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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To give negative feedback to a bully cowboy builder whose threatening me

29 replies

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:13

I'm in need of some advice please.

I hired someone off Mybuilder website with 100% feedback to do some work in my house and he did a terrible job. I told him I was unhappy and wish I'd never mentioned it because now he is threatening me for all sorts of things!

He says he'll sue me in court for defamation if I dare to give him feedback.

He's also accused me of blackmail and fraud and identity theft (for using a nickname on the website instead of my real name). Basically he's a nutcase and I'm not sure what else he's capable of.

He also knows my address and I'm afraid he'll vandalise my house / smash my windows and keep doing it because the police won't be able to do anything.

I think his 100% feedback is from him bullying all his customers into not giving bad feedback. I think it's so WRONG and I'm just itching to stand up against him.

But he knows where I live and is crazy enough to threaten court action etc who knows what else he will do?

Should I be brave and give the feedback (simply that I'm not satisfied with his work) or am I being stupid to pick a fight with someone like him?

OP posts:

SomeKnobend · 13/04/2018 20:16

Is any of this in writing? You can use that as proof. Yanbu. People should know about him.

iamkahleesi · 13/04/2018 20:17

Bully's get away with it because no one stands up to them. They work on fear. Leave an honest and factual review, including how threatening he's been.

HolyMountain · 13/04/2018 20:19

Have you paid him for the work he did?

Original poster

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:20

I have his text messages but it won't do me any good if he starts throwing bricks into my windows.

I asked my mum for advice and she says no way just back down quietly.

Apparently her friend angered a builder once and he kept smashing her windows again and again and eventually she had to sell the house and move away :(

OP posts:

Original poster

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:20

Yes I have paid him in full

OP posts:

KC225 · 13/04/2018 20:21

Can you report him to trading standards and the admin at mybuilder perhaps they could contact the previous clients to check if the feed back was genuine or coerced.

user2375 · 13/04/2018 20:22

Can't you just leave no feedback?

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 13/04/2018 20:22

If he did do a terrible job. It's not defamation of character as you're only speaking the truth. You paid him to do "good" job and he half arsed it. Why shouldn't he get bad reviews. The nasty bullying cunt.

DoEs the website you fOund him on not vet these so called vetted builders.

andantecantabile · 13/04/2018 20:23

Can you contact mybuilder directly about this, providing proof of the poor work and intimidating comments?

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 13/04/2018 20:25

Thanks for alerting us BTW. I'm looking to get work done on my home. I'll know not to go to them.

Aprilmightbemynewname · 13/04/2018 20:28

Put cctv up then report him to the police and trading standards.
I never trust those sites that guarantee people. My ex is on one as a mechanic when he is in fact a joiner!!

MadameEdam · 13/04/2018 20:28

I was in a SOMEWHAT similar situation last year. I'd stupidly given the guy a deposit, and after giving us the run around for a few weeks, he dropped off the face of the earth. I did a bit of Facebook snooping and found the guys page-he was clearly a bit of a head case. After a lot of soul searching (I really didn't want him to get away with it or do the same to someone else), me and my husband decided it just wasn't worth the stress of him going full a$$hole on us and threatening us/damaging our property, we decided to chalk it up to bitter experience and let it go. Still annoyed about it, but it wasn't worth the sleepless nights.

TheChiefBMS · 13/04/2018 20:30

If he's made direct threats and you have evidence (texts etc) I would see the police as that is criminal behaviour. You will not be obligated to press charges if you decide not to but they will offer advice on your options, plus they will then have a record of his threats. This is important, if he does then vandalise your home they are in a better position to investigate him. Either way, see a solicitor.

SusanneLinder · 13/04/2018 20:33

Get CCTV up! Report him to Trading standards and My Builder and if he has threatened you..call the police

Original poster

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:35

I'm not even after any money back. I was originally thinking he might just come out and remedy the problem but as soon as I mentioned it his attitude was Its your problem now and don't you dare give me feedback

I could just walk away now and not give him any feedback, which is probably the smart thing to do. But that makes me feel like I'm letting him and his bullying ways win

OP posts:

derenstar · 13/04/2018 20:36

I had a nightmare landscaper off Mybuilder last year, did a terrible job and when things fell apart, we couldn’t get hold of him for toffee. I left him negative feedback all purely factual of course. Within hours of the review being pubslished Igot a ton of abusive text and threats off him. I messaged him back onece, to say if he continued I would publish all his texts as part of my review and to also report him to the police for harassment. I never heard from him again after that. Must admit, I also was worried about retaliation as he knew where we lived obviously but nothing happened. He was just a bullying dickhead. Don’t him get away with it OP.

Original poster

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:39

I did already contact Mybuilder through their online form (no number) and they haven't got back to me after two weeks, so not sure if they're just busy or what

OP posts:

GreenTulips · 13/04/2018 20:40

Look on the Companies House website - that tells you all you need to know about builders.

eggcellent · 13/04/2018 20:42

Leave the feedback and get CCTV. Best to be prepared, and warn others.

Original poster

dw4518 · 13/04/2018 20:49

I looked into infra red CCTV but if he just covered his face, there's no evidence of who's doing it. He could just come by at 1am, smash my windows and by the time the police comes he'll be gone

or maybe I'm worrying too much?

OP posts:

Youcanttasteracism · 13/04/2018 21:38

I'd be reluctant to leave feedback purely because he knows where you live. You could anonymously report your issues to the website. Your safety is paramount and there's no telling what he's capable of. It's not letting him win its simply a sensible decision not to anger someone who has the ability to make your life very difficult.

BobbinThreadbare123 · 13/04/2018 21:43

I had a very similar situation where a job was done by a guy with good feedback. He turned out to be an idiot and he made a right pig's ear of it. I left lengthy negative feedback. He came from quite far away anyway. However, the bastard retired so he didn't care! So annoyed!

insideoutsider · 13/04/2018 22:37

I had a nightmare builder from Mybuilder too. Ran off with a huge deposit. Mybuilder didn't help at all. Turns out this business keeps registering new business names. I chased him with the courts for a while with no success. I couldn't even leave feedback because after a letter of complaint, they removed his profile. He only went and opened a new one.

I was constantly terrified he would show up at my house to cause harm so I gave up.

I would report it to Mybuilder and see what they say.

Good luck.

moreDetails · 14/04/2018 05:19

I'm not sure what I'd do but "crazy enough to threaten court action etc who knows what else he will do?" seems illogical.

I've used small claims court successfully before. I wouldn't have done anything else because using the legal system is a perfectly rational response.

What has he actually threatened?

Original poster

dw4518 · 14/04/2018 10:27

He's only threatened to sue me in court for defamation and blackmail

He's said he's got my address (I hoped he'd forgotten it but he'd wrote it down) but hasn't actually threatened to do anything. It's just me worrying that he might come smash up my house out of revenge

Am I overthinking it? I definitely don't fear for my personal safety as don't think he would go that far but a brick through the window is very easy to do and he can easily get away with it

I admit I'm feeling a bit cowardly about the whole thing and will probably just avoid giving him any feedback. I really wanted to warn others but he can potentially make my life hell

OP posts:

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