about this person phoning me/ calling at my house?

[mangoparfait]

Brief background - recently I put in an insurance claim for some damage to my home. The insurers instructed loss adjusters who said they'd send someone out. Apparently they did, although I wasn't aware (the damage is externally visible so they could see it without coming in to the house. The Loss Adjusters then said the works were all agreed, and asked me to send payment of my excess.

Because the details were a bit vague (I asked them for more info, they said I should contact my insurers) I emailed insurers to ask for confirmation of what was going on, and about the excess - as they'd previously told me to pay when the work was done, or to them. Just wanted to get a clear picture!) Anyway, this was a couple of weeks ago, the insurers have changed handler so they've not come back to me. The damage isn't getting worse, nor likely to, and is not causing any issue to me, so with Xmas and everything I've been really busy and not chased it.

Last week I had several missed calls from an unknown no/ mobile no I didn't recognise. These continued over the weekend, plus another couple today. No voicemail. Over the weekend I was out both mornings; my younger DC advised someone had rung the doorbell / knocked both mornings (DC hadn't answered). Elder DC happened to be at home this morning when there was a knock again. Turns out this and all the phone calls were from the contractor who the Loss Adjusters had apparently instructed, as he wanted to start the work...

I have raised this with the Adjusters, who just said as they hadn't heard from me, they told him to contact me direct.

But they'd not told me he would be contacting me or even who he was. And even then I rather think turning up at someone's house 3 days on the trot is a bit much? Is it just me? I'm a single parent and feel really uncomfortable with this, and with this man who thinks he can just come round anytime now being the one who does the work. However the adjusters clearly think I'm making a fuss about nothing - AIBU?

Seriously deal with him. I deal with the odd complaint for an insurer. This would go from " we should have kept the customer informed" at this stage to "there's nowt so queer as folk" if you refuse to let him do the work cos you don't like him knocking. I expect he has a gap in his work schedule which means he can get you done.

The most likely reason he hasn't left a voicemail is because in the unlikely event that it's a wrong number, he doesn't want to be accused of breaching confidentiality by leaving a message on someone else's phone referring to your insurance claim.

Sorry but I think YABU. The contractor clearly doesn't know you won't answer the phone to numbers you don't know and you clearly don't know if He intensely dislikes leaving messages on a phone.
You say you have t chased anything up and the insurers say they haven't heard from you so have appointed a contractor, who, as is his job, has tried to contact you by phone and in person to fix YOUR problem.
It seems everybody is trying to fix your problem except you. You appear to be making things difficult for everyone.
I suggest you look back on your phone and find the number that called you and call him to make arrangements instead of putting hurdles in everyone's way.

YABU and you sound really difficult and awkward as well, he's just trying to do his job and for some reason you think it's a breach of the DPA?

Omg. This thread astounds me. OP I am totally with you on this. Jesus. You still dont even know what he's meant to be doing! A response to your query to the insurers is still outstanding. You're not in a hurry up to Christmas and haven't chased them but fact remains their communication and response is outstanding. why should chase?

'He might not like leaving voicemails'.

That's hysterical. Really. Versus you might not like allowing an unexpected stranger into your home with you and your kids?

He can leave a bloody voicemail leaving his details without breaking DPA

And I don't know anyone who answers unknown numbers

If you and I are the 'odd' ones here, I'm happy with that!!!!

If something happened and you had let this random in and you posted here about it there would be a barrage of why did you let a guy you don't know, unannounced in your home. Asking for trouble!

Sorry, but do you want the work done or not? 🙄. The guys clearly trying to arrange to have the work done, so just contact him and sort it.

How? He has withheld his number?

Leap, rtft, he has called from a number unknown to the OP, she can easily call this number back.

And why is not leaving a message hysterical? I never leave messages I dislike it intensely, that's me and maybe him. And please don't be ridiculous, no one is saying invite a stranger into her house, he has come to her door as she won't answer her phone to do work for HER!
I let the gas man in last week and the guy from virgin the week before, they were both strangers but I asked for their ID first. The fact the insurance company hasn't informed OP is squat all to do with him, he will have paper work from the insurance company and how the hell can anyone tell OP what work has to be done when no one has seen it possibly bar a loss adjuster who is more than likely not qualified in the trade that's required!!!
Yeah looks like you and OP are the only difficult ones on this thread.

If there is bad weather in the next few weeks all the contractors will be busy dealing with emergencies. Please dont then complain that your work has not been done

And another thing, OP made a claim, it's hardly unexpected that someone will come to fix it, she won't answer calls and won't hasn't contacted the insurance company because SHE is in no hurry, that's not the contractors issue, this is is livelihood. If she didn't want a stranger turning up to fix her problem she shouldn't have contacted the insurance company and sorted it herself, and in my experience they will appoint someone after asking if the policy holder has a preferred company/person, if they don't the insurance company appoints.
I turn up to peoples houses unannounced all the time, it's my job and I come across difficult people all the time, but in my job it's to be expected, the contractor is usually appointed by the person or insurance company, hardly
Unexpected

I think YANBU, he simply should have left a voicemail explaining who he was and ask you to return his call. I cant believe he came to your house at all, let alone 3 times!

YANBU I don't answer unknown numbers either.

He should have left a voice mail. I operate on the basis that people will send a text or leave a voice mail if it's not a sales call.

I doubt the adjusters instructed the guy to call repeatedly at your house. They probably just instructed him to do the work. If he wants to waste his time calling when you are not there, that's up to him.

Why do you turn up unannounced? Why would that ever be necessary? That surely goes hand in hand with finding people 'difficult'. There's an obvious connection there.

If I am expecting someone I can be ready for them. Simple. If I'm not. I won't be. I will be not in or busy with something else or relaxing. And I would not welcome the inconvenience of the interruption. Unexpected callers tend to be selling something, party canvassers, Jehovah's Witness etc. None are welcome.

It's just basic manners surely. Ensuring you are expected.

My privacy/security is very important to me. The Op's situation would annoy/concern me.

I guess others are more relaxed. But we don't all have the same personality types or backgrounds. I wouldn't consider myself difficult. Just that I expect courtesy.

Because police officers don't always phone before hand to let you know we are coming.

I'm with you OP, I never answer the phone to withheld numbers and I would have expected the insurance company to notify me before sending someone out so that I could tell them not to come around in the daytime when I'm not actually there and waste their time FFS

I think in this case YABU. Although the numbers are withheld this is quite common for many businesses and as you know you have a claim underway surely it might have fleetingly crossed your mind - whilst being cross that no-one was coming out to fix the damage- that possibly someone might be trying to contact you to arrange to do this!!

It is standard practice for the people who will be fixing the car/house/fence etc to contact you direct to cut down on all the admin/expense of various calls etc.

Also he had tried calling to no avail so then decided to call round on the offchance!

He is trying to get your work done not a serial killer!

Well doloroes you know full well that is a very different scenario so you're not really making any point are you.

As a police officer are you saying OP should let an unexpected stranger in her home with her kids?

If I have anyone coming to do work. I know who they are, name, company contact details and a time frame. Is that not what a police officer would recommend for safety?? Id cards are probably not worth the laminate they're inside. How would you know if genuine.
Callers ought to expected. Simple.

So you can hide the body/whip/cash

I know what you mean about unknown numbers but having several calls would have actually made me aware somebody might actually NEED to speak to me. I think by this stage I'd have answered a call or opened the door just for curiosity's sake if nothing else.

If he wants to get hold of you then he needs to leave a message and his number so that you can arrange it. Popping round on the offchance is a bit weird - many houses don't have someone there in the daytime so it all seems a bit hit and miss. I'd be a bit as well - the time he's coming should be arranged so that there is someone there and ready to meet.

YABU - just answer the phone or answer the door and deal with it. someone calling repeatedly obviously wants something and the only way you are going to find out is to speak to them.

many contractors like this wont give their number out because your point of contact is the insurance company not the contractor.

Then the insurance company needs to book the appt.

She didn't answer the door because she wasn't there, not sure how that's her fault TBH.

I think it's deeply offensive to call a professional person who is trying to get in contact with you to do some work he has been commissioned to do 'some random'

He tried to call you, repeatedly, and you refused to answer his calls. So he resorted to coming to your house to try and contact you that way. I don't think that's unreasonable at all.

I am amazed by people who don't answer calls unless they know the number, and people who don't answer their doors. I've never come across this in real life!

I think YABU. He's not done anything intimidating. He's just tried to phone you and knock on your door. If you want the work done why not just speak to him and let him get on with it?