Is this incredibly racist or am I being sensitive

[Restaurantlover]

Have had to nc as incredibly outing.

I enquired about a blossom tree installation in my restaurant, someone got back to me with a quote and I said great what’s his timescales. He let me know a date and I told him it would be suitable but nothing yet agreed.
Next thing I know he says he requires a 50% deposit because he’s ordered the blossom for the tree.
I never asked him to order the blossom, never agreed that the work would actually be done and certainly didn’t agree to give him 50% upfront.

I’ve had to block him as he is continuously ringing and messaging me and is just being plain nasty, to both my husband and I.

I think he’s gone a step too far with this Facebook post though, the reference to scrubbing korma pans and polishing shoes just gets to me, I feel he’s being racist, we have an Indian restaurant but I don’t actually go/work there so he’s obviously made that up to be spiteful.

It depends how you see things, it would be derogatory if you felt scrubbing pans was a lower down thing to do, which he may well do. It doesnt seem racist to me

He is clearly an arsehole because legitimate businesses have ways of managing situations like this, he is not professional, but that doesnt seem to be your complaint

Me too...or whatsapp only. I don't bother if that's all I can see. Otherwise I prepare myself for possible scam and make sure I can afford to lose what I'm parting with.

Yes, that is racist.

Sorry that happened to you.

There are some deeply unpleasant people out there.

This was his response to her on his page. I looked it up.

”I said absolutely nothing racist. What I said is that you and Amin are very very image driven and that you ordered a large artificial tree display which you did. And then you completely ignored me. You were not on holiday. You were in the back scrubbing pans. All I am doing is naming and shaming you and Amin because I think you are both appalling and sad. This is merely a deterrent for any locals contemplating doing any kind of business with you. I'm now going to sell this blossom tree to someone local to you at an extremely low cost.”

he sounds awful

So is he admitting he’s been over charging them?

In my opinion it is also racist to reference polishing shoes. There's the image of "shoe-shine boys" - young black men kneeling down polishing the smart work shoes of rich white men. Definitely racist.

He sounds a bit bonkers and I think the ref to korma pots was supposed to be low key racist.

However I do think if somone gives a quote and time to do a job and you say great or ok. You have entered into an agreement with them.

Not to mention he’s saying he’ll give it to someone else from her area at an extremely cheap rate, why couldn’t he have done the same for OP and her husband? It’s cos they’re Indian..

I don't think extremely low cost meant he's overcharging them. It means he will all but give it away out of spite, which is silly anyway. Also silly to say they're image driven. What does that have to do with anything unless he's known you and Amin before now.

The reference to korma pans, as opposed to just pans does seem weird so yeah, I think there are racial undertones. If someone said pesto pans, chow mein pans etc it would feel just as weird. That and the odd lies - I don't understand why anyone would make that up? It's baffling.

He's an utter idiot for ordering or starting any work without a deposit if he requires ons. By his own terms if a deposit is required and no deposit is paid then there's no reason he should have assumed you were locked in.

I also think you both lied to him and strung him along which is the point he's making. Instead of being on holiday like you claimed (probably said that's why you've not been responding to him), you were both in the restaurant where he found you (or whomever he thinks is you).

Yes it would, because it’s specifically targeting race, nationality etc.

I wouldn’t find it racist if there was no reference to korma, but it’s that he’s trying to get across a specific message, which is what I find racist.

I mean, he’s been horrible about the whole thing, but some people are nasty anyway and I’ve had my fair share of dealings with nasty people, but the racism is so subtle that it’s hard to identify, I say that being born in England, things were different 20 years ago, racism is very different now.

This is an astonishing thread - OP, the tree maker's post is offensive I agree, a racist slur.

To all the posters who have just assumed the tree maker is right / telling the truth - give your head a wobble. He's telling lies. Just because it's on Facebook doesn't mean it is true.

Also, to all the pop lawyers who think there is an enforceable contract. I'll assume you have no practising certificate or legal qualification, this would not stand up in court.

OP, you could ask him to take it down and also explore a harassment claim under the equality act www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/taking-action-about-discrimination/taking-action-about-harassment/

He sounds vile and racist, it is hair raising that people on this thread are minimising that. Be thankful you didn't go ahead with work.

Indeed.

I wouldn’t want to be dealing with him at all. He knows fine what he was saying.

Why don't you reply calling him out an say you were not 'scrubbing korma pans' as you don't work there?

Is there even such a thing as a korma pan, a distinctive pan designed particularly for kormas? A pizza tray is specifically for pizza so that might not mark anything out, but if he's throwing a reference to kormas in there when it's not relevant...

I can’t work out if you’re being serious. There are clear connotations to ‘korma pans’ and inferring that the OP is Indian and that is a reason for them not paying. It’s ‘othering’ the OP, it’s signalling to people that ‘she’s not like us’ otherwise it is completely and utterly irrelevant.

I think you're worried about the wrong thing OP. He's basically claiming that you as a business don't pay your suppliers. Which could be very damaging for your relationship with your other suppliers.

You need to get this sorted out with him. If he's in the wrong then get your company solictor to write him a strong letter to take the FB posts down.

So HE didn't actually say Korma pans then, just PANS.

I don't think he sounds awful, I think he's just calling out Amin lying about being away.

there clearly was an order/agreement.
the OP should have paid.

if she doesn't want to pay some 'random Facebook person' then maybe she shouldn't ask them to do work for her.

It's not a contract as he didn't mention the 50% deposit. They were still negotiating. He is not only stupid but a total arsehole.

i don’t think it was racist as he was saying what they saw you doing while you claimed to be in Dubai.

btw did you really tell him you were in Dubai in your yatch and send him pics if your Range Rover?

It does sound like you told him you were happy with what he could supply and had agreed timescales, so he went ahead and ordered the product. It also now sounds like you are backing out and want to feel ok about it because he's a bad person.

You've behaved quite shabbily here OP.

Agree with this. There is no need to say anything about "korma"
I also think the Range Rover and Dubai is trying to make people think you have too much money and therefore are terrible people for messing this poor man about.

He is stupid for going ahead without getting confirmation of the order from you in writing. If he had that then no doubt he would be posting to show proof. So it's all on him.

He did say korma pans in his initial post @AnnWithoutAnnie