Page 2 | Was I wrong? Blocked by handyman.

whimsicallyprickly · 16/10/2025 17:01

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 16:49

I have a displaycase and I wanted a door made for the front.

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Surely he'd need to SEE the piece of furniture first before quoting. You flapping on and on probably made him think you'd be a challenge

Original poster

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 17:02

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 16/10/2025 16:55

That seems quite technical- he’d need a sense of how heavy a weight it could support. You don’t want it tipping when you open the door.

Maybe I’m imagining it wrong.

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Its small. And just a light weight frame to attach acrylic to

OP posts:

Original poster

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 17:02

whimsicallyprickly · 16/10/2025 17:01

Surely he'd need to SEE the piece of furniture first before quoting. You flapping on and on probably made him think you'd be a challenge

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I have autism. I try not to over wxplain things but its just how i am

OP posts:

ImFineItsAllFine · 16/10/2025 17:02

Round our way all the trades are so incredibly busy that they can really pick and choose the jobs they quote for/take on.

I don't think you were rude but you were definitely waffly and he probably just thought the whole thing going to be too much faff.

stichguru · 16/10/2025 17:03

I have had a lot of experience with workmen over the last 18 months of getting my deceased parents' house. I don't think you were rude, no. However how they work is mostly that they want to inspect the job and quote having seen it. I get that you were trying to be helpful, but he most probably expects to inspect a percentage of jobs that he doesn't get to do. He probably saw it as more faff having to get all the info from you, risking that his quote is wrong because you haven't measured right or something, risking coming to do the job without all the right stuff for the same reason, than just coming out would be to quote would be. Understandably, he thought it wasn't worth the hassle!

SL2924 · 16/10/2025 17:03

I think he sounds dodgy. Who cares if it was a sentence or two of too much waffle? I don’t believe he couldn’t have possibly given you a ball park figure. Business is business. I think this is a him problem not a you problem.

AutumnCosy2025 · 16/10/2025 17:05

@Elefinstrunf

you didn't do anything wrong.

Dont give it another thought, you've dodged a bullet there, just try someone else.

honest, it's not worth trying to figure it out!

SleeplessIntheOnyxNight · 16/10/2025 17:05

Lots of tradespeople are super busy and lots are just flaky. Better you know that this is how he treats people before you agree for him to do work. You haven’t don’t anything wrong at all OP.

Irritatedandsad · 16/10/2025 17:06

I think you were fine. He might have been a scammer, or he might have thought you were a scammer. I would look for a couple of quotes from a company with good google ratings. Or post the item here, we might be able to help as many of us know trades people and might have an idea of cost.

susiedaisy1912 · 16/10/2025 17:06

Sorry but your reply sounded like you were going to be a Pita customer

TwinklyStork · 16/10/2025 17:07

Your message was fine, if he couldn’t understand it it’s on him. I see “handyman” and I think “putting up shelves or building flat packs”, not making bespoke doors for cabinets (that’s probably more a job for a carpenter), so it was likely beyond his skill level and he just didn’t want to say that.

Enrichetta · 16/10/2025 17:07

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 17:02

Its small. And just a light weight frame to attach acrylic to

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For a display case, and (you) wanted a door made for the front…?

This sounds quite intricate/fiddly, and perhaps not the sort of thing that a handyman could do. Plus your verbose explanation didn’t help.

Are you sure you don’t need a carpenter?

Netcurtainnelly · 16/10/2025 17:09

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 16:28

I posted on FB wanting a job done and asking for quotes with a photo or the item I wanted repairing.
Someone messaged saying they could do it so I DMd them.
I said could I get a quote please, this was the first person that had responded btw so I had zero context of prices.
He said he would need to measure the item to be able to get a quote and he would need to come to my house.
I replied 'Hiya, if I measured it for you would you be able to give me a really rough quote before I drag you out here?'
He read it immediately and didn't reply.
2 hours later i elaborated with 'Sorry, hope you don't think I'm not serious about the work, I am but I have absolutely no idea what the price mark may be for someone to do this and I would feel awful if you came here to do a quote and it was just unaffordable for my budget. I understand you can't give me a cemented quote but if I could just know the ballpark I would know if its worth the trip for you to come measure up properly. I wouldn't want you wasting your time, as I know quotes eat into time and cost money, thanks!

He read it and blocked me.

I literally didn't know if it might be a £50 job or a £350 job

Was I rude/wrong?

Yes, you were wrong. You should have let him come out. You sounded like you weren't very serious/genuine.

JLou08 · 16/10/2025 17:14

I don't think you did anything wrong. Maybe he isn't genuine and wanted to either rip you off or get into your home for another reason.

toolies · 16/10/2025 17:16

JLou08 · 16/10/2025 17:14

I don't think you did anything wrong. Maybe he isn't genuine and wanted to either rip you off or get into your home for another reason.

Gosh how do people get through the day thinking a handyman wanting to quote for a job, that someone has asked for, is wanting into their home for another reason. Catch a grip. He wanted to actually see the job to give the quote. Absolutely fucking normal.

limescale · 16/10/2025 17:17

Elefinstrunf · 16/10/2025 17:02

I have autism. I try not to over wxplain things but its just how i am

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There it is.

It would have been useful for you to say this earlier, then people may explained in a different way w/o risking sounding patronising.

What you want isn't the job for a handyman I don't think. I would think a handyman would generally be quite happy to give ballpark figures e.g. "the last time I hung 3 interior doors it was £125" or "if you already have the flooring and I don't encounter any problems it will be between £200 and £300 to lay it"

silkypyjamas · 16/10/2025 17:25

toolies · 16/10/2025 17:00

What dodgy reason would he have for wanting OP address?

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I am very wary being a lone woman asking for quotes and services on public sites, I have had a few dodgy tradesmen asking random questions and scoping out whether you have a 'Mr' at home. I was offering a different perspective for the OP on why the person asked for an address and then blocked them without explanation.

TalulahJP · 16/10/2025 17:25

I’d be the same as you op, trying to be considerate and not waste someone’s time. However I recently got the same result. I asked for a quote three weeks ago. Still no reply. I’ll get round to asking someone else instead.

mindutopia · 16/10/2025 17:32

Dh works in this sort of work. You come across as by your own admission someone who has no idea of the cost of the work you want done, and unlikely to want to pay what it will cost. Time is money and you sound like a potential time waster. Dh wouldn’t block you (unless you were truly unhinged), but he’d probably stop responding there because there is no scarcity of work.

MaurineWayBack · 16/10/2025 17:32

@Elefinstrunf im as NT as one can be.
Id have had similar reaction than you/wrote similarly.

I agree that he just couldn’t bothered or was very simply flaky.
As far as I am concerned, that’s on him. Not from the way you got back to him.

Seriously, when things go wrong, it’s not always because of ND/overexplaining etc…
When you first messaged him saying you could give him dimensions, it wasn’t exactly hard work for him to say ‘I really need more than the dimensions. I’ll need yo have a look at your cabinet. When is it convenient for you for me to come over?’
3 sentences. That’s it.

Imbrocator · 16/10/2025 17:32

Perfectly standard to ask for several quotes first (make sure you get quotes, not estimates, as estimates aren’t as binding). It’s also perfectly reasonable not to have him visit and take up both your time for something you can’t afford. A good tradesman will be able to give a rough estimate from measurements.

He’s just being an arse - be glad you didn’t get any further down the line and end up with him randomly blocking you halfway through the job!

Edited to say that all the posters saying you’re being too wordy for him are being unbelievably patronising. People who work with their hands can still read.

RawBloomers · 16/10/2025 17:34

You weren't rude but many people don't want to ball park, especially off a photo/other people's measurements. Asking for quotes like that is a frequent tactic from others wanting to set up in competition, rarely shows any of the many issues that can lead to much higher prices, and doesn't give him an opportunity to forge a personal relationship and use his sales techniques (which make a job more likely).

I wouldn't fret about it, but if someone offers to come and quote, then let them. Don't try and second guess their strategy. They will likely have far more experience than you.

toolies · 16/10/2025 17:38

silkypyjamas · 16/10/2025 17:25

I am very wary being a lone woman asking for quotes and services on public sites, I have had a few dodgy tradesmen asking random questions and scoping out whether you have a 'Mr' at home. I was offering a different perspective for the OP on why the person asked for an address and then blocked them without explanation.

Edited

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Right but if he really was doing this he could have said £150 I will be round on Tuesday, he didn’t, he wanted to give a proper quote.

MaurineWayBack · 16/10/2025 17:38

mindutopia · 16/10/2025 17:32

Dh works in this sort of work. You come across as by your own admission someone who has no idea of the cost of the work you want done, and unlikely to want to pay what it will cost. Time is money and you sound like a potential time waster. Dh wouldn’t block you (unless you were truly unhinged), but he’d probably stop responding there because there is no scarcity of work.

Let me get that clear.
You should never say that you dint know how much a job will cost because it means you’re a time waster?
So how are you suppose to ‘know’? Divine intervention? Or is the idea that once you’re in front of the person, they won’t dare say NO even if it’s too expensive?

I mean that’s great.
Next time we have traders coming in, I’ll just ask them to come and then stop answering to them when their prices are stupid. That’s how your dh works right? And it works both ways too. That’s fair too, right? Or are people then labelled flaky etc… Because they’ve just gone all the way to give a price and then not followed? So they were Obvioulsy not serious etc…

Cant you see how it’s a self fulfilling situation?

Dollymylove · 16/10/2025 17:39

Why do you care?.its not like you ever have to speak to him again and I assume he doesnt know where you live