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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In not removing review

351 replies

onanothertrain · 21/08/2019 13:16

Contacted a tradesperson for urgent repair, was told no problem, they would check the diary and phone me back within an hour. 4 hours later, no phone call so I sent a text. Another 4 hours later still nothing. I will admit to being annoyed so I left a Google review stating the above. An hour later I got a text asking me to remove the review as they hadn't actually done any work for me and they were working hard to maintain their business. I didnt respond and have now had 2 more texts asking me to remove the review. Im now considering either ignoring the texts and blocking, removing my review but leaving another one explaining why or just removing it all together. Although my stubborn side is not leaning towards the third option. So Aibu not to remove it?

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 21/08/2019 13:55

I think once he had read the review then there was no chance he would do work for her.

Youwantshoesinashoeshop · 21/08/2019 13:56

Don't get this thread at all. I'd leave it up. An urgent repair is just that, and it is really annoying when someone promises something and doesn't do it, and had kept you hanging round.

Trades operate in their own moral universe IMHO.

Watchingthyme · 21/08/2019 13:56

@Pmsblows
No I don’t work near a computer. I am out and about. I don’t treat people with such disdain. If someone texted me reminding me I was supposed to have called back within an hour, I would reply as soon as possible, that I was sorry and something had come up. I wouldn’t ignore a reminder for 4 hours.

If all you people are tradespeople or have partners who are tradespeople then surely you know the basic concept of running a successful business.

NoBaggyPants · 21/08/2019 13:56

As long as it is entirely factual, I would leave it. Then it's up to the reader whether to disregard it or not.

My view would be entirely different if he hadn't said he'd call you back within an hour, and he hadn't been so quick to respond to the review.

cstaff · 21/08/2019 13:56

He was the one that made a promise of calling back in an hour and didn't. He was quick enough to ring and ask to have the review taken down. I would leave it tbh. It might mean that he gives a reasonable answer in future i.e. I will call you back this evening or some such.

Derbee · 21/08/2019 13:57

YABU, and clearly have too much time on your hands. PP saying leave the review up are also entitled and petty. Take it down, call someone else, and grow up OP.

Pmsblows · 21/08/2019 13:57

He responded to the review an hour after she put it up.

So, let’s say she called at 9am and he’s just got to a job so says he will check his diary and get back to her.
Job turns out to be a disaster, pipes leaking or dangerous cables or whatever this particular tradesman deals with.
Doesn’t check his phone until 6pm when he finally gets back in the van to go home - messages from potential client seeming annoyed that he was too busy AND a review from that same person you spoke to for all of 30 seconds before you had to WORK.

I bet if he did work at her house she would be posting an AIBU but my tradesman is on the phone ALLLL day. Can’t have it both ways

INeedAFlerken · 21/08/2019 13:57

It is rather amazing they didn't find the time to call you back after you called and texted a reminder about your request ... but they had plenty of time to check their reviews and then repeatedly text you about it...

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 13:57

Pmsblows you don’t make promises to do things within a certain time if you do a job that means you will struggle to keep those promises. Instead you manage expectations by saying “I’m really busy today and emergencies often come up, I’ll get back you you as soon as I can but can’t guarantee when that will be”.

Petrichor11 · 21/08/2019 13:57

If he was too busy to reply to you then he shouldn’t have promised a callback within an hour!

As long as your review is clear that you’re unhappy about not receiving a promised callback and that he’s not actually done any work for you then YANBU

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 21/08/2019 13:58

He could be useless, he could have had a personal emergency, he could have suddenly been swamped with work. You don't know. Keep your reviews focused on the quality of someone's work.

Again the person had time to check reviews and ask OP to take it down.

People are so bloody apologetic of workmen, in my experience most are blood time wasters who promise too much and dump your job as soon as a bigger one comes along!

everythingthelighttouches · 21/08/2019 13:58

But OP, did you give him a star rating and was it fair? I wouldn't give less than average for a minor thing like that.

SanJuniperokelly · 21/08/2019 13:59

Leave your review. Its honest. They should not have told you they would come back to you in an hour if they weren't going to. And then ignored your texts.

everythingthelighttouches · 21/08/2019 14:00

Also, if you'd contacted a dozen tradespeople that day, how many people do you think would actually have got back to you in 1 hour?

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 14:00

YABU and clearly have too much time on your hands @Derbee presumably she’s at home staying in to have the urgent repair dealt with?

sandytoes84 · 21/08/2019 14:00

What a nasty thing to do. I’m assuming tradeperson isn’t a big company and could have any manner of urgent jobs on (eg, plumber up to his knees in shit!)

DH is a tradesman and entitled people are a pain in the arse. I’m sorry OP but you appear to fall into this category!

Good luck to get some other poor sod to work for you!

Watchingthyme · 21/08/2019 14:01

@Pmsblows
That’s really clutching at straws. A tradesperson doesn’t look at his work phone for 8 solid hours. Has it on silent
In the car. Out of reach.
Sure. That’s a likely scenario. And on the slim off chance that happened. Why not just say that to the op. Just say, I’m so sorry I had a hellish day. I was on a job and couldn’t get back to you.

AguerosAngel · 21/08/2019 14:01

Don’t be an arsehole and take it down!

hedgehoglurker · 21/08/2019 14:01

Hopefully you will remove it, it seems unfair to leave it up.

TildaKauskumholm · 21/08/2019 14:01

I'm often tempted to do this. Have lost track of how many tradesmen I've contacted and they haver never got back to me AT ALL. Fuck knows why they bother advertising if they are too busy. A simple response would be sufficient and would mean I might try them again another time.

LochJessMonster · 21/08/2019 14:01

I'd leave it up.
I arranged for 4 contractors to come round and give me a quote. Only 1 turned up. One of them I the rearranged and he didn't turn up again. Both times I had taken time off work to be there for that time.
If a tradesperson is unreliable then I would want to know.

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 21/08/2019 14:02

@everythingthelighttouches nobody is saying that a tradesperson should respond to an initial enquiry with an hour! Just that one who promises to call you back within an hour will do so within 8 hours!

LisaSimpsonsbff · 21/08/2019 14:02

Just say, I’m so sorry I had a hellish day. I was on a job and couldn’t get back to you.

Well, he might have done if she hadn't, in the meantime, deliberately tried to damage his business?

SunnyIn · 21/08/2019 14:03

I'd remove it. Just ring round other traders if they don't come back to you?

Yes its annoying but they didn't actually do any work for you and I've seen how hard it is to establish a business. Reviews can really impact that.

I would not want to be the reason someone lost business just because they forgot to call me back. It's not the crime if the century.

LochJessMonster · 21/08/2019 14:03

@sandytoes84 yes so entitled to expect someone to call back when they say they would. Or even send a quick text some time within the 8 hours to explain why they couldn't.

But be very quick to make contact when there's a bad review...