To be a bit suspicious?

[Magicra84]

I was just sitting in my garden enjoying a nice cup of tea when a young man (aged early twenties I would say) popped his head over the fence and said him and his dad were working locally in the area and had noticed my hedges need trimming back and he handed me a flyer. He was really polite and very sweet. He also gave me a mobile number to phone directly as the ones on the flyers get busy.

I have never been approached like this so was a bit suspicious.

I have googled the company and looked on Facebook and nothing has come up. Even googled the phone numbers and email address and nothing. Aibu to be suspicious?

I wouldn't be suspicious they are probably just starting up. However it's up to you to decide how you feel.

What are you suspicious about? A couple of guys touting for a bit of work in the garden, wouldn't bother me at all.

Thanks @Yellowcar2. He did say they were working on a house up the road. There have been loads of break ins round here lately so I'm over suspicious

He was actually really lovely and polite too. I feel bad now!

I’d rather someone knock on my door than stuck their head over my fence. Was it your back garden?

This happens all the time where I live, nothing suspicious. Just be careful using anyone who doesn't appear to be an official business though (if you were wanting to use them obviously)

We get travellers knocking seeing if there's any gardening work etc going from time to time. We live near a traveller site.

Personally I haven't ever used someone who knocks. I usually go by recommendation.

I suspect most burglars don’t go round handing their potential victims leaflets with contact information on and looking to be hired for work that would keep them outside of the property? What would they gain from it?

It's not always as innocent as it seems. I'm talking from experience here. I'll PM you.

I would avoid,

Far safer to look up a listed, established business or get a personal recommendation if you want work done.

“We were just in the area” flyer merchants are more likely to be cowboys or scammers.

I suspect most burglars don’t go round handing their potential victims leaflets with contact information on and looking to be hired for work that would keep them outside of the property? What would they gain from it?

You are FAR too naive to be doing business kerbside. Find someone savvy in your life to help you or have a chat with a PCSO or neighbourhood watch.

Meanwhile stop saying silly things online.

Dodgy. Ignore and avoid.

Sounds like travellers. We used to get them offering to do our garden, or trying to sell bits of carpet that they "had left over from another job".

Yes. Be suspicious. My mum answered the door once to a very polite young man who asked her for directions. Something didnt sit right with her and when we (my dad and brothers) came home in the car a few minutes later, my dad and brothers drove up the road to check him out. The reason being it was a country lane, a private road and all houses had long driveways so very weird for him to choose a house that looked empty with no car on the drive.
Anyway, they saw one of my brother's friends running down the road a few mins away looking upset so they pulled over and he had just had his bike stolen off him by young man matching my mum's description. Dad chased him down and called the police and turns out he was a wanted burglar/thief.
A weird story with lots of coincidences but all very true. The point of it being, no don't trust anyone who randomly knocks on your door or pops their head over your fence. My guess is they have the leaflets ready to give to people who they run into while they're checking houses out, to divert suspicion. And it's well known, sunny days, people go out, leave windows open, prime burgalry time.
(We got burgled 3 times and had our garden broken into when I was growing up so I've had a lot of advice from police over the years!)

There are several gangs of men set up who do exactly this. If you seem like a soft touch or they see anything worth nicking it gets noted and passed onto the rest of the gang. They're always charming and polite or sometimes feign a disability.

Maybe these people had good intentions but I doubt it..

So a nice young lad popped up over the fence and asked to trim your bushes?! 🤣

(Lots of that goes on mh way for landscaping, driveway cleaning, gutters etc - not taken them up on it but if you paying cash and not inviting them in the house I can't see the risk)

It sounds like the flyer could be a red herring, especially if he told you not to ring the number on it and to ring him instead.

Nice and polite aren’t character traits. Think of how many serial killers have been described in such terms.

They're probably using someone else's flyers.

Whenever I get a knock at the door from someone 'who just happens to be working down the road', I always ask them for the door number. Mostly just to see them squirm

Either way, I never use cold callers anyway.

We’ve had this locally, it’s caused all sorts of trouble with them ending up threatening local elderly people.

Meh, it’s just. Couple of guys looking for work. I very much doubt they are criminal master minds using fake flyers casing rhe joint or looking to murder you.

Honestly I don’t know how some people sleep at night with this level of extreme paranoia.

If you want your hedges done say yes, if not bin the flyer and finish your tea.

Over the years there have been a lot of men arriving and ringing the bell, always working in the area, always hand out a flyer. Usually they want to cut the trees at the back. The ones with the Irish accent always want to clean the drive or render the house and I recognise those and always ask for a flyer and always tell them I have to ask my husband and they will leave.

I have a sign on the door but they ring anyway.

If I want to be a bit awkward I ask them which house they are working on, it is always 'just up the road' but strangely there is rarely anyone working in the road when I look.

The tree ones are often actually working nearby but I resent people ignoring my sign.

Current one is 'clearing the gardens', and being pushy about it.

Conmen are usually lovely & polite.
I always ask for the address of where they're working - they never give a proper answer.

YANBU.
Common gypsy scam. Never ever pay up front, either, if you do go for it!

No I would never use some one who just knocked at the door let alone over the fence. Plus not exactly social distancing if he handed you a flyer. I always get a personal recommendation.

Many years ago I made the mistake of ringing a man who had given me a flyer, when he arrived to give me a quote for tree cutting I got such a bad feeling that I said I would get back to him. He wanted an answer there and then, got very aggressive, accused me of wasting his time and asked for his flyer back. He scared me.

The lad you met might be legit but there's lots of established businesses around, I'll never make that mistake again.