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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Lawn mowing - please tell me he was taking the piss!

85 replies

TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 17:44

Running round like a blue arsed fly this week and the lawn was looking pretty lush, but I just didn't want to find the time to do it. I would have let it go, but DH is hopefully coming home on Friday night from a long and unpleasant trip abroad and I don't want him to get up on Saturday morning and look outside and feel a sense of obligation - just a sense of being glad that he is home. Nor do I want to feel that same sense of obligation after a busy week.

So I put out a shout out on our local community group did anyone want to mow and strim a not that big lawn sometime this week.

All the usual crap with people tagging their mates and linking to non lawn related businesses and then an eager chap messaged me and said he could do it today. I gave him my address and he dutifully turned up.

He did the job, was nice and thorough, but was here less than an hour. No talk of how much the job would cost took place before he did the job.

I asked him what I owed him. He said "eighty"

I said "18?"

He said, "no eighty ....errr... is that too much?" (looking sheepish).

I told him that my previous bloke cost £20, which was about 2 years ago.

I pay £20 to get my car cleaned
£15 an hour for my cleaner
I'd expect to pay about £80 if I got an electrician or plumber round to look at something. Or some of bushes chopped down with disposal.

But not a basic lawn mow on a garden of this size. It ain't Downton Abby.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Helloandhelloagain · 19/05/2021 19:18

I mow my own then have a glass of wine 🍷

Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:19

lostinthejungle22 He wasn't young.
MyOctopusFeature Of course my DH could do it. So could I in fact. I just don't want to on this occasion (busy week) and I don't want DH to do anything other than be bloody glad to be home this weekend, if he does make it home. He's been in Israel for the last 3 weeks so you can imagine how that's been.

Whilst I fully acknowledge that I could have asked him how much beforehand, I had a good understanding of the general market rate and was willing to go a good tenner above it for an easy life, on this particular week which has been pretty spectacular in the shit-stakes.

I was just pretty amused at how much he decided to try and stretch it. There is not a holy chance in hell that anyone in this town would pay that either.

Definitely one of the weirdest days I've had in a while, due to that and some other stuff but it's always good to hear other people's take on things.

OP posts:
GreyhoundG1rl · 19/05/2021 19:22

It's still odd that you didn't bother asking, on the grounds that you "knew" what the rate should be 🤷🏻‍♀️
You clearly didn't, and not everyone would give way so pleasantly on being that you've no intention of paying what they ask.
Or maybe I've just lived in London too long.

TheQueef · 19/05/2021 19:23

I'm in the wrong job.

He's lucky to get £25, should have charged him £10 for cheek.

TheCrowening · 19/05/2021 19:23

How much did you end up paying?

Going back some years now, I used to be a consumer adviser. I know the law back then was if a price wasn’t agreed beforehand then work needs to be undertaken for a “reasonable” price which is open to a certain amount of interpretation but certainly wouldn’t be £80 for mowing an average sized lawn!

Twinkie01 · 19/05/2021 19:26

We pay £30 quid fortnightly for hedges back and front trimmed, both lawns cut, weeding and general garden maintenance. We don't even pay £80 twice yearly when the hardener puts down mulch and deadheads everything and plants bulbs.

He was a CF

Roselilly36 · 19/05/2021 19:35

Outrageous price, £20max would have been about the mark. Pleased you didn’t pay it OP. I always agree a price before I go ahead with a job.

Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:37

Thing is, Greyhoundgirl, I was right about the rate. Looking at all the replies on here, he is the one chancing it so if he feels he is worth more it's up to him to establish that beforehand, by my way of thinking anyway.

It's an interesting one I suppose. I've never been one to get an exact price before going to the hairdresser for instance - I have a fair idea what colour services cost, there's only so much you can get charged for a haircut unless you are in London or Cheshire or bloody Sydney etc though I would cast my eye over their treatment menu and price list, I wouldn't add up the exact amount beforehand. I've never been stung or had the piss taken out of me in a hairdresser.

Bigger work on a house of course you always get 3 quotes. Painting and decorating always seems expensive till you contemplate doing it yourself and then realise you'd happily pay double than don a paintbrush Grin

If I was having a big garden job done with loads of bushes cut back and disposal I'd ask for a ball park figure but it wouldn't have to be exact and I'd act a bit on trust if it happened to be a bit more or less that's fine.

Cleaning can vary by about a fiver an hour but I'd never quibble if they they'd stayed longer and the house looked shiny etc.

OP posts:
Galliano · 19/05/2021 19:41

no mow may is an option for the future!

Fruitsaladjelly · 19/05/2021 19:48

It would depend if he provided a mower and took away the clippings. If so I would expect an hour to be around £40-£60. My pt charges £40 an hour and doesn’t provide equipment.

freakyfridays · 19/05/2021 19:49

I didn't ask the price beforehand because there's only so much someone can reasonably ask for mowing a lawn of that size, in that time.

Confused

You are being completely BU. It's not up to you what people charge for their services!

If it's too much, just ... don't employ them! You don't refuse to pay because you disagree with the rates, that must be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

You are an absolute CF.

It's not about someone being too expensive or not, it's simply not up to you!

Fruitsaladjelly · 19/05/2021 19:52

Important to say that would be as a one off, assuming the person had to travel plus spend time disposing of clippings

TinyBarista · 19/05/2021 19:54

I'm sorry, he plugged in his flymo and off he went? I have never known a professional gardener to use an electric mower. (Disclaimer: my experience is somewhat limited, I have not conducted a scientifically robust survey.).

Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:56

Fruits by PT do you mean personal trainer? Because that's a completely different line of work. Many of them have insurance and first aid and qualifications.

I could get a full face of makeup with a trained makeup artist for half that.

I can get a brand new set of Russian varia lashes in a salon with insurance, PPE and rent for that.

But that's different again than having your lawn mowed.

I know there's been a lot of talk of hourly rates here because that's how I work things out but it's worth noting he was here less than an hour. So I'm happy to pay what I think is fair for an hour when they've been there less than an hour, but there's no way I'd pay £80 for less than an hour's work.

OP posts:
Aprilwasverywet · 19/05/2021 19:56

Maybe if your dh wasn't in it wouldn't have been his flymo he wanted to plug in..

GrinBlush

Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:57

TinyBarista he wasn't a professional. He was a bloke with a mower.

OP posts:
Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:58

To everyone who things I should have checked the price before he started, would you not also agree that he should have too? Does that not go both ways?

OP posts:
Original poster
TattyDevine · 19/05/2021 19:59

@Aprilwasverwet you cheeky minx. And DH is still in Israel. Are you suggesting I should have paid him in kind? Now that's one hourly rate I'd be wanting to clarify beforehand Wink

OP posts:
freakyfridays · 19/05/2021 19:59

I might order a birthday cake, and refuse to pay more than £15 because that's how much you pay for in the supermarket and any more would be taking the piss 😂

Wait until someone refuses to pay your salary because a chap in India does the same for a quarter of the price!

freakyfridays · 19/05/2021 20:00

@TattyDevine

To everyone who things I should have checked the price before he started, would you not also agree that he should have too? Does that not go both ways?
no.. If you agree to the work, you agree to the T&C.
GreyhoundG1rl · 19/05/2021 20:02

Someone providing a service has no obligation to make sure you know what you're getting into Confused

mainsfed · 19/05/2021 20:02

It's 'caveat emptor' - buyer beware. You need to confirm the price.

TinyBarista · 19/05/2021 20:02

@TattyDevine

TinyBarista he wasn't a professional. He was a bloke with a mower.
If I could be bothered to change my username I'd now be Blokewithamower Grin

The sheer gall of some people! Chancers and I agree with PP some vulnerable people will just pay up, which is really sad.

Neonprint · 19/05/2021 20:05

I can't think of any scenario where somone wouldn't clarify the price first. Why assume it can only cost do much?! But anyway he was taking the piss.

NinaMimi · 19/05/2021 20:05

@TattyDevine

To everyone who things I should have checked the price before he started, would you not also agree that he should have too? Does that not go both ways?
As the buyer of services you’re taking more of a risk. They might assume you’ve looked at their price list.
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