Can a lone, older woman indulge in a 'fucking tradespeople!' tirade?

[SerenityNowInsanityLater]

I've had scaffolding left up. The company was fabulous when I needed it put up. Taking it down though has been another story. I became their storage.
Calls, messages, emails, all ignored, left unread.

So, this morning, I sent a final text: Thanks so much for sending the guys around. They're dismantling it now. Great stuff! I'm making them coffee!

How fast did the company call me? I barely hit send when they were blowing up my phone.

I hate that I've had to resort to manipulative tactics. I've had to lie and make a huge fake drama in order to get this company to remove their scaffolding.
I'm about to put my home on the market and the last thing I need is to become a scaffolding company's long-term storage.

The scaffolding will be coming down today. Result. Yes. But I feel like utter shit. I hate lying. Hate it. I hate that the guy couldn't just deal with me in a respectful, professional, direct, honest manner, And I hate that I didn't deal with him in a respectful, professional, direct, honest manner in the end. God knows, I tried.

It's really upset me, the whole thing. More than it should.

I don't know if this is a rant or what. But these are the moments when I find being a lone, older woman kind of hard. Maybe I'm making a thing out of this. But I do feel so much more aware of how much I need to protect myself from being taken advantage of.

Did you pay before the scaffolding was down?

I just love this! But I would have to let them know I was lying. Not to ease my conscience but to let them know A) Don’t fuck with me! and B) To prove a point to say ‘see it wasn’t that hard, you could have come round last month when I told you to, and you wouldn’t have made me make up bullshit stories. On your way now, clear off’.

They'd do it to men too tbh. So you should try not to feel vulnerable or unprotected.

Tell them you're going to charge them a storage fee, make it extortionate and they'll soon move it.

Do it! Do it!

Go on...

I’m having this exact issue with scaffolding a month down the line and all the excuses they can’t collect. I might have to try this.

Oh please do!! And come back here and share your victory! The other alternative is to advertise free scrap metal. And then when the scaffolding company eventually turns up to find the scaffolding gone, you just say, "What? Your guys came last week to take it all down. Wait a minute... if those weren't your guys... who were the guys that came around last week?"

Don't let it upset you, it's not worth it. I'm sat here admiring your solution. It's brilliant thinking, I doubt I'd have thought of it.

That is some smooth moves!

Haha, OP this is brilliant!

they’d laugh at this

This is brilliant and I’m saving it for next time I have to deal with scaffolders.

Thinking about it there probably is very little to stop someone with a flatbed truck and ladders who know what they are doing dismantling other people’s scaffolding.making the actions very plausible.

Oh my god OP you are my new hero! I know you’re pissed off about having to do it, but that was a genius move.

I totally get what you’re saying about feeling vulnerable. I’m married, but before then I definitely felt apprehensive about dealing with people with reputations similar to your scaffolders. But I can confirm that both I and my husband get messed around by tradesmen constantly, it’s such a pain.

Did you pay before the scaffolding was down?

I did! Stupid move, right? I hadn't noticed this question until now and thought, I absolutely need to answer this. Tell the masses: Do not pay up front. Honesty has gotten me nowhere with these guys. I was afraid if I didn't pay up front, the scaffolding wouldn't go up.

You paid the entire job upfront? That’s a bad idea anyway. Even without scaffolding. Never pay a whole job upfront. Initial payments then payments in stages to correspond with work completed (not time they’ve spent working but at each stage of work being completed). If you ever have work done again, negotiate a contact with staged payments for each part of the work. And a final payment for when work and all equipment, including from subcontractors like scaffolders, is removed.

I'm actually a bit nervous about them coming around.... like, THE LIAR needs to sit indoors and hide behind her laptop, pretend she's not home. What if they destroy windows and damage the property in retaliation? Part of me thinks, they must know I'm having them on.

but they’ve arrived and taking it down already?

This is so sexist but it's true : I find that if my husband is in on the day they arrive they do a good job , if he's not here they skimp in some way and my husband has to call them back to finish the job. Last one tried to do some kind of deal on what he was going to do but I said ring my husband and discuss with him . He never did and did the job my husband had arranged with him .

You utter legend!

Set up a phone or tablet to record as they take everything down? You’re allowed to.

oh wait they’ve not arrived yet

i wouldn’t hold your breath op

You paid the entire job upfront? That’s a bad idea anyway. Even without scaffolding. Never pay a whole job upfront. Initial payments then payments in stages to correspond with work completed (not time they’ve spent working but at each stage of work being completed). If you ever have work done again, negotiate a contact with staged payments for each part of the work. And a final payment for when work and all equipment, including from subcontractors like scaffolders, is removed.

You're absolutely right! Lesson learned. It was just meant to be up for 5 days for a paint job of the front of the house. I thought it would be simple (nothing like the requirements needed for loft extensions/roofing). And the recommendation of the scaffolding company came from the painter doing the front of my house. "He's my mate," he said. "I work with him all the time," and all of that. When it came to dismantling, all the 'he's my mate' talk subsided.

Take photos of your property and stand there while they dismantle it .

oh wait they’ve not arrived yet

i wouldn’t hold your breath op

Right?! I've got a 'scrap metal fire sale' back up plan. Definitely not feeling like this is in the bag yet.😳

i think you’ve started your thread too soon!

i think you’ve started your thread too soon!

Believe me, it wasn't a victory dance!
It was always meant to be an 'Oh Shit!' thread.
Though I did write, 'result!' Yikes. 😬