to have turned away this bin cleaning man?

[lukewarmcupoftea]

This guy just came to the door offering to clean our bins. Which need it. But I turned him away because:

He said that they also 'magnetise' them to get rid of the flies and maggots. Is that really a real thing?

He didn't come on the bin day, which seems a bit mad, as the bins will be full of rubbish so how can he clean them?

His ID was bits of paper from the revenue and a tenancy agreement that looked like it had been pulled out of a bin. Nothing photographic or official. He did say he had a police ICAD number which meant he was registered with the police to do this, but had no documents to show this - although did say I could ring them and check. Is an ICAD number a real thing?

He wanted cash up front. He seemed a bit dodge and couldn't really show anything at all official.

Was I BU to turn him away? What do bin cleaning men/firms usually offer in the way of paperwork? We really do need someone to clean our bins, especially when they turn into a heaving mass of maggots in the summer

YANBU
Not really a good idea to hire someone that doesn't have proper ID. I think it would be a better bet to call some local service and hire someone that way. I never heard of bin cleaners, so can't really advise more than that.

In my mum's area there's a company that come around in a snazzy little van with a pressure washer basically following the bin van. Not sure they have any ID but they clean the bins there and then, and they look very professional.

Could you find a local company in the Yellow Pages and give them a ring?

cash up front? He is having a laugh, I think I met him yesterday, he offered to "tarmac my drive". (we only have a path to front door and it is new gravel) YANBU sounds like a shyster.

"he wanted cash up front"

says it all. he never intended to clean any bins.

Hmm, yeah, he sounds dodge. Even if he was for real then he's obviously not very professional. I wouldn't want him to do my bins either. YANBU.

Yanbu.

I would never get work done by someone who showed up at my door tbh.

Same here as PurpleCrazyHorse's mum! We have a bin company that come on bin day and have a pressure hose thingy on the back of their "van" with their name etc on it too. They never ask for money up front, they knock on the door after they have cleaned the bin and taken it round the back of the house for me!

Ah, that's good. I thought I'd done the right thing, but then had a moment of doubt that I was being too paranoid. Trust my own instincts... gradually learning to. I'm wondering whether now I shouldn't let the local police know, as he did seem fairly convincing?

It did sound odd him coming not on a bin day, as you say how would he clean the bins when they weren't empty. I would perhaps ring the local police, if he is above board then so be it, but if he is dodgy then better they are aware before too many people are caught out perhaps.

My tip for cleaning bins-

Buy some Jeyes fluid, put some in the bin, add hot water, swill around, pour down drain.

Done

If this joker can magnetise a plastic bin then he'd get the Nobel prize for physics!

We used to hvae a bin cleaner until DH laughed at me and cancelled it

yeah I would always ask to see their equipment before coughing up the dough.

My rubbish is in plastic bags that I put in the bin.
It doesn´t get dirty.

We have a guy that cleans the bins, once a month, it's brilliant. Much better than a sloosh around with Jeyes fluid. Far fewer flies etc

But this guy sounds like a right con man!!

Stealth - quite right too - so long as it's him cleaning out the bin & doing as good a job!!

Bernadette - absolutely

That's what I do diddl, in fact that's what I use the large charity bags for, (see other thread)

BTW my bin cleaner only comes round once a month too - no need for any more frequent than that I would say and only costs £2.50 a time.

Avoid him like the plague.

We have the wheely bin cleaners, they come in a marked van, clean it, deodorise it, and put it back behind the gate for me. They invoice me every few months and leave a receipt each time they have been with their logo, details etc.

'Cash up front' = 'never see me again'