I can never tell if I’m being scammed. I’m originally from America and often encounter things in the UK that baffle me. Today was no exception.
My front garden is a mess. I’m not very good at gardening and very busy. I recently got quotes from several gardeners to do the work in both front and back gardens. But, again, being busy it fell to the wayside.
This morning I got a knock at the door and an Irishman said he was a gardener who recently lost his job and ‘did we want our front tidied?’ He said he’d charge £40 for doing the hedges, cleaning the other messy bushes and take the rubbish away. My other half bartered him down a bit and he begin the work.
I soon begin to feel he may have no idea what he was doing as he seemed to simply be hacking away at everything with his power hedge trimmer.
This is the thing my other half knew the work needed doing and felt awful saying it was like the days of the great depression. However, I’m the sceptic always wary of rogue traders. Will my garden rubbish be left at the side of the road somewhere? Am I just a hard nosed cynic.
Has anyone ever had this type of door to door peddling?
Door to Door Gardener
I've seen it a lot on TV on programmes such as Watchdog and Rogue Traders!
There is a strong chance your rubbish WILL be left by the road somewhere but you paid this man in good faith and he clearly did something which has long been on your "To Do" list so was probably well worth the £40 or so you paid!
There is a strong chance your rubbish WILL be left by the road somewhere but you paid this man in good faith and he clearly did something which has long been on your "To Do" list so was probably well worth the £40 or so you paid!
I think the most bizarre one yet happened to me on Tuesday night. A woman knocked on my door and asked if I would like to read part of a novel she'd just written, with the view to sponsoring getting it published for her. Did anyone else encounter her and have the time to stand there reading a couple of chapters? Have I just turned away the next JK Rowling?
This woman came to my door yesterday and I very gladly handed her over £4.50. She seemed totally genuine, had a printed copy of one of her books with her picture on the back and gave me a receipt with her contact details including telephone number so that I could reach her. I've since telephoned this number and talked to her.
In my book (excuse the pun) someone who so much wants to write and publish a book that she goes door to door to collect the money to accomplish this should be encouraged. Frankly, her unreserved enthusiasm for the simple art of writing made my heart jump for joy. But perhaps I'm just a dreamer and this is a total con.
You have a perfect right to decide whether you give money and who you give it to. But aren't we just getting too cynical to believe that everyone who knocks at our door is out to rip us off?
In my book (excuse the pun) someone who so much wants to write and publish a book that she goes door to door to collect the money to accomplish this should be encouraged. Frankly, her unreserved enthusiasm for the simple art of writing made my heart jump for joy. But perhaps I'm just a dreamer and this is a total con.
You have a perfect right to decide whether you give money and who you give it to. But aren't we just getting too cynical to believe that everyone who knocks at our door is out to rip us off?
I wasn't even really thinking about the money side of things, to be honest. It was more that I had a whingey child in the background who is a battle and a half at every meal time, I think it was quite clearly a frantic scene and she wants to know if I'd like to pause to read her book. Sadly I never get time to read a book of my own choosing! Free country and all that, sure, but I did think it was a strange doorstep request!
Yes, maybe I'm being cynical. I gave her my time to listen to her (without my chain on the door) and answered all her questions, as I thought she was collecting market research for her book. I'm happy to give my opinion.
I just don't give any money on my doorstep - even the window cleaner has to phone before he comes!
I just don't give any money on my doorstep - even the window cleaner has to phone before he comes!
-
Graeme&David
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 5 Jul 2005 19:09
- Location: Thorpes
Yes, my initial thought was yet another person trying to get me to sign-up a direct debit for a charity or change my gas supplier...I did initially think it was some sort of scam, but then I was impressed by her initiative.
I may be proved wrong, but I hope my faith in people won't become too jaded. Besides, it was only £4.50...and in the future I may have a 1st edition of some future Booker prize winner (or not). We all have to start somewhere, and good luck to her for getting off her arse and trying to get her book published.
They say most people have a book inside them, but how many of us ever get round to writing one, let alone getting one published.
PS And to hedge my bets, I'm glad I wasn't the only one taken in...
Btw, Coll, I was recently taken in by a similar character a few weeks back. Someone had shoved a flyer through my front door advertising general garden maintenance, it all looked quite professional. So I rang the guy, and asked him to pop round and quote for the jobs I wanted doing. The hedge in the front garden had grown so tall I couldn't reach the top any more to trim it, plus I needed some garden rubbish cleared and a couple of trees in the back garden needed topping. All in all, he quoted £220 to do the work.
Anyway, I was a bit distracted that day working from home, and stupidly didn't really check the work he claimed to have done. When I went out later in the day to check what he had done, I noticed to my horror that although he had trimmed (erm well hacked really) the hedge and trees, all the cuttings had been shoved under or into the hedge...well as they say a fool and his money...
So I think 40 quid for the job he did was very reasonable (and at least he removed the rubbish!).
Btw, the flyer was green and had N.K. Young on the top with a mobile number with the name Dave beside it, so please beware, I'd hate anyone else to get ripped off.
I may be proved wrong, but I hope my faith in people won't become too jaded. Besides, it was only £4.50...and in the future I may have a 1st edition of some future Booker prize winner (or not). We all have to start somewhere, and good luck to her for getting off her arse and trying to get her book published.
They say most people have a book inside them, but how many of us ever get round to writing one, let alone getting one published.
PS And to hedge my bets, I'm glad I wasn't the only one taken in...
Btw, Coll, I was recently taken in by a similar character a few weeks back. Someone had shoved a flyer through my front door advertising general garden maintenance, it all looked quite professional. So I rang the guy, and asked him to pop round and quote for the jobs I wanted doing. The hedge in the front garden had grown so tall I couldn't reach the top any more to trim it, plus I needed some garden rubbish cleared and a couple of trees in the back garden needed topping. All in all, he quoted £220 to do the work.
Anyway, I was a bit distracted that day working from home, and stupidly didn't really check the work he claimed to have done. When I went out later in the day to check what he had done, I noticed to my horror that although he had trimmed (erm well hacked really) the hedge and trees, all the cuttings had been shoved under or into the hedge...well as they say a fool and his money...
So I think 40 quid for the job he did was very reasonable (and at least he removed the rubbish!).
Btw, the flyer was green and had N.K. Young on the top with a mobile number with the name Dave beside it, so please beware, I'd hate anyone else to get ripped off.
-
Graeme&David
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 5 Jul 2005 19:09
- Location: Thorpes
