Taken in by a con artist

[ThatLemonBear]

I feel so stupid. Had a chap approach me saying he was working on my neighbour’s drive, and could he clear mine at the same time. Spoke to my husband, who was non comital. Said yes in the end, purely to see my drive free of weeds and also because he was working next door. Turned out he wasn’t working next door at all, and I’ve paid way over the odds for a pressure washed driveway. The drive looks better now, but I have a sick feeling that I paid so much on a basically false pretence (I wouldn’t have entertained them if I hadn’t believed they were working next door)

YABU - you idiot, you should have seen this coming
YANBU - it’s not always easy to spot a liar

please be gentle with me!

How much did you pay ?

You paid for a job and he did the job. What’s the problem? Did he give you the price before you agreed?

Am embarrassed to say - £500 🙈

It is what it is.
Absolutely no point beating yourself up about this, just don’t entertain similar offers in future

While I voted YAMBU I would not pay £500.

Well it was more that he did the job and then came back to say it really needed an extra treatment, which we agreed to but was only half applied

That's double what the most expensive company where I live charge but it's done now,it's not like you can get the money back

500 for a bit of deweeding?! He must have thought you were born yesterday! Chalk it up to experience OP and maybe inform the police as he will be potentially conning vulnerable people

Does your drive now look nice?

Ooft thats a lot. Yes you were had. Enjoy the weed free drive and warn the neighbours.

£500 seems very steep. But it sounds like you can afford it and he’s done a decent job, so I would just try and forget about it.

You could report this guy’s company but technically what he’s done isn’t illegal although it is sneaky. “Your neighbour” could literally refer to anyone in your road.

did you pay upfront or after he’d done it?

YANBU

£500 to pull a few weeds up and point a pressure washer at the ground?! Fuck me im in the wrong job

Why the fook did you agree to £500 regardless of whether he worked on a neighbours property or not? I'd have sent him on his way

Pop £350 in your idiot tax leger for this one.
Honestly we all do things that we regret. There are far bigger/worse mistakes to make than this one

I agreed to £300 ish, which didn’t seem unreasonable as I’d had a quote some years ago for nearly £200 and this one was supposed to include a treatment to stop weeds regrowing. It was afterwards when the “extra” was mentioned

These cold callers always use the same hook. I had a guy chap the door saying he was working up the road on a new driveway and had a little bit of material left, was I looking for a new drive?

I asked which number he was doing and he couldn't answer. Also didn't have a business card or flyer on him, which was another red flag.

Had a double glazing salesman say he could get me a discount on new windows if I let him recycle the old windows.

You were caught off guard so don't be too hard on yourself. Just be a bit more guarded any time the door goes.

We joke about it, but my wife can't say no to cold callers but invariably says "let me just get my husband" and I have to be the one to say we don't need windows, a new roof or a broadband deal.

Thank you, that is exactly how I’m trying to frame it!

I've also done this and I know others who have done the same. These companies can be very convincing and even forceful if you try say no.

Take it as a lesson learned and next time don't answer the door or just say no. I also now make sure I say my (non existent) husband is home and says no. I think they think a woman might say yes easily

Oh dear.

You've been well and truly had my friend. Sorry 😔

£500 I'd expected him to have replaced your bloody patio!

Your DH could have been more helpful though. He could have supported you. I know it's sexist, but often if a man is on the scene they don't often try this shit. He sounds like he just left you to it.

If my DH got a whiff of something like this , he'd have come to the door pretty sharpish to check the bloke out. But there again my DH would do weeding/patio pressure wash himself. (We're a bit of a pink jobs/blue jobs household 😄)

I feel for you. It's a horrible feeling. But at least you now have learnt a valuable lesson and will proceed with more caution next time. Chalk it up to experience.

Nobody jump on me please : but the travelling community are known for this kind of thing. Just keep your wits about you. "Nice" "naive" people are often easily targeted. So sometimes it's wise to take heed of known stereotypes.

Sorry but wow
why on earth did you agree to that?! Lesson learned I hope ?

Jeeze, my karcher pressure washer only cost £60!

3 quotes for everything.

It's not always women who get conned. My DH isn't stupid but has been caught similarly. You live and learn.

£400 is a normal price if it’s London. My sister’s cost about £410

Yeah it's quite common £500 scam has been for years granny used to be forever taken in on "new driveway £500" "your roof needs doing £500" her family persuaded her to sell up and move closer to them in the end because she was ALWAYS being scammed its like they passed her name around (don't get me started on the neighbours taking advantage)

Lesson learned haggle next time they will be less likely to return if the money isn't easy

Try not to beat yourself up, you’re the victim here and you won’t be the only one. Maybe you can let trading standards or the police know so they can have him in their sights.