To ask decorator to replace shoes they got paint on?

[WoodlandsMum22]

So I'm really not sure if this is my fault or the decorators.
We have been having all the woodwork redone in white gloss. My friend and I came home whilst he was here and left our shoes in the hall, didn't think about it, was trying to get the toddler through to the kitchen and out of the way. We then went to go out and realised there are white specks of gloss paint all over our shoes, my pair are suede deck shoes, my friends are patent black boots. As its oil based we can't get it out so they are ruined. I showed them to the decorator and he said he didn't see them. His answer was white spirit, I said best not because of the suede and patent. So my question is, it is unreasonable to expect him to replace them, as he should have taken care when decorating, or is it our fault for leaving them out? He wasnt painting in the hall when we got back, he moved into there later on.

Please don't be harsh, I genuinely am not sure what to do! I have rang timpsons who said the marks will never come out.

He used dulux trade eggshell gloss, which he told me was oil based and having checked online says "solvent based" which I understand to be the same thing. Spoke to my husband about it in the evening and he also says it was my fault, and after all he was cheap.

He does this as his trade, was recommended on a local Facebook page but definitely the cheaper option of a few suggested. He did our lounge for us very last minute in December 2021 when I was induced early as I was part way through painting it, he did us a favour squeezing us in so wanted to go back to him, as there weren't any issues last time!

Now that the splats will be fully dry I'll have another go at removing the worst of it using above suggestions. Unfortunately it has soaked in though because of the suede.

Have a go with a suede brush first rather than anything liquid again OP. The patent I think could probably be picked off - tell your friend to pop her shoes in the freezer first so the paint is as hard as possible.

It's a lesson learned - we had a painter in at Christmas and I'd not realised he'd started on the stairs where we keep a huge inflatable snowman at Christmas time. Which he painted over. I mean, I know it's my fault for leaving it out, but a six foot inflatable snowman? Would have taken him 2 seconds to shout on me to move it.

@LaviniasBigBloomers That's what I meant about the shoes.. how could he NOT see them? As for a whopping great snowman.. they just aren't bothered. :-(

Any twit ought to be able to move or cover something that might otherwise get damaged by paint before doing the painting, and be able to work out themselves that they need to do that.

If dealing with clutter is affecting the job, then obviously that needs to be stated to the customer and dealt with before the job can continue, or the job will take longer / cost more due to faffing with the clutter.

Am fed up with many tradesmen (specially, tradesmen as opposed to tradespeople) not managing to live up to the standards expected of most other people in the workforce and in life generally when going about their work (see the recent thread on this topic, my own experiences are similar) and too often disrespecting the people and property they are working with. One example on that other thread, oft repeated, was damage to floors and carpets, not just a pair of shoes - although a very good pair of shoes could cost as much as a cheap carpet in my experience. Not good enough!!

Yes the cost of the damaged shoes should be taken off the bill before settling it, IMO. They can go to court for the remainder if they really want to argue that toss. (Clue: they won't.) Or they can claim on their professional insurance for their own mistake.

Well it’s common sense that you cover or remove anything that you don’t want to get damaged with paint. You don’t have to be in the trade to know that.

To think he owes you both for an error you made is ridiculous.

It’s not hard to find a place to put them temporarily where they won’t get in the way and get paint on.

This. Sorry.

I think he sounds a bit of a dick, to be close enough for splatters he definitely must have seen the shoes. Takes less than one minute to kick them away. If he was using a brush on woodwork I can't work out how he even splattered them if they were in the middle of the hall though.

I appreciate you need to clear a space for him to work but he should have realised it was an accident on your part to leave the shoes in the way. I take it you had cleared the hall of coats and other shoes etc so not like he felt you were a pisstaker anyway.

Buy new shoes both of you - produce receipts and take it off his bill

Unfortunately I paid on Monday as initially he was going to only be here for that day, and I had to go out at the end of the day. So it would be a case of asking for money back. We cleared the hall of the pushchair, all coats and shoes are kept in cupboards, and as he wasn't doing walls just frames, I didn't think he'd be that messy! I was still in the house, he could have shouted me to move them.

@LaviniasBigBloomers I cannot believe he painted over a snowman 😅 that is taking the piss!!