AIBU not to pay this? WWYD?

[InALonelyWorld]

I just want to know if IABU here or what i should do.

I have come home from work today to a note from a gardener saying I owe them £10 for de-weeding my garden. To note my garden is mainly paving slabs/stones so there isnt much weeding that needs done in the first place so not sure how it would even be £10. However, this isnt a service i arranged, I do not know this person and I obviously was not around at home to speak to them or even give permission for them to do anything with my garden but they have gone and done it anyways.

I am a lone parent household and am now worried I will be pestered by this stranger for this money i apparently owe. I do admit I may be overreacting here, but i, like many people, am financially strained at the moment. I was recently burgled which added to my financial issues and has probably made me quite sensitive to receiving this note.

You came home and complete stranger has left you a note to say they had weeded your garden and you now owe them money? That sounds well dodgy. Any contact details for them?

People may say I'm overreacting, but as you have been burgled once already I would report this to the police. It sounds like it could lead to harrasment, someone demanding money, doing more jobs and increasing the bill.

They're welcome to weed my garden, but they'd have to whistle for payment.

I'd report it to the police too. They could be trying it on with other homes in the neighbourhood.

Hopefully it's an innocent mistake.

They are testing you with a small amount. If you pay it will escalate. Ignore it. If they turn up call the police.

The note is handwritten with what seem to be a random list of jobs they do on 1 side and "garden weeded £10 due ASAP, call x (with a contact number attached)".

I have just gone into my garden to check what has been done and there is still obvious, yet small amount of weeds there.

Edited to add- it all just seems very strange and that is worrying me.

Ignore ! You didn’t ask for the service so why pay.

That sounds quite sinister actually. They could have earmarked you as someone they could potentially rip off. Next they'll be trying to get inside your house doing god knows what jobs you don't want or need.

Tell the police. And get a doorbell camera.
Definitely do not pay them obviously.

What?! No, absolutely dont pay. I presume (hope) the gardener has got the wrong house?

Yeah my DF almost got caught out by something similar years ago. A group of 3 men chopped a tree down in his front garden (without asking!) then demanded £100’s for the job! He didn’t want the tree removing in the first place! They were threatened with the police and never came back.

I agree.
Report it and get a Ring doorbell or equivalent.

Ignore it. It is either a mistake or someone trying it on.

Years ago a window cleaner put a bill through the door for cleaning our windows. We hadn't asked him to do it so ignored it. When he turned up for payment we told him so. It turned out he was supposed to clean next door's windows.

Given the very low amount, £10, I would assume it's that type of mistake. It isn't worth bothering to hassle someone over £10.

Call 101 and get a crime number - then text the crime number to the 'gardener's' phone number and tell them that unless they stop harassing you for services that you didn't ask for then you will take it further and that the police are aware.

Ignore for now - then if there are any more messages report via 101

Could it be through wrong door? That’s what I’d assume, just ignore it,

Yanbu. Do not pay and report to police to have a paper trail if they start harassing. It'll be someone trying their luck for a bit of cash, you didn't give anyone permission to de weed your garden.

Have you recently moved in? Maybe it was an arrangement with the previous occupant. It sounds dodgy if it isn't. You still don't need to pay them as you did not say you wanted them to do the work.

Really don’t do this, the police are busy, do you have a street what’s app? See if it’s intended for anyone else and through your door by mistake of it anyone else got them.

would someone really call the police over this?

Do you know your neighbours op? I wonder if someone is trying their luck and posting this to lots of houses to see who pays. It's like a phishing scam but in person. Some confused/kindly or worried people may pay it as it's such a small amount and so the scammer knows who to target.

Agree.

"Log it with the Police" is a Mumsnet cliche but in this case, I think it's appropriate.

ETA: You don't necessarily even have to ring 101, you could report to Crimestoppers or some/most forces have an online form you can use.

I would just ignore it. Sounds like someone is looking for work or starting a small business and are working on the theory that if the go ahead and do some weeding at least a few people might pay and from that they might get more work/ clients.

Don't pay it OP for god sake. It's almost certainly someone trying their luck. If they do harrass you or try anything else, definitely call the police.

Does your street have a whatsapp group? If so ask if anyone else has had similar.

How did/would they get into your garden? I would ignore, it sounds like a scam or a mistake. Maybe ask on local WhatsApp group or Facebook group if anyone knows the company or got something through the door.

@InALonelyWorld you don't have to pay this as you didn't order this service.

I would just ignore it for now and see what happens. If they come asking for the money then say they must have been mistaken as you disnt order any gardening service as you don't have any spare money for luxuries at the moment.