and let them take pictures!

Checkatrade have a complaints process, and publish anonymised reviews.

I found him through Checkatrade

Well make sure you leave a very honest review! Shocking behaviour.

My last plumber had pictures of his work online, it showed features so no even the full room was shown. That's not what has happened to the OP Xmas2020, and the P&D let someone else in to take pictures!!

See a solicitor. At the very least they could write a strongly worded letter to these people.

If it were me I would probably be seeking damages. It’s a really gross breach of something. Presumably there was nothing in your contract with this man that allowed him to allow access to your home by any random individual?

We had our garden ripped up, replaced, etc etc. The gardener asked for permission to use them on his FB page (before & after pictures) and we said he could. That's the outside of our home.... he's a cheeky bastard and I'd be reporting him to Checkatrade etc

I just told my husband and he said he wouldn’t be pleased about it but said thank god it wasn’t us though as you’d have hired a hit man!

That's appalling sof unprofessional and I'm sure there is some kind of privacy breach there. My estate agents put pictures of my private pagan garden temple all over rightmove ffs!!! I had to ring them up ASAP and tell them to take it down. Nobody at work knows what I do spiritually now they all do and I'm dying. It was ages before I checked my rightmovery pics and now my private life is public.

If I found a review saying outstanding work, but he let someone unknown into the house to view it without permission. I wouldn't go to that trader. I would absolutely want to know. Please leave factual reviews on all his business pages.

But workman do take photos of their craft as kind of an online portfolio to advertise their work

They do. And every one I've used, including the one that finished my kitchen this weekend has used the words do you mind

Absolutely not on at all OP.

Have you paid him yet?

I’d start by messaging him saying you’ve been advised that the stranger he let into your home has put photos of your property on Facebook, that you have screenshots proving this, and that you are seeking legal advice - in the meantime he needs to ensure that all photos of your property are removed from social media and confirm that it’s been done.

I would absolutely not let this drop. I'm shocked and fuming for you and it takes quite a lot to do that!!

But workman do take photos of their craft as kind of an online portfolio to advertise their work

Very different to the OP though.

It was certainly a deceptive business practice. He deliberately chose not to ask your permission to let someone into your house. Sounds like you may need an exorcist now as well!!!

I would leave negative feedback about the absolute betrayal of trust and extremely unprofessional behaviour

I'd want to find out if there has been some kind of misunderstanding. Did he get her to take photos as examples of his work to show other people? And then it got out of hand and she posted them on facebook without his knowledge.
And did he ask you if you consented to photos being taken for the purpose of a portfolio/online example of work?

I just find it very difficult to believe that he would let her into the house to take photos for her own purposes. It's absolutely outrageous.
Once I had found out exactly what had happened I would be posting a review saying the work was outstanding but.... etc.etc....
And also tell him that he needs to get his relative to take the photos down immediately or there will be further consequences.