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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DP hired door to door tradesman on the spot

45 replies

Helpwithsnorer · 04/08/2023 16:15

So the gutters were in need of cleaning and it's a job we've been meaning to get round to. Only moved to the area recently and hadn't found anyone to do it yet.

Someone knocked on the door earlier offering to do it, he had just done the house across the road and saw ours needed doing. DP said yes on the spot, but then they said some repairs were also needed (which we expected tbh) so he agreed to that too. Then once they were up there they apparently found a crack in the roof that needed repair and he agreed to let them do that too.

I wasn't home when they called, I arrived in when these guys were already up their ladders doing the work. I thought DP was completely naive agreeing to all this work on the spot. No company name, no logos on their van or anything. I'd never have said yes as I know it could be scammers, but DP thought it was a job that needs doing so may as well take them up on the offer. The whole lot cost £350

Are these door to door guys ever legit or is it nearly always a scam or shoddy work?

As far as we can tell the work looks ok. I've googled the guy's name and can't find much about him.

DP thinks I'm worrying over nothing and I think he has been very foolish.

YABU - DP is right, the job got done and everything is fine.
YANBU - DP has been had.

OP posts:
GoingGoingUp · 04/08/2023 16:17

It’s a mix to be honest. You can get legitimate ones and you can get non legitimate ones.

GoingGoingUp · 04/08/2023 16:17

Also, £350 sounds very reasonable for all of that work.

Original poster
Helpwithsnorer · 04/08/2023 16:17

Ah crap I meant to enable voting 🙄

OP posts:
Original poster
Helpwithsnorer · 04/08/2023 16:18

Ok you're making me feel better @GoingGoingUp

OP posts:
Mindymomo · 04/08/2023 16:22

Probably not legitimate and they say more work is needed. Are you sure the extra work was needed. You may be lucky in that they haven’t done anything which will need anything else done. Chances are they need cash for the weekend, they will probably call again, just be prepared or just don’t answer the door. Have a word with the neighbour and asked if they knew them or they just cold called them as well.

dogsweetdog · 04/08/2023 16:25

I do sometimes get people to do work who knock the door, if it happens to be something I was thinking of getting done anyway (usually trees needing trimming) but I'd be a bit suspicious of them finding extra repairs!

We had our gutters cleaned for £80 recently, what were the repairs that pushed your cost up so high?

Original poster
Helpwithsnorer · 04/08/2023 16:28

dogsweetdog · 04/08/2023 16:25

I do sometimes get people to do work who knock the door, if it happens to be something I was thinking of getting done anyway (usually trees needing trimming) but I'd be a bit suspicious of them finding extra repairs!

We had our gutters cleaned for £80 recently, what were the repairs that pushed your cost up so high?

They were starting to buckle in places and needed some reinforcing, so we were expecting that, but not the crack in the roof.

OP posts:
MrsKwazi · 04/08/2023 16:28

As a one off it’s prob fine, but they’ll be back

Calvinlookingforhobbes · 04/08/2023 16:42

I think it’s fine.

billy1966 · 04/08/2023 16:44

"Doing work in the area" is a standard line.

I would never give a job to anyone that hasn't been highly recommended.

Too many horror stories.

Finding a problem when up at guttering level being a very common one.

It's one the elderly often sadly fall for.

Give your husband a talking to.

They may well be back having found a naive mark in your husband.

ManateeFair · 04/08/2023 16:47

I wouldn't hire anyone on the spot like that (we often get people knocking on the door wanting to cut our hedges or weed/seal our driveway and I always give them a brisk no thank you). However, I think cleaning out guttering is such a basic, low-risk task that I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. It's not something that can really be botched; they either clean them or they don't.

If they're offering to repair some damage to the roof as well, however, I'd definitely want them to show me a video clip on their phone of exactly where the damage was first and then I'd want them to show me exactly what they were proposing to do to repair it and the materials they were going to use before I agreed to anything.

GoodChat · 04/08/2023 16:49

I don't see the issue with it personally, especially if the work actually did need doing.

MumblesParty · 04/08/2023 16:51

I wouldn’t have a problem with hiring a door to door man to clean the guttering, but I certainly wouldn’t start believing a load of flannel about a hole in the roof. And if there was a hole in the roof I’d want it fixed by a roofer, not a man that cleans the gutters. I wouldn’t worry about your roof leaking though. I expect there was nothing wrong with it, and he just sat up there smoking for half an hour looking at the view!

MumblesParty · 04/08/2023 16:53

GoodChat · 04/08/2023 16:49

I don't see the issue with it personally, especially if the work actually did need doing.

Are you not familiar with the roofing scam? You can’t disprove it because you can’t see it, so it’s a common scam. My Mum had a “roofer” tell her she needed £800 of work done. I got a friend who’s a roofer to look and her roof was completely fine.

EugeneEufy · 04/08/2023 16:55

All the reputable tradesmen I know are far too busy to have to cold call for work.
I’d be very wary of anyone who has to go looking for it.

billy1966 · 04/08/2023 16:55

MumblesParty · 04/08/2023 16:53

Are you not familiar with the roofing scam? You can’t disprove it because you can’t see it, so it’s a common scam. My Mum had a “roofer” tell her she needed £800 of work done. I got a friend who’s a roofer to look and her roof was completely fine.

Show quote history

This.

GoodChat · 04/08/2023 16:55

@MumblesParty yeah but they were clearing guttering and OP knew they would probably need repairs.

£350 isn't excessive

justasking111 · 04/08/2023 17:02

My DS hedge got really out of hand at the front. Knock on the door on a Sunday when we happened to be there. Two guys offered to cut it down to a reasonable height. DS agreed on the spot. We were a bit concerned. But they made a decent job of it and took the waste away. It was a bit expensive but really needed doing.

I wouldn't let anyone near a roof though

Original poster
Helpwithsnorer · 04/08/2023 17:03

I'm just hoping they didn't actually cause the damage to the roof that needed 'repairing'. They did take pictures, talk to DP about what they proposed doing and showed him pictures after.

Hopefully they were legit on this occasion, but I'm drilling it into him to never hire someone on the spot again, he may be fine with it but it's my house too!

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 04/08/2023 17:03

I did the same thing a couple of months ago, someone knocked asking if we wanted trees/hedges cutting back on the spot and I said yes.

Had been meaning to do it for literally years and kept being pushed down the list because I couldn't find time to contact people, get recommendations etc.

He was there, the price was something I could afford and it was done in a couple of hours and off the list.

He possibly wasn't legit in terms of tax, insurance and that was the risk I accepted.

Luckily it worked out ok.

MumblesParty · 04/08/2023 17:19

GoodChat · 04/08/2023 16:55

@MumblesParty yeah but they were clearing guttering and OP knew they would probably need repairs.

£350 isn't excessive

Sorry but this is why these scammers succeed. I would never part with £350 for someone to clean the gutters and fix an imaginary hole in the roof

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 04/08/2023 17:23

MumblesParty · 04/08/2023 16:51

I wouldn’t have a problem with hiring a door to door man to clean the guttering, but I certainly wouldn’t start believing a load of flannel about a hole in the roof. And if there was a hole in the roof I’d want it fixed by a roofer, not a man that cleans the gutters. I wouldn’t worry about your roof leaking though. I expect there was nothing wrong with it, and he just sat up there smoking for half an hour looking at the view!

This. Gutters is a low-risk task.

dahliadazed · 04/08/2023 17:28

A few times people have knocked asking if I wanted my hedges trimming, a couple of times I’ve said yes and the rates were very good and they did decent jobs.
Once I had a notice for hedge trimming through the door. I asked them to come for a quote. They didn’t arrive when they said they would so I called and chased them up. Said they would be there soon - came along with all the equipment and quoted £1600 but as he could see the shock on my face agreed to £1200 …..I turned them down. The quote from a reputable local company of £250 seemed like a bargain in comparison!!

INeedAnotherName · 04/08/2023 17:37

It's a well known scam. Sometimes they even remove tiles to "prove" you need 8t doing. It's been running on Watchdog and similar consumer programmes for years.

he had just done the house across the road and saw ours needed doing
Had he really done their house? Had DH seen him doing it?
Did the workman randomly knock on their door first or did neighbour get him by word of mouth?

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 04/08/2023 17:40

At a push I'd think a gutter cleaning person would be able to do a few minor guttering repairs, new end cap or bracket or something.

But a 'crack in the roof'?! What sort of roof is it? I wouldn't have someone completely random start messing around with a roof. I'd want a roofer to do it. DP is a builder and he doesn't do anything really with flat roof repairs (whick is the only sort I can imagine having a crack?) unless they're really really minor, they're a specialist skill.