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Absolute cowboy cleaners - WWYD?

17 replies

rarararar · 23/06/2023 09:34

First world problem alert! Booked a long awaited professional clean of our flat this week. (Toddler and busy work schedules mean standards have slipped)! The company said they'd send 3 cleaners and be done in 1.5 hours, so I thought great!

Firstly they were late, but I can get over that. Then they were rude and didn't speak to me at all or smile, and when I asked questions / if they needed anything they just grunted. English likely an issue which is fine but would have appreciated some effort. When I opened the front door they just marched in and through the whole flat without speaking to me looking at the rooms - a bit odd. Again I can get over that if the standard of cleaning is good...

When they left I was busy working and had a cursory look round and it seemed fine. After I finished my work call I looked again and realised what a TERRIBLE job they had done! The kitchen surfaces and table had not even been wiped - still crumbs and spilt milk from my DD's breakfast left on the table, so it obviously hadn't been touched. They didn't clean the bath at all, they didn't dust shelves or tops of chest of drawers etc, vases / picture frames covered in dust, and their clean promised they would do skirting boards but most of them were still covered in dust. They left the sofa cushions on the floor and left rubbish next to the kitchen bins. All in all it was awful! All they seemed to do was randomly clean the shower well and hoover round. The whole thing cost £140!

I complained to the company and sent photos. They then replied and said that I am free to book again and they will give me a 10% discount!!!! They said that they were unable to clean those specified areas due to "obstructions".?!! Not sure what obstructions there were to cleaning the kitchen table and surfaces!

I wrote back quoting the Consumer Rights Act for services, pointing out I am entitled to another service free of charge to fix the problem, or a partial refund. This then jolted them into saying on second review they have changed their mind and can now offer a free clean but this will be 1 hour and I must provide all products, or alternatively they will give me £10 as a partial refund. Separately they are also asking me to refund them £5 spent on a parking pay and display ticket.

Do I book the re-clean? Reasons why I can't really be bothered is that they were so unpleasant and the cleaning was shite, plus I'm really really busy and we are going on holiday next week so it's a faff to have them here. It would probably be easier to write it off as a terrible experience and take the £10.

On principle I'm not inclined to pay their additional parking fee. But I know they are absolute cowboys giving me £10 back and pocketing £130 for such a shit shit job!

WWYD?

OP posts:
ODFODeary · 23/06/2023 09:47

They wouldn't be coming back to my home I wouldn't trust them . I never leave bad reviews but I'd make an exception for this
Don't refund them anything , it should be part of their business and they wouldn't need to come back if they'd done the job properly

Rainrainstayawaytilseptember · 23/06/2023 10:00

Just give them an honest online review op. And don't have them back in your home. Ime cleaners rely on reviews and recommendations...

rarararar · 23/06/2023 10:21

Yes I think you're right. It's so hard finding decent cleaners - the first two companies I booked cancelled! But I will definitely leave a bad review. Abs I really don't want them back in my home so I think I'll just have to lose the money.

OP posts:

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itsmylife7 · 23/06/2023 10:24

Try and find a private cleaner not through a company.

rarararar · 23/06/2023 12:58

Haha they've now said I shall be receiving a £5 refund to factor in their parking costs!!!! Absolute cheeky fuckery!!!!!!!

OP posts:
ODFODeary · 23/06/2023 14:20

Put that in the review too @rarararar , CF indeed
Where about are you in the country?

hedgehoglurker · 23/06/2023 14:32

I'm wondering if you booked with an End of Tenancy cleaning firm. £30ph is quite steep for a standard deep clean, but probably right for EOT. Especially as they blamed obstructions, I would think they were expecting an empty property without you and your furniture in situ.

rarararar · 23/06/2023 15:13

@hedgehoglurker definitely wasn't an end of tenancy clean

OP posts:
Whataretheodds · 23/06/2023 15:19

Absolutely do not accept their offer. Insist on a full refund.

How did you pay?

Indoorcatmum · 23/06/2023 15:26

If it was Emop, the guy literally came for 6 hours and sat at my kitchen table and drank my diet cokes.

I'm not kidding, he did absolutely nothing. I was working from home at came out of the office three times and each time he heard my door open, I heard him push the chair back from the table.

I walked him around and pointed out all the things he hadn't done and he kept saying he forgot.

They ended up giving me (I think) like 40% back when I complained, but I wish I had taken it further.

It was the most shocking thing, but as a woman alone I felt a bit worried about confronting the guy too strongly.

I am not exaggerating when I say, he did nothing.

OhComeOnFFS · 23/06/2023 15:29

There's no chance I'd pay to have a man clean my home - every single woman I know (bar one) complains that her husband/partner makes a botch job of it.

rarararar · 23/06/2023 18:54

Legally I have nothing further to say as I can either get a free service or a partial refund which is what they've now offered! It's ludicrous!

OP posts:
SidekickSylvia · 23/06/2023 19:01

Make sure that you include photos of the 'after clean' on your review (dusty skirting boards, cobwebs etc.), and the £140 price for your non clean. People need to know.

Balloonhearts · 23/06/2023 19:25

If you paid by card, I'd action a charge back as you paid for a service that you did not get.

truthhurts23 · 23/06/2023 19:31

i would accept the free clean but before they do it i would clarify what areas they are going to clean before they start , and get it in writing
and then stand there and watch them do it , they will do a better job when you watch them
then make sure those areas are done before they leave

glitterfarts · 28/06/2023 06:16

Free clean. Ask for different cleaners.
Check on them as they work and at the start, walk them round and point at everything you want done.
I got rid of a cleaner too, didn't do the floors, marks on walls, skirting boards, etc.

LynetteScavo · 28/06/2023 07:12

Is leave an honest review - in several places.

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