Recently hired someone to tidy up our garden. Just borders and hedges really, no landscaping or anything like that. I saw a guy advertising on my local Facebook community page and messaged him on a whim. He came the next day to quote the work and said he could do it in the next week.
8 weeks on he still hadn't been. I messaged him a few times and either got ignored or had 'I'll be there next week' but then it never happened. I was about to give up and then he turned up this week in the evening. It seems he is doing it after his day job. The first night he did it two hours then knocked on the door explaining he'd be back for the remainder of the week after work and asked for the full amount upfront (£200). I apologised and said I didn't have that sort of money in the house. He was fine but looked a bit pissed off/disappointed.
I'm now wondering if I was being unreasonable or sensible. If I'd handed the full amount over whose to say if he would have come back to finish the job? He's clearly not a registered company, just doing it as an odd job after work. Dh isn't overjoyed with the standard of work he's already done but I've said we will just pay him regardless and learn a lesson from it. Would you have paid?