To think that 800 pounds to cut down a small tree is extortionate?

[Cappuccinowithonesugarplease]

I will add some context here
My elderly uncle has been scammed by a wood chip company who cold called him saying his cherry tree was diseased, it's in the back garden, so they must have been peering over the fence to see 😡
Now, my uncle we believe has some form of autism although it's never been diagnosed, which makes him very trusting of anybody who is smooth talking and sounds plausible. Anyway he let this nobody in to do the job, he says he wanted the tree done at some point anyway, but I can get my head around 800 pounds?
The worst thing is he didn't even get a bloody receipt! The company isn't even a tree surgery company it's a woodchip and landscape gardening company.
I doubt anything can be done now but I'm so angry at this cold caller and any trades people for that matter who are so low they think it's OK to rip off vulnerable old people 😡

I’d be concerned now about more lowlifes knocking on the door as your uncle’s details get passed around, he’ll end up on a Suckers List.

Can you get Power of Attorney to protect him? Sounds like he needs someone to safeguard his finances.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/relationships-family/protection-from-abuse/financial-abuse/

Yes I have worried about this also 😢

It's not the first time this has happened either.

We paid £900 to get rid of our cherry tree as well as an apple tree. £800 seems a lot just for one tree taking down. Could you contact the company and complain?

He won't tell me the name of the company as he 'doesn't want to make a fuss'

Cherry trees tend not to be particularly big so it's a toppy price, especially if they got the wood as well - I think cherry wood is quite sought after. I hope they stumped out for that. I'd have thought £450 tops if they got the wood.

I too hope this isn't the start of many scams.

If it makes you feel better it’s expensive but not totally outrageous depending on area of the country. Cherry trees tend not to be enormous but I’d still expect say £600 plus vat

And I have to get multiple trees taken down each year so I’m familiar with the prices.

We paid less than that to have about 16 trees in our hedge pollarded, chipped and taken away. These weren't particularly easy to get to either, so I do think that was a lot of money for just one tree.

Impossible to know costs because the size of a cherry tree often can have no bearing on it’s root systems. There’s also the charge for grinding down the stump and treating it so it doesn’t get mouldy. Mum had a ‘small tree’ removed recently for a grand because the roots were massive and even went into the next door garden - it took 2 days of near constant work to sort out

Are you sure it's a company rather than a few lads just knocked on his door? Maybe the neighbours may have noticed the company or have ring doorbell footage

Maybe, it's a neighborhood watch area as well.

But companies are entitled to charge whatever they want for their services.

It may well be that they quoted a price they wouldn't have given to someone younger but that actually isn't illegal.

But the cold calling, peering in the garden to see and not leaving a receipt is highly unprofessional in my books.

This is pretty much how most reputable tree surgeons work in my area during this time of year. They literally just drive around trying to peer into gardens to identify problems.

I paid £350 to have three fairly large trees removed from a fairly inaccessible garden in London, so I'd say he was really ripped off.

The same people will be scamming others, so report to police?

We just paid £1600 for a large tree. Most of the cost is the cost to take it away .

Get your uncle a ring doorbell. It may out a few scammers off or at least you can see their vehicle if they pull up outside, have their face on camera.

A neighbour just had a tree trimmed and it was £300 which he haggled down. They are a local firm and ended up doing two other neighbours trees.

My friend fell for a definite scam, agreed about a tree when had someone knock and they returned shortly with five other men and persuaded her to have two trees and some shrubs done and charged her 2.5k.

Our road gets a lot of folk with the offer of tree and drive work and also lots of charities and companies trying to get you to sign up for organic veg boxes. They get short shrift from me.

Of course those blokes were dodgy.

The same cowboys will be round again shortly touting roof / gutters / soffits and fascia cleaning, new driveway, etc, etc.

You likely won't be able to get anything back, but make sure he understands not to give any more away

My mum and I have explained to him, he says he agrees now he was scammed and has learnt something. Agreed he will call one of us before agreeing to something on the spot again.
He had no children so only has my mum and myself looking out for him really, his closest friend doesn't live locally.

They're probably travellers if they're just randomly knocking on doors. I had the same thing this year. Their price started off at more than the actual tree surgeon took. If you have a look around the local area you'll probably find the bits of tree dumped somewhere.

I doubt it wood is like a commodity now, it would have been chopped up and sold as firewood I reckon.

Report to Trading Standards as they may be keeping a record of scammers in the area. Sometimes the neighbourhood policing teams put out a warning.

Estimate for bamboo extermination across parts of 3 properties less than this. Although total job will be more because opting for new and extended path as well

Sorry to derail the thread but also in the market for bamboo extermination- did they dig out the clumps and if so what did they use to do it? Also did you get a trench to stop it coming back in from neighbours or not a problem for you?

Disgusting wouldn't be surprised if they cut down a healthy tree.