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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have called out my gardener

230 replies

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:26

I have had a gardener this year. I have been really pleased and happy with the work he has done.

I asked him to reseed my lawn. Which he agreed to do.
The price he quoted was for 2.5 days work.

he reseeded it within a day, and I asked if the price would be reduced to reflect that it hasn’t taken him as long.

he said that - whilst it was reduced slightly - he would come out and water it daily for me whilst we were away, and that this was reflected in the pricing - which was fine.

we have been away all week, and he sent me a text this morning telling me I was due him the full amount.

however - I have a ring doorbell - and he hasn’t been out all week. (Tbf - it’s rained every day)

I called him out, and said I was unhappy to be paying for a job he hasn’t carried out.

he has now backtracked and said - oh yeah - but I plan to do three more trips (cynically I don’t believe him) and that he just didn’t want to bother me on holiday.

Aibu -to think he is trying it on -and the extra 3 trips are now because I called him out. And if he had initially intended to do these - he would have said so upfront……

I feel really sad. And let down
and slightly stupid for trusting someone to do something whilst I wasn’t there.

OP posts:
PumpkinSeasonOctober · 04/10/2025 11:29

Surely it’s only a few hours work? We dug ours over and seeded it from scratch in half a day.

SimoneHere · 04/10/2025 11:30

I think it depends whether you feel you are paying for the end result (re-seeded grass growing well) or the labour.

It seems petty to me, given you were previously “pleased and happy” with him, but presumably you are happy to find someone else instead.

ETA it does seem a lot of time/cost just for re-seeding, but it’s what you agreed to. Maybe it would be best phrased to him that there seems to be an issue with his estimates?

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:32

It the difference between £500 and £250 - which I don’t think is petty. For work that absolutely hasn’t been done

OP posts:
Telemicus · 04/10/2025 11:32

Was the quote for "2.5 days work", or was the quote for "reseeding you lawn and ensuring that the grass grows, estimated to be 2.5 days work" ?

PencilsInSpace · 04/10/2025 11:35

If you agreed a price for a specific job then you should pay him.

SimoneHere · 04/10/2025 11:35

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:32

It the difference between £500 and £250 - which I don’t think is petty. For work that absolutely hasn’t been done

Is that £250 worth the breakdown in relationship that might lead to you having to get a new gardener that you are not so happy with?

(not a rhetorical question)

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:36

PencilsInSpace · 04/10/2025 11:35

If you agreed a price for a specific job then you should pay him.

But he hasn’t carried out the job. He said it included watering the grass every day, and he hasn’t been. Not once.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:36

PencilsInSpace · 04/10/2025 11:35

If you agreed a price for a specific job then you should pay him.

But he hasn’t carried out the job. He said it included watering the grass every day, and he hasn’t been. Not once.

OP posts:
Cadenza12 · 04/10/2025 11:37

Just pay the guy.

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:37

I pay him by the hour, £30 per hour - or a daily rate of £250.

that’s our agreement
he told me the job would be approx £500
but hasn’t actually done that work.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:38

SimoneHere · 04/10/2025 11:35

Is that £250 worth the breakdown in relationship that might lead to you having to get a new gardener that you are not so happy with?

(not a rhetorical question)

Show quote history

I don’t know.
it’s a lot of money.

OP posts:
PegDope · 04/10/2025 11:40

Surely it’s not 2.5 consecutive days? How would that work?

I would have understood that the hours would be spread out over the many weeks it takes to see if the grass is growing and where the patches are that need to be topped up.

Perhaps you need to clarify that with him?

PencilsInSpace · 04/10/2025 11:40

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:36

But he hasn’t carried out the job. He said it included watering the grass every day, and he hasn’t been. Not once.

Show quote history

You have a lawn for the price you agreed.

PegDope · 04/10/2025 11:41

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:36

But he hasn’t carried out the job. He said it included watering the grass every day, and he hasn’t been. Not once.

Show quote history

But it’s rained! I think YABU here.

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:41

I pay him for the hours he works
he hasn’t worked the hours.

OP posts:
SimoneHere · 04/10/2025 11:44

Maybe he thought this one was a price for the job, rather than by the hour. Ask him.

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:45

PegDope · 04/10/2025 11:41

But it’s rained! I think YABU here.

Show quote history

I pay him by the hour.
so because it rained he gets £250 for not having done anything.

I asked him to do a job. He told me how long it would take him.
it didn’t take him that long.

I consult - I charge for the time it takes me to do the job, not the time it might take me.

OP posts:
PencilsInSpace · 04/10/2025 11:45

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:41

I pay him for the hours he works
he hasn’t worked the hours.

But in this case he quoted you £500 for the job.

'he told me the job would be approx £500'

Jellybunny56 · 04/10/2025 11:46

Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:41

I pay him for the hours he works
he hasn’t worked the hours.

If you aren’t prepared to hear from anyone who doesn’t simply agree with what you already think OP then you would be better off writing in a diary than a public forum!

PegDope · 04/10/2025 11:46

Yeah you agreed a price for the job not the hours.

A job like that takes weeks as I said because you need to give the lawn time to grow.

Sera1989 · 04/10/2025 11:46

PegDope · 04/10/2025 11:40

Surely it’s not 2.5 consecutive days? How would that work?

I would have understood that the hours would be spread out over the many weeks it takes to see if the grass is growing and where the patches are that need to be topped up.

Perhaps you need to clarify that with him?

Yes this is what I would assume too, that it also includes checking on the lawn, filling in patches etc. If you pay him £250 per day then £500 isn’t 2.5 days. How big is the lawn anyway??

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:46

SimoneHere · 04/10/2025 11:44

Maybe he thought this one was a price for the job, rather than by the hour. Ask him.

I have asked him, when it only took him a day, I asked if the price had changed - and he said no - because he was going to come and water the grass every day I was away.

he hasn’t done that
he has now said he didn’t do that

OP posts:
Downplayit · 04/10/2025 11:47

I think hes been really cheeky here and a bit stupid. If you have an ongoing relationship with him I.e he comes once a month for a day then you would expect behaviour thats a bit less opportunistic. I think you have to pay him but then find a new regular gardener you can trust without having to feel like you need to check his hours. Also thats a high day rate for a gardener unless they are more a horticulturist.

Original poster
Whenindoubthugitout · 04/10/2025 11:48

Sera1989 · 04/10/2025 11:46

Yes this is what I would assume too, that it also includes checking on the lawn, filling in patches etc. If you pay him £250 per day then £500 isn’t 2.5 days. How big is the lawn anyway??

Show quote history

The original quote was £600 - he reduced it when I asked - coz he got it all done in one day.

I feel I have been totally had. The lawn is 10x10 metres at a push

OP posts:
clipboardz · 04/10/2025 11:49

I think hes been really cheeky here and a bit stupid.

Agree. I would pay it OP and then get another gardener.