Inappropriate contact from British Gas engineer?!!

[PandaEyed13]

Bit of a weird one!

Has anyone had a gas/electric engineer respond to a call out at their property - and then had the engineer call and text their personal mobile number weeks after the work?!

Had a problem with my gas meter at my house last month and British Gas sent multiple engineers on varying dates to try and fix the issue, 4 engineers in total on 4 separate dates over the past few weeks, the issue got fixed and resolved last week, job done, lovely stuff!

Over this past weekend though I had 2 missed calls from a mobile phone number I didn't recognise. I didn't answer because it's just my personal philosophy not to answer to unfamiliar numbers, I assumed they were cold calls and forgot about it.

Yesterday morning though, I got 2 more calls from this number. Then a text - "Hi there B, (not my real name) it's 'Dan' (not his real name) from British Gas, call me back..'

Erm...that's weird right?
So when I cast my mind back, 'Dan' was engineer number 2 from visit number 2 about 3 weeks ago!

I can remember him being very friendly, really helpful - to the point of being almost above and beyond. He didn't cross any boundaries on the day. He was a teeny tiny bit vibey, like the absolute smidgen of a flirt, but not in a way that made me uncomfortable, he was just treating me a bit 'damsel in distressy,' which I didnt think much of at the time, I just wanted the work done! He even offered to call my DH for me at his work and explain what work he was doing at the house so I didn't have to bother trying to suss out the jargon to relay back to him. I said no thanks, but me being married became known information!

Fast forward 3 weeks and he's called my personal mobile number from his 4 times and sent a text asking me to call him. This is weird, yes? Boundary crossing? Call-out engineers never do follow up calls right? None of the other 3 engineers who came to my house have contacted me! I called my mum right after and DH on his work break and both freaked out, like "what if he's a nutter, he knows where you live!" etc etc.

My mum advised to reply to his text saying "no thanks, I won't be calling as the work has been completed at our property now, but thanks for your help on the day" and then to block his number if he replies to that or calls again. So I sent that text this morning and no reply as of yet. DH wants his number to call him though and ask what the F he wants! I spoke to British Gas this morning and they said it's not commonplace for call-out engineers to make contact with residents of properties they have attended or to make follow up calls and do I want to start an investigation. I said I didn't know because I haven't heard anything else since I sent my "thanks but no thanks" message a few hours ago, so they said call back if I get anything else.

I don't want to get anyone in trouble if it's all innocent, or antagonise anyone if it's not!

And DH is chomping at the bit for me to pass his number on so he can ring him, which I'm also reluctant to do?

Ideas, opinions? Anyone else had the 'friendly engineer' hit them up? I tried to Google whether engineers do this and there's absolutely nothing, so I'm thinking - no, they don't! Even if he is just following up on the day, it's still inappropriate and boundary crossing right? How he got my mobile num, I don't even know, he's a call-out engineer not a call centre agent with account access!

Didn't know where else to post this so went with AIBU, although I don't think I am to be freaked out!

Yeah, it's my day off! 🙄

Also you've obviously not read update posts

Thanks OP. It's very unsettling IMHO that he's not recorded his visit to you. I'm glad that you've given all the details to BG and that they're investigating.
No doubt there will still be umpteen people posting brilliant ideas such as "Why not call him back?" and "He's probably left a spanner behind". 🙄
Oh well, you've done all the right things and I hope it's not worrying you too much. 💐

My health visitor and doctor hve contacted me from a ‘personal’ number before (just a mobile number, assumed work phone)

just because it’s a mobile number doesn’t mean it’s not a work phone. Just call him back and ask what he wants, if it’s weird, hang up, block and report to BG

@4EyesandBigThighs She's done that. RTFT. Hun.

Bloody hell, OP, I'm pleased you've reported him. So many red flags here it is unbelievable, and I'm glad British Gas are taking it seriously.

Read the updates - op has made a report to BG and the workman was phoning her even while she did that

You did the right thing trusting your instincts. From the writing in op I thought you were being drama llama but obviously not

Yep, just had someone ask why I didn't just call him back and save speaking to my husband.

Yeah because I'm going to call a strange man back, in response to his "hey call me back.." text and 5 missed calls - without saying anything to my husband!

When I was a teen I lived in a youth hostel and it was the weekend (so no staff there) and my whole flats fuse box blew! There was one number the staff had put up all over the place which was security and they would call the relevant people if needed.. my neighbour told me to call them as I had not long ago moved in and so I did and explained the situation and was told the relevant person would be up to fix it..

I was in the middle of cooking dinner and it was quite late, food not cooked and so that meant I was going without food that night and the “electrician” showed up, tweaked the fuse box which didn’t help, he asked about the food on the stove and I explained the same thing I said above and we continued on. He said he had to leave and collect the right items for the job and when he came back he returned with food, asking to come in again to sort the box… once in he handed me the food, barely even went back to the fuse box and started asking strange questions about my relationship status, if I was sexually active etc. (I was like 17 and he was in his 40s/50s!)

It became clear he wasn’t there to fix my electric, I don’t even think he was an electrician! He pushed me up against my hallway wall and sexually assaulted me! I pushed him off me so many times it was a joke and he pulled my into my bedroom, we fought for a while, I told him if he didn’t leave I’d call the police and eventually he left! Some details were missing from that night so not sure if I blacked out or what but later on he was non stop texting me! Asking me how the food he brought was, if I liked him, all sorts! I told him what he did was unacceptable and I’d be reporting it to staff as soon as the week day comes and he was then apologetic. He had access to our building with no need for a key so I was frightened!

The guy turned out to be a predator, I was urged to call the police and report him, send over all the texts he sent me, give statements and I was told he wouldn’t be able to work around vulnerable young adults again! He had a front to text me again after this begging me to tell them it was t true, he will loose his job and that will impact his wife and kids too!

I have never trusted service people since! A few years ago some people were faking to be from councils in old peoples houses to basically rob them, came more than once to see what they could take and again to take it and all under the guise of a council worker.. we have had so many warnings now it’s a joke!

Id be sketchy too but would likely text back what the issue was for more background as the way he is non stop calling/messaging makes it sound important!

Wow. So @Coffeellama you’re presumably a troll, but just in case you’re not, what is wrong with your post is that:

1. British Gas would never behave like this, as one of their engineers has pointed out elsewhere in the thread.
2. OP, who has met and spoken to this man, is far better placed than you to know whether or not he’s crossing boundaries in a creepy way.
3. Your post minimises what is at best inappropriate harassment and you are insulting and blaming the victim

OP put in a complaint about him to British Gas and actually I think the fastest way to end the situation is for your DH to call him back and tell him off.

YANBU.

If it was an 'innocuous' query he would either be calling you officially from a (recorded) British Gas line, have someone else call you from British Gas, or could have texted you about whatever it was (he still shouldn't have your number in his personal phone, but at least there's a record of what he's contacting you about, if it really was a missing tool). The fact that he insists on an (unrecorded) call to his personal number, after taking your number inappropriately... of course that's dodgy.

Who on earth calls someone (THREE WEEKS LATER!) to ask where they bought their kettle from?!

Sorry I just finished reading the updates! I know I should first but I don’t 🫣

Glad to see OP has called back and complained to BG.

Not sure if being called ‘hun’ was sarcasm or not but I sicked a bit in my mouth.

There are some serious reading comprehension/not reading the OP's posts issues on this thread. Not to mention the disgusting amount of minimisation. No wonder blokes have got away with harassing women like this forever when even women are like "ooh don't flatter yourself, I'm sure he just left his tools at your house, stop being precious." Jesus.

Do you love drama ? If this happened to me I would just ignore it or answer and see why his calling. You really are making a big deal out of it

Quite! I can't believe the posters saying he's probably forgotten something🙄

If someone rings my doorbell and I don't know them and/or expect them, or rings my phone and I don't know the number, I don't answer. I quite simply don't trust strangers!
This man calling OP also managed to send a cryptic text around 'hey call me.' He couldn't be bothered to leave a voicemail and/or text message... can't be that important can it.

I left a piece of test equipment In someone’s house worth a lot of money and needed to get it back or I would have to report it lost and face a disciplinary

as for him hanging up in DH tbh most if use Engineers will do this we have to ring ahead and customer get your number

days/weeks later they ring you directly wanting you to sort something they have to go through the call centre
most won’t accept this and you get a tirade of abuse
so just cut calls off from historical customers or unrecognised numbers ( DH rung him do presume from a different phone

OF COURSE OF COURSE anything untoward should be flagged
but in all honesty returning the call in the first place e would of instantly made it clear if it was inappropriate or not

instead we’ve involved DH , mother ,call centre and mumsnet and in all honesty we’re still none the wiser

But yet he managed to send a text message... that didn't mention why he was calling? If he'd left something that was worth a lot of money surely he'd at least leave voicemail/text message explaining why he was calling several times over a weekend?

Good for you OP for following your instincts.
Now it's logged and if he does this again, they will know it's not a one off.

And those calling others snowflakes for raising GDPR - it's absolutely not. It should be taken seriously.

What a long, dramatic post!

It sounds like he is being inappropriate and is possibly trying his luck. You've reported him which was the right thing to do.

Some men will go to the most extreme lengths if they think there's even the merest snifter of getting some vaj.

What a load of old drama for something that could have been sorted with a "It's okay, the works now been completed so there are no further issues" message. Your DH sounds bloody unhinged, demanding his number to have a go 🤐

Also I think you're being ridiculous. You've probably got this bloke in trouble now, and you're still wanting to report further and get DH involved. He's said nothing further, just leave the bloke alone. Have all of you got nothing better to do.

Why do people keep saying I've "involved" my husband and my mum?! That bit is actually making me laugh! Doubting why I posted here, fair enough. But suggesting I've mithered my husband and mum? Seriously, do none of you speak to your partners and loved ones?

You've probably got this bloke in trouble now,

What a pity. Never mind.

Did you miss the part where OP sent exactly that message and yet he's still trying to call her?

have you read OP's updates, fuck off with your bullshit

And you should fuck off with your bullshit too.

Some of these stupid fucking responses are making me so angry