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Original poster

Tradesman being a PITA- need to offload

17 replies

IvanaTrumpsAgain · 03/02/2022 10:23

I just need a handhold here and to be told IANBU!

I am being hassled by someone who did some work for us in the house, to send them photos of the finished work.

The agreement was we'd be happy to send pics of the work he did WHEN we had done some decorating around it.

(He already has images of the same type of work he's done on his website anyway.)

We've not done the decorating yet for various reasons (other priorities) one being that my DP has a very serious illness, which is not visible, and which I don't want to share with this man.

He's now emailed me for the 4th time in a few weeks asking if the photos are ready. I've not replied yet. In my previous reply to him I promised we'd be as good as our word and send them when it was done (and I will.)

I wonder if I should just ignore his last email?

OP posts:

TheresSomebodyAtTheDoorNeil · 03/02/2022 10:28

Just snap a few pics. The decorating doesn't really matter..... Times are pretty hard for self employed people right now and he just wants to promote his work.....

I get your point but I get his too. And for the sake of a couple of minutes on your part id just do it.

Original poster

IvanaTrumpsAgain · 03/02/2022 10:31

Thanks- but I offered to do that a few weeks ago and he wanted to wait until all the painting was done.

My DP is 'living with cancer'. We have other things on our mind and other chores that are more important.

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 03/02/2022 10:31

Just send the photos as it is

thecatneuterer · 03/02/2022 10:32

Oh well if he wants to wait then in that case ignore until it's eventually done.

onemorecupofcoffeefortheroad · 03/02/2022 10:34

Send photos as it is now and offer to send more when the painting's complete but explain due to illness/ personal circumstances you don't at this stage know exactly when that will be.

SkepticalCat · 03/02/2022 10:34

Yeah, I'd just take the photos and send them. You won't have to think about it any more then

Your other options are to do the decorating (which doesn't seem viable at the moment from what you've said) or to keep having the tradesperson contact you.

ANameChangeAgain · 03/02/2022 10:34

He should have just taken the photos of his work to use. Presuring you to finish decorating because he want the photos for his portfolio isn't really on.

Bramshott · 03/02/2022 10:34

I'd just be honest but sparing with info - eg. "We're not in a position to do the decorating right now, but could send some pictures as it currently is".

BookBanter · 03/02/2022 10:35

Just respond quickly saying it's unlikely you'll get the decorating done for some time. He can either have photos of his work without the decorating, or he can wait until the end of the year (or whenever you think it will be done).

toastfiend · 03/02/2022 10:36

Did he offer any kind of favourable rate in exchange for the photos? If so then I think it's only fair to prioritise getting them to him quickly as he's provided a service in exchange for them.

If no favourable rates and this is just a standard request for a review/images for his own marketing purposes then just ignore the requests until you have time to get them, you're not obliged to supply anything as presumably in this case you've paid him the going rate for his work already.

SkepticalCat · 03/02/2022 10:36

Sorry, just saw your update. I'd still take the photos now and say you're not in a position to decorate at the moment. No need to go into detail.

I'm sorry to hear about your husband

SkepticalCat · 03/02/2022 10:37

DP - sorry again.

Original poster

IvanaTrumpsAgain · 03/02/2022 10:38

@toastfiend

Did he offer any kind of favourable rate in exchange for the photos? If so then I think it's only fair to prioritise getting them to him quickly as he's provided a service in exchange for them.

No deal.

In fact we had to wait a long time for him to do the work as he was very busy.

OP posts:

Original poster

IvanaTrumpsAgain · 03/02/2022 10:40

@SkepticalCat

Sorry, just saw your update. I'd still take the photos now and say you're not in a position to decorate at the moment. No need to go into detail.

I'm sorry to hear about your husband

Thanks.

The work we need to do requires someone else to do some prep for us first (tradesman knows this part) and we've avoided this so far, as we don't want other people in the house at the moment re. Covid.

OP posts:

Lochroy · 03/02/2022 10:41

Just send the photos as is. If he the has the cheek to come back and query on the decorating, I'd be tempted to say something like 'sorry, DH's cancer is more the priority. Don't contact us again'.

sausagerole · 03/02/2022 11:06

I'd send him a picture as it is, along with a message saying "we will contact *you with more photos when it is done. If you contact us about it again then we won't even do that"

Sorry to hear about your DH it's absolutely not his business why you've not done the decorating so don't feel like you need to explain. It's your house and your could leave it undecorated for the next 10 years if you want to. You don't need any reason at all, let alone an understandable one like you actually have.

I hope your DH recovers soon

WeAreTheHeroes · 03/02/2022 11:10

@TheresSomebodyAtTheDoorNeil

Just snap a few pics. The decorating doesn't really matter..... Times are pretty hard for self employed people right now and he just wants to promote his work.....

I get your point but I get his too. And for the sake of a couple of minutes on your part id just do it.

Any tradesperson who is any good near us is inundated with work!

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