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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think gardener didn't do a good job and is now being intimidating?

21 replies

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 12:35

Husband hired a gardener to do some work on our garden - prune, trimming and tidying up. I wasn't pleased with what he did - he cut our apple tree in half and he pruned the hyacinth bush too much. He also chucked a lot of the garden waste over our fence (into council land next to us). My father in law who is a retired landscape garden also thought the same. When my husband questioned him the gardener sent a blunt reply about how he knew what he was doing and has been pruning gardens since he was a kid. Husband paid him. Then for some reason my husband hired him again to prune the ivy. Gardener said the cost was £30 for one hours work. He worked for 40 minutes and mostly trimmed the hedge and did very little of the ivy - its the ivy we wanted help with. He was also on his phone for 5 minutes of the time. He left and charged us £30 for the 40 minutes work. When questioned the gardener just sent a blunt reply about squibbing over a few pounds. My husband paid him.

I decided to leave a bad review on yell. My husband just got a text from this gardener asking what my name is. My husband asked why - and the gardener replied why indeed - ask your wife. Then he sent my husband a screenshot of the review and a bunge more messages. I am like WTF - I am my own person and I can leave what I think is an accurate review so why contact my husband to get me to remove it and its also seems very pushy from the gardener - just he just harass people to remove negative reviews? He has 7 positive reviews and my 1 negative review on yell. My husband wants me to remove the review.

Would appreciate any advice

OP posts:
SarahAndQuack · 08/06/2025 12:37

He sounds awful. I think you were right to leave the bad review.

Duckduck2 · 08/06/2025 12:40

Even Though I am totally with you that he deserves the bad review I don’t think it’s wise putting a bad review when the person knows where you live. Sometimes it can be more headache than it’s worth. Do not hire this man again.

Twittable · 08/06/2025 12:43

He does sound like he needs that review BUT your husband keeps hiring him and paying him so I think your problem is there. Also, it depends what you put in the review - is it a bland, statement of facts or a ‘drag his name through the mud’ style vent? If it’s bland and factual then you don’t need to take it down but if there are any ‘grey areas’ you need to take it down and rewrite or he is justified in his actions as it may not be the whole truth.

DelphiniumBlue · 08/06/2025 12:46

Well you didn’t employ him, your DH did, so he should be the one leaving reviews. You can hardly complain about the cost when DH not only paid him the first time but then asked him back and then paid him again.

Dangermoo · 08/06/2025 12:46

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 12:35

Husband hired a gardener to do some work on our garden - prune, trimming and tidying up. I wasn't pleased with what he did - he cut our apple tree in half and he pruned the hyacinth bush too much. He also chucked a lot of the garden waste over our fence (into council land next to us). My father in law who is a retired landscape garden also thought the same. When my husband questioned him the gardener sent a blunt reply about how he knew what he was doing and has been pruning gardens since he was a kid. Husband paid him. Then for some reason my husband hired him again to prune the ivy. Gardener said the cost was £30 for one hours work. He worked for 40 minutes and mostly trimmed the hedge and did very little of the ivy - its the ivy we wanted help with. He was also on his phone for 5 minutes of the time. He left and charged us £30 for the 40 minutes work. When questioned the gardener just sent a blunt reply about squibbing over a few pounds. My husband paid him.

I decided to leave a bad review on yell. My husband just got a text from this gardener asking what my name is. My husband asked why - and the gardener replied why indeed - ask your wife. Then he sent my husband a screenshot of the review and a bunge more messages. I am like WTF - I am my own person and I can leave what I think is an accurate review so why contact my husband to get me to remove it and its also seems very pushy from the gardener - just he just harass people to remove negative reviews? He has 7 positive reviews and my 1 negative review on yell. My husband wants me to remove the review.

Would appreciate any advice

I'd be just as annoyed with your husband.

DancingDangerously · 08/06/2025 12:47

Your husband was a dummy to get him back and pay him more.

PeapodMcgee · 08/06/2025 12:48

Your husband is spineless.

BastardesEverywhere · 08/06/2025 12:49

The gardener just needs to contact Yell and correctly advise that he's been left a review by a non customer and they'll remove it. Hopefully he knows that.

Badbadbunny · 08/06/2025 12:49

Your problem is your husband, not the gardener. Find your own gardener next time you need one, your husband clearly hasn't got a clue!

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 12:50

He has now reported my review on yell and message my husband he will send a £5 review if I remove it. I think this is why he has no negative reviews he just intimdates his customers to remove negative reviews

OP posts:
IfIDid · 08/06/2025 12:52

Twittable · 08/06/2025 12:43

He does sound like he needs that review BUT your husband keeps hiring him and paying him so I think your problem is there. Also, it depends what you put in the review - is it a bland, statement of facts or a ‘drag his name through the mud’ style vent? If it’s bland and factual then you don’t need to take it down but if there are any ‘grey areas’ you need to take it down and rewrite or he is justified in his actions as it may not be the whole truth.

Yes. Whatever about the review, you and your husband need to communicate better on this. And bear in mind that ‘gardener’ often means someone who cuts lawns and trims hedges and knows nothing about plants. I wouldn’t let a jobbing gardener do any pruning at all.

PeapodMcgee · 08/06/2025 12:52

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 12:50

He has now reported my review on yell and message my husband he will send a £5 review if I remove it. I think this is why he has no negative reviews he just intimdates his customers to remove negative reviews

Ridiculous man. He'll offer a full refund of both jobs, or it stands!

Pelifor · 08/06/2025 12:54

I would never have hired him again but I wouldn't give a bad review to someone who knows where I live, especially as he's already shown himself to be unpleasant.
I've been ripped off by a gardener recently. I have a very long hedge which I wanted taking down by 2'. He quoted me £200 which I thought was steep but he's local and he normally charges £20 an hour. He knew I had more work for him after this job.
All he did was cut the hedge, it's the same height. Took him 3 hours.
He saw big house / old woman and took advantage. He won't get any more work from me.

IfIDid · 08/06/2025 12:54

PeapodMcgee · 08/06/2025 12:52

Ridiculous man. He'll offer a full refund of both jobs, or it stands!

But from his POV, his customer (the OP’s DH), is happy, and has paid him, and hired him again for a second job — he thinks a non-customer is quibbling.

ClaredeBear · 08/06/2025 13:05

It’s completely unjust but I don’t leave bad reviews for people if they work at my house for this reason. I think you’ve done the right thing, by the way. Luckily
you don’t live alone and you will have a paper trail.

Dangermoo · 08/06/2025 13:07

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 12:50

He has now reported my review on yell and message my husband he will send a £5 review if I remove it. I think this is why he has no negative reviews he just intimdates his customers to remove negative reviews

Tell him to FO and your husband to grow some balls.

honeylulu · 08/06/2025 13:32

What does he mean "he will send a £5 review"?

I wouldn't remove it either and is real him to leave us alone or I'll report him for harassment. He sounds like an intimidating bully and you're right about why there are no other negative reviews.

Your husband is a pillock though. Why on earth did he have someone back who'd already done a bad job? And why didn't he pay pro rata for 40 mins work not the 60 agreed? Paying infers he accepted the work.

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 13:37

sorry £5 refund i mean

My husband doesn't ever want to be confrontational

OP posts:
Northernladdette · 08/06/2025 14:20

You’ve got a hyacinth bush? 🤔

GardenWork · 08/06/2025 14:29

Northernladdette · 08/06/2025 14:20

You’ve got a hyacinth bush? 🤔

Typo with typing to quick - Hydrangea

OP posts:
pinkdelight · 08/06/2025 17:58

There’s a big difference between not being confrontational and hiring the guy again. Your husband was the customer and paid him twice. Yabu

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