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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be furious...

93 replies

LittleCandle · 04/07/2017 18:45

The doorbell rang this afternoon. I opened the door to find a wee guy standing there. Parked on the street was a van with tree cutting equipment. He looks at me and says 'I chapped your door the other day. Your bushes are a disgrace and that tree has to go.'

I told him sharply that his opinion was not wanted, the bushes are perfectly fine as they are and he could fuck off.

I'm furious! I get that he was touting for business, but that was hardly the way. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get! Cheeky fecker! Tell me I wasn't BU to tell him to fuck off?

OP posts:
FrancisCrawford · 04/07/2017 19:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aquamarine1029 · 04/07/2017 19:33

Hipster, I function very highly in society. If a package comes I sign for it or ask them to leave it. I have no interest or obligation to entertain unsolicited people trying to sell me something or services I don't want, and I will not have my time wasted with their nonsense.

reuset · 04/07/2017 19:40

I wouldn't like to cross you, OP! Grin

I had a tree cutter here the other day looking for work. Tree in question wasn't in my garden as I pointed out, nowhere near.

Original poster
LittleCandle · 04/07/2017 19:42

Gazelda I just have to wait now to get an appointment to get the results, thank you. And perhaps I should have been more measured, but I wasn't. I'm not generally that aggressive, but I've got a temper, like most of the human race.

OP posts:
MiaowTheCat · 04/07/2017 19:49

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Areyoulocal · 04/07/2017 19:52

This reply has been deleted

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Serialweightwatcher · 04/07/2017 19:55

I know it's annoying but both were trying to make a living - a polite "not interested, thank you" may have been better, but I wouldn't dare tell anyone I didn't know to f off though

Serialweightwatcher · 04/07/2017 19:55

I don't go around telling people I do know to do that either, but you know what I mean

HellonHeels · 04/07/2017 20:01

Scamming people is not "making a living" it's a criminal act.

FrancisCrawford · 04/07/2017 20:17

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Whosthemummynow · 04/07/2017 20:20

It's a bit like saying drug dealers are just providing a service

Well technically they are

FrancisCrawford · 04/07/2017 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UsernameTaken2 · 04/07/2017 21:31

Aquamarine, how do you know there's a stranger at the door without answering it?
Unless you both start hollering from either side of the door

'Who are you? "
"I've come round to trim your bush "
"I can trim my own bush thank you "

WhooooAmI24601 · 04/07/2017 21:35

Last summer a bloke knocked our door and went "I've seen a tree sticking up at the back of your house, I'm going to chop it down for you, shall we call it £400?". I stood there and for a minute was totally lost for words; you don't drum up business by saying "I'm going to...". I just frowned and closed the door on him without saying a word.

Aquamarine1029 · 04/07/2017 21:51

Taken2, I have a small window in my door and can clearly see who's there. If I don't know them and they're not with a service I have hired, they are a stranger and I do not open the door. I can speak very easily to them through the door, and quite frankly, I don't care if they can hear me clearly or not.

wonkylegs · 04/07/2017 22:15

I had a bloke knock on the door today offering to sort out our trees & hedge at the front, he was quite insistent and started spouting some bullshit and but I very politely said its ok we already have a very good tree lady who does them and is on good terms with the conservation department (we're in a conservation area so need permission for any work to trees) His reply was well I'll leave you our details because she won't be able to do those big ones.... Once I picked my jaw off the floor I said 'that's funny because she managed to fell a 60 foot Lawson cypress at the back and did a bloody good job!'
Cheeky sod! Funnily enough I'll be sticking with my existing arboriculturalist.

corythatwas · 04/07/2017 22:47

very nice people who think we should be kind to scam artists:

is it ok to say sadly to the man who tells me I've had an accident "you do know that you are not telling the truth, don't you?"?

or to the man who asks me for the details of my computer to hack into it "you are a fraudster and a criminal, you know"?

even though they are just trying to make a living

or are we to assume that they are so naïve that they don't realise what they're doing?

what might one be permitted to say to a pickpocket when finding him inserting his hand into our handbag? isn't scamming over the telephone exactly the same thing (except likely to involve larger sums of money)?

EarlessToothlessVagabond · 04/07/2017 22:49

Grin I love you OP.
You fucking tell them!

Oliversmumsarmy · 05/07/2017 00:37

I don't expect anyone to call So any who do are strangers. Only the post man calls and I can see his uniform through the door.

kali110 · 05/07/2017 01:43

Im glad the op told the caller to get lost!
These people are scammers!
Im also registed with tps but atill these gits ring me about some accident i've 'apprently been in', Along with 'cab'
They're scammers.
They get vulnerable people to give them their money by scamming them.
They get no sympathy from me.
I report every single one of the gits.
I've been told to fuck off and a bitch a few times when i've told them i'm with tps and they shouldn't be calling, so now i'm not my normal polite self.

I don't always answer my door,
but what concerns me most is that you opened the door to a complete stranger.
But wtf? That's what people do when the doorbell rings!
I know i have anxiety issues, but they're my problems.
The op doesn't have any, so can op her doir to who she wishes!

kali110 · 05/07/2017 01:45

corythatwas we should be polite ofcourse! Poir people only trying to make a living! Wink
Part of it is telling the people they're harassing to fuck off Confused

CremeFresh · 05/07/2017 01:54

I now have an image in my mind of people trying to sign for packages through the letter box so they don't have to answer the door .

winglesspegasus · 05/07/2017 02:25

dh would play with them.
answer in a thick accent and "drunk"
"ok i take it,how much ?hang on while i get money."
puts phone down and walks away has a cup of coffee,
if by some chance they were still on the line he would ask how to put the money in the .worked like a charm til the next one.
i read my caller id ,if i dont know the number i dont answer.

i ask thru door if i am incomfortable.
i live alone and am a widow the vampires and vultures are densely populating my world.

have an ap on laptop that is the recording and tone that tells people the phone is disconnected.
the tone tells the computer the call is no good and they delete the number on auto calls/robocalls.
if its a human on the other end it just seems to be a legit out of service.
you have to get your timing down and have another phone pc or device.
i also use it for people i just dont want calling me.

TheStoic · 05/07/2017 06:10

How do you know if it's a stranger at the door until you open it?

You say 'Who is it?' and wait for them to answer. Not complicated.

I never open the door before I know who is knocking. It's what I teach my kids to do also.

wheredoesallthetimego · 05/07/2017 06:18

I tell those "you've had an accident" callers that they are bottom feeding scum and to F off. Why not? It's the truth.