Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The removal man has stolen all of my things .....

63 replies

Lisaxxx27 · 23/08/2017 16:15

I'm sat here and I can't believe what has happened.
Today is moving day and I've moved 10 mins away.
I've been moving small items round in the car.
My sofa/washer/fridge/cooker/table and chairs and bed was left to be moved by van.
I don't have a lot of spare cash and was quoted £150.
I put a post on Facebook selling page and a man quoted me £55.
He came today with a youngish lad and put them on the van,I gave him my new address and said I would be about 15 mins but my dad is there to let them in etc.
It's been 45 mins and he isn't here,I've walked around and beat him to it.
I'm starting to panic but have no way of getting in touch ...I've clicked his profile but it will let you click his name but then quickly goes off saying "user not found" or something along them lines.
I've been totally ripped off haven't I?
Or could he be lost?
My heart is literally going like the clappers
My dad has gone out to walk the way the van has came incase they are lost

OP posts:
EB123 · 23/08/2017 16:21

Omg, call the police.

AdalindSchade · 23/08/2017 16:21

Omg thank goodness
My advice applies for future reference!

PoppyH56 · 23/08/2017 16:22

Lesson learned!! In future, picture of the vans reg number, contact details taken and checked (phone the number to see if it rings) and maybe even go in the van with him if you can.

CookieLady · 23/08/2017 16:22

So pleased that he has turned up! Brew

caffeinestream · 23/08/2017 16:22

You're very lucky!

Please do it properly in the future - it's not worth the risk!

Namechangetempissue · 23/08/2017 16:22

Oh shit AngrySad
Agree to call the police immediately while they still might be fairly local. Sorry OP.

Original poster
Lisaxxx27 · 23/08/2017 16:23

His profile was literally a white van and his name was "man with a van"
At least he was genuine ,I honestly would of cracked up if he was dodgy
Sorry for jumping the gun everyone

OP posts:
Namechangetempissue · 23/08/2017 16:23

Ah cross post. Thank god!

Letstryagainshallwe · 23/08/2017 16:23

All sounded very ott anyway glad you didn't waste the polices time

Original poster
Lisaxxx27 · 23/08/2017 16:24

I would of felt so embarrassed
Wish he just told me he had to go to the bloody tip first.

OP posts:
The80sweregreat · 23/08/2017 16:24

It does happen, but so glad he showed up. enjoy your new home.

LoyaltyAndLobster · 23/08/2017 16:25

So glad to hear he turned up.

Original poster
Lisaxxx27 · 23/08/2017 16:26

45 mins of my life il never get back Confused

OP posts:
Meandyouandyouandme · 23/08/2017 16:27

Check that you have all your stuff. This happened to us, some random off the internet my DH booked, who took some of our things, and when we called up about it, the guy that arranged it suggested he can round and "discuss" it with my DH, i.e. challenged him to a fight, and said it was our word against theirs! We lost about £500 worth of stuff, was very upsetting.

BakedBeans47 · 23/08/2017 16:32

Glad he's turned up

Different scenario but earlier this year I paid someone via fb £750 for flooring and on the day he never turned up when I expected! I couldn't get hold of him via fb, he wasn't answering his phone...ok I had his name and knew people who had had floors done by him but I really panicked he could have done a runner and I had no postal address to try and pursue him! I felt so naive. Like your guy he did finally show up but it taught me a lesson re doing business over fb only!

Beeziekn33ze · 23/08/2017 16:35

OP Glad it ended ok but you've had a lot of good advice for the future!

QueenOfVipers · 23/08/2017 16:35

My stbx bil runs a man and van service.
To be licensed and insured and have a proper business with contingencies in place for customers costs £££.
He's heard of so many times where someone has lost all/part of their stuff either by theft, accident (eg van got into accident stuff damaged and no way to claim on any insurances when it's bob down the road doing it for £20).
I know it's tempting when cash is tight but if at all possible please hire someone properly.
If you can't hire a van and do it yourself it's not worth the risk

ShmooBooMoo · 23/08/2017 16:41

It's a longshot but ask your neighbours if any of them noticed or took down the reg (you never know) or noticed anything unusual about the van. Also ask dog walkers who pass your house re reg or description. Again, you never know. Do you remember either of them (man or young lad) calling each other by name? Accents (ie local?)? Did you get a decent look at either of them? And, yes, call the police! You may not be the only one this person has done this to. The police may be building up a profile of him and all info helps.

ShmooBooMoo · 23/08/2017 16:42

Oh...reminder to self: RTFT before commenting! Glad all is ok!

MipMipMip · 23/08/2017 16:45

OP, still take a pic of his reg and carefully check through in case anything is missing. Unfortunately he's had time for a rummage.

Happy to be proved wrong.

MuncheysMummy · 23/08/2017 16:46

He's blocked you on Facebook weird that he'd do that yet turn up still?? Perhaps the delay was blocking you and having a nosey through your stuff to see if worth nicking?!

pinkunicornsarefluffy · 23/08/2017 16:47

There was a story in the press yesterday about a young couple who lost everything to a fake removals van.

Glad you had a happy ending but lesson for everyone to take registration details, photos etc, and cash once delivered.

These vans probably don't have insurance either so you are risking your belongings should they have a crash or a breakin.

Hillingdon · 23/08/2017 16:48

Sorry to be harsh but that was a daft thing to do. Please let this be a lesson. Phew though!

Whathaveilost · 23/08/2017 16:57

What nearly happened to you actually happened to my friends daughter about 2 years ago. She was moving a couple of streets away on the estate and she walked around to the new house. Everything went.
It seemed that men with van took a load of jobs on over a 2 or 3 day period in our area and then vanished before word was completely out and the police could catch up with them.
Utter bastards!

Jedimum1 · 23/08/2017 16:59

I do wonder if he was checking your contents and seeing whether he could get any money out of them, before deciding they weren't as valuable as the cash you were going to give him, hence returning almost an hour later. Why say he'd be there in 15 min and then make a trip to the skip? Surely if he put things in his van, the time to go to the skip would have been before (to have more room) or after (once he had moved all your stuff in front)? It would only make sense if he had booked himself to do a skip trip for another customer and he were late, hence picking his stuff on way to your new home, then realising he would need to remove the rubbish before getting to yours because it was now in front of all your furniture.