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.

@chillisalt IIRC it went slightly over a week but the site manager was chased up -and slightly scared of me, I think-'

Delighted to read your update OP. Excellent. Now....pour the wine x

Don't worry. Once it's been up 12 years, you can claim squatters rights

I JUST read this! Damn! A missed opportunity. If it felt like 12 years, does that count? 😁

Do not feel bad you are my hero! It sounds like you gave them every chance (and probably more than they should have had) and I think you are fucking brilliant and a total badass for how you dealt with it!! You are an inspiration and I'm totally going to remember this and use a similar tactic if I ever find myself in a situation where a tradesperson is being a total CF

Though I was just arriving home when I saw them and turned to walk up another road as if ‘I don’t even live here! I’m Witness Protection, me.’

😅

@SerenityNowInsanityLater I'm snorting with laughter at some of what you say and also sending you a virtual hug. These fuckers haven't bothered their selfish arses about your world while they've used you for free storage and you've played a blinder and got it sorted by your own ingenuity

It's been a big day. That pent up emotion has to come out and a tender sniffle is the most dignified and suitable for this thread way of doing it, IMNVHO. Don't feel bad about lying, it's not a bad lie, it did the job that you being thoroughly decent didn't (which says everything about the scaffolder). Massive respect SerenityNowInsanityLater for Prime Minister. I shall raise a glass to you as I dine tonight 🍷

They thought "older, lone, woman, hah!! she'll put up with it as she literally doesn't have the balls to make a fuss!!!"

I am so proud that you hit them where it hurts!!! It costs to store scaffolding and where better and cheaper to store it than strung up around someone's house. Doesn't matter that it looks like crap and is a ladder to the upper story for any burglar who happens along.

When we have the apocalypse or whatever disaster I want to be on your team.

My neignbours in a terraced house needed to have some work done as they had a leak coming in to a bedroom and thought it was from the chimney. Because it was a shared a shared chimney I had agreed to pay towards it, even though I did not have any problems. When I was out at work their builder arranged for the scaffolding to go up against my house, and airily informed me they could go from either side. But it cut off my tv signal. The job was done in a day. The scaffolding was still there 2 weeks later. I called the builder and told him that he was not getting paid by me if it was not taken down. It went the next day. But before it went I had my own person come round and look at the work, and he told me how many of my roof tiles they had broken walking over my roof. So the builder got his payment, less the cost of replacing the tiles.

Although I know everyone can struggle with tradespeople, I do think they think they can be extra bullying and CF with single women. They get quite angry when they find out they cant.

Life, just these small, silly things like the scaffolding staying up, feels hostile and big some days. It all used to roll off me. I feel so emotionally porous. I think I’m just getting weirder with each passing year. 🥺

@SerenityNowInsanityLater, I just wanted to say I know exactly how you feel with this. I feel similar. It's so tiring having to go into battle just to get something basic and transactional done on the terms that everyone agreed to. A victory is great, but it leaves you feeling so horrible that it had to be a contest.

Sorry it was such a struggle, but if it had to be I'm glad it was you who won.

That was genius OP 👍

The only way I could get a skip removed was to lie and say the council would be contacting them as it was an eyesore and neighbours had complained to said council, it went that afternoon.

😂😂 your posts are fabulous OP! I love how you handled it. My builder DH has also had a chuckle reading this thread. Scaffolders are a law unto themselves. They definitely deserved a bit of a fright!

OP I think you are amazing. I’m going to have a tough day tomorrow doing something I’d rather hide away from since I’m feeling a bit vulnerable. You are an inspiration !

Hahaha this is brilliant

This is the question I was going to ask! – Did you keep up the ruse when they phoned 😁

Bollocks to them and kudos to you for using your initiative.

Apparently they leave the scaffolding where it is until they need it on another job, makes sense for them really as reduces the need to load and unload their lorry with it and reduces labour costs. Obviously not good for the home owners who want it gone 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Fantastic news OP!

Ahh don't feel daft about getting a bit emotional, sometimes it's just all the shit gets too much.

By the way I love the way you write, it's engaging and entertaining! You sound fab x

I'm having this problem just now. The chimney pointing was done in a day. The scaffolding's still here two weeks later. I paid the builder when the job was finished, which is what I always do. But the scaffolding was included! I messaged the builder saying I wish I had kept some money back as the job hasn't been finished - the scaffolding is part of the and that job hasn't been done. He's twice said he'd contact the scaffolder but said the scaffolder hasn't returned his call. I am today going to get in touch with the builder again. It is at the front of our house in our garden. Our garden is shared with our next door neighbour whose children, both under 7 play outside. They have stayed away but I know it's not a safe area. First time having scaffolders, every other tradesman, I paid when job complete... Builder probably knows the scaffolders are useless. He turned up to start work, and was surprised the scaffolding wasn't up. He'd arranged for it to be erected the previous day. He returned 24 hours later, once the scaffolders had done what he'd requested!

We used the scaffolding they kept up for ages at our house to paint the outsitde of our house. Very sketchy as I don't like heights but thought we might as well get our money's worth.

Scaffolders are notorious. I love your strategy!

Good for you! I am like you, an older woman, and you are right, it is hard.
Don’t feel the slightest bit bad for what you did. If it helps, I think it was brilliant!
We older ladies aren’t past it yet!