To pay this angry man for work not done?

[sillywoman456]

Basically, I've been a complete and utter fool and yesterday was doorstepped by a man working at my neighbour's house. He said I needed some work doing to my gutters, said he'd do it there and then, didn't appreciate me saying that I'd call my DH and discuss with him, and insisted that I do it and pay him the amount by balance transfer (because I at first said no, using no physical cash as a reason). My neighbours (who I previously got on well with) were with him, vouching for him and insisting that I needed it doing because it was affecting both properties etc. It wasn't a huge amount of money (£70) so I agreed.

Believe it or not, I'm usually less ridiculous than this, but I let myself down by agreeing to this deeply unpleasant man who was patronising and offensive. I'm so embarrassed of myself.

Anyway, he spent five minutes on the roof, showed me a few bits of concrete he'd pulled out, said he couldn't do the rest because it was too rotten and gave me some bank details. Now I don't know who this bloke was, but my neighbours knows him by first name and these bank details are for someone completely different.

Today, we've been and taken pictures of the work not done and contacted him to say we'd pay half, but not the full amount because much of the work was left undone. He won't agree to this, swore and shouted down the phone and said he'll be coming round to discuss it "face to fucking face" and basically that he won't let it go.

I've contacted CAB and I believe the law is on our side, but I think I should just pay it for a quiet life and less threats of him returning, damaging our property etc. I don't want to be worried everytime the kids are in the garden for the sake of £70! My DH hates confrontation and would rather do this. But if I pay this random person named in the bank details, what proof will I have that I've paid at all? I don't want him to come round and demand more.

It's starting to feel a bit like an extortion racket! But then it's only £70! Please tell me what to do now, because I can't seem to trust myself lately!

Probably because they're concerned the guy could become violent? I don't know why people pretend they don't understand why some women aren't happy to confront random men.

A lot of people don't like to admit the plain fact that men are more likely to threaten women than men. It's actually likely he wouldn't have tried this scam if her DH was at home.

@TeaStory

If he starts on you again and you feel threatened, call the police. He’s a scammer, making money by this kind of intimidation.

This is so common. He is a scammer - he can't make you do anything.

Call the police if he hassles you.

I know you have queried it with TS op but please report him. like a PP said these people more often than not target the elderly as I have just had to deal with a similar thing with my 85 yo gran ( she nearly lost £6000 2 weeks ago and targeting more and more during lock down ) these people need to be stopped. Glad you managed to get it sorted in the end though but like I said please report to trading standards.

Well done OP - well handled (and just ignore some of the stupid replies on this thread).

*shut down even, but my imaginary cousin can shit down on dickheads like this too

It feels like a racket because it is one. Were you having problems with your gutters before? You'd know if you were - it isn't as though we're short of rain.

I'll bet that concrete wasn't there at all. Putting pressure on people to do the work there and then and then planting something is the oldest trick in the book. If it were me, I'd say I'll have my own workmen look at it, thank you very much.

And if he wants to turn up on your doorstep, that's his prerogative, but I'd let him know as a matter of courtesy the only person he's going to come "face to fucking face with" is the police if he does.

And I wouldn't pay him anything either.

Never ever use any trader who turns up uninvited to your door with a fault they have discovered, it will always end badly as they are chancing there arm and seeing how easy you are to persuade. Once the "job" is it will snowball into a far bigger job costing more.
You wouldn't employ a mechanic who called and told you of a fault he'd seen as your car past him so use the same principles with your home.
Always get a quote for the work, a cost per/hour and request an invoice before payment with a breakdown of the work carried out, material costs, labour, tool hire, scaffold rentaletc. That way you have the necessary records for 5he small claims court if it all goes sour.
Tradesmen who have a good reputation do not have the time to walk streets and knock on doors as they are busy.
In your situation I would ask for an invoice detailed as mentioned in the post, check the work purportedly done and they you can dispute it with him. If you use the backing of trading standards, CAB and the police and mention that you have contacted them he will most likely run scared.
If he becomes aggressive, or abusive then the law is on your side.

I'd recommend logging it with 101 (bingo!) just in case tbh.
That way you've got a log if he decides that he wants the other half, plus the police have a record of his tactics as I bet he makes a habit of this

@Upstartcrones

For future reference, If I were in this situation I would say 'oh thanks for letting me know I'll give my cousin a ring, he's in the trade and can do it for free'. If they demand it's done that day say 'I'll give him a ring now and see what he says'.

Hard to argue with free. Imaginary cousin can shit down any situation like this

I've done similar, it's funny watching their faces trying to work out their next move.

OP don't let people like this bully you. Stand tall, look them straight in the eye and say no. They soon slink off. Parasites.

You did the right thing, OP. Horrible bully. A lesson learned I guess. We often have people knocking on our door asking if we would like our ugly conifers cut down. I usually say we are renting or we are moving house soon or I have a relative who is a gardener. Basically any old lie to to make them go away!

OP for future reference,use my standard reply to these people
"The house is rented, my landlord deals with stuff like that"
Works every time

"No thank you", as dismissive nod and shut the door works every time.

It was probably hard with the neighbours there but sometimes you have to be "not nice"

Don't be hard on yourself though - we all have to learn it sometime. My downfall was the JWs, and Hari Krishnas.

I have never once paid anyone to clean the gutters in over 30 years. The only time anything has ever been blocked was when a tree root grew up from a soakaway so it wouldn't have helped with that.

A few years ago we had someone knock the door asking for odd jobs. They said they could work cheaply as it was winter and work was slow, suggesting jobs (a bit of looking for the sympathy vote). They left a card.

We fell for it and asked for our gutters to be cleaned. They had no equipment - asked if we had a hose - we hadn’t lived here long and didn’t. He suggested the next jobs - something to do with the chimney... His work basically involved him sitting in his car outside our house on his phone.

Having had a bit more work done over the years I have realised that good honest tradesmen are booked up months in advance just by word of mouth. If they need to knock doors looking for work then they are not good or honest tradesmen. Your neighbour might not have wanted to recommend them but may have been put on the spot in front of the chap.

I LOVE the imaginary cousin. Will definitely be calling him in future.

I think you’ve done very well here op. It would have been hard to say no with the neighbours adding pressure, and you stood up to him and on,y paid half

I’d have likely argued it the same, and then paid, to make it go away. But I’d a rough upbringing and know how some folks can take their revenge. It’s all very well saying tell him to fuck off or call the police, but that does fuck all good when someone’s lobbing bricks through your window at 2 am.

I’d also have dealt with it personally and not involved my husband, not because he’d not have dealt with It but because I’m a big girl and can fight my own battles.

KeepingPlain because the man clearly did not want the OP's husband around, so he undoubtedly targets women and would not try this with a man there.

I have written an email explaining the sorry saga to the local neighbourhood policing team, in case it happens to someone vulnerable. I feel a bit like I'm wasting their time as it's not really a police matter and no direct threats of violence were made, but I suppose it's just for their records in case anything further occurs.

I too love the idea of an imaginary cousin. I actually feel vaguely reassured by his imaginary presence

Do not pay him. Call the police and trading standards.

@Bluntness100 Yes that's exactly it. I used to live in a bit of a scary area and I know how awful it can be to be frightened in your own home. There's only so much standing up for yourself that can be done if you're law-abiding and they are not.
That's not to say this chap would have done anything, but if you've had this sort of thing happen before, it makes your more wary.

Ugh. I hate rogue traders like this. One bunch scammed our very elderly neighbour of hours out of several thousand pounds for 'essential work' to his roof that they 'found' after doorstepping him and persuading him to let them power-wash his drive and patio. His son told me that they literally put him in the car and drove him to the bank to get cash out for them, twice, and he was too scared to refuse (although I wish the bank teller had stepped in somehow). All they did was to trim some branches off a tree that they said would damage his roof if left, but they charged him thousands for it - bullied him into signing something, apparently. We and all our neighbours now have strict instructions from the police to dial 999 if we see any trader at his door in case word's got round amongst them that he's vulnerable.

Well done Op! I think you've handled this very well.

Many of us have had this sort of experience, where we've been caught out at a weak moment by a bully. It's very easy for people to say you should have stood your ground, but it isn't always that easy.

Why are you offering him half? I wouldn't give him a penny.

I’d be very angry at the neighbors for their role in this.

We get loads of door to door salespeople, charity collections etc here. It wouldn’t have worked for you, as your neighbour was there, but my standard line is always ‘this isn’t my house, I just work here as a nanny’ as that closes the conversation down straightaway and doesn’t leave any room for persuasion.

You did the right thing, the police often work with trading standards and ultimately, he may have committed fraud by saying your gutters needed clearing and it was a danger to your house when ultimately that isn’t true. If there are enough similar reports, action will be taken.