Been blamed for scratched window, how do i handle this?

cuboid · 6 Mar 2018

Was sent a photo with appalling scratches from left to right. They look like they were done by a window cleaner. I did his windows just before. I didn't hear a scratching sound and saw no marks before or after. it was a but dark and scratches are clear in the light. The property is rental. Was going to offer to pay half but someone said that was an admission of guilt and would be better to offer just to do his windows for free. He wanted me round the other day for window cleaning but am suspicious he wants to pin this on me or make me pay. What to do? I have public liability insurance.

Costs- one window is £300, I saw a single scratch on a second window so don't know the extent of what's happened.

Don't like this customer he's a bad payer and anal, multi-millionaire. Wants to change patio doors anyway.

1/Should never go round again?

2/ Should I go round and tell him I didn't see anything but will do his windows?

3/Should I go through insurance?

4/ What do you say to insurance company? They like to worm out of responsibility don't they.

For window I think insurance is too much hassle.

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 6 Mar 2018

If you didn't scratch them. Just stand firm and tell him that you did not scratch them and have no tools/equipment that would cause those scratches. I would go around though and inspect the damage and any other damage that exists, also take pictures of your own.

Whether you consider still doing his windows, is judgement call only you must make. You have had difficulty with previous payment, so what is he going to be like now!

Notch7 · 6 Mar 2018

Tricky.

If you have enough work and he is a bad payer -stop doing work for him in the future.

They must be bad scratches to show up in a photo.

If you are confident you did not cause the scratches, then you could go round, investigate and write a short report and send it to him.

As it is a rental property, then whats to stop him getting the money from you and never getting the glass changed?

If you think it couldve been you, then I would arrange to get the glass replaced yourself rather than handing any money over.

Are they upvc windows? -if so the glass is quite straightforward to change.

I did a large job, 30 or so timber windows. 4 years later the client had decorators round to repaint them and they scratched 60no units!

I priced to replace the sashes -the job was all dummy georgian bar, so changing just the glass wouldve been a real pain. I quoted just under £15k. The decorator had to go through his insurance, they paid out in full. Funny thing is though -Ive never had the customer book in the work! It seems like the money in the bank is worth more living with slight scratches on the glass.....

pete50 · 6 Mar 2018

Tell him you didn't scratch his windows, tell him that in writing. Let him take it as far as he wants. If you lose that is what your public liability insurance is for. Mind you insurance companies are as big a bunch of scammers as anyone else.

Oh yeah don't do his windows again.

HERTS P&D · 6 Mar 2018

Total agree with Pete.

I don't like late payers and anal customers.

Andy

planenut · 6 Mar 2018

As others have said, I would suggest you go round to inspect it and take your own photos. Even window cleaners have a routine and you may see that it would/could not have been done by your method.
Is the complainant the tenant or the landlord?
I did have criminal damage on a property, i.e. scratched words on the "glass", and I managed to use a drill and glass kit and took it off.
Good luck.

KenGMac · 6 Mar 2018

Is there a time line?

Meaning, when did you last clean the windows? and when did the complaint arise, as an aside there will be a time stamp on the digital images obtained by the complainant

As for the Tennant, what is their situation? children loads of parties? dogs any other possibility of damage by them??

As you see fit, by all means go around and see this guy, BUT??? take a witness of your own, if possible agree that you can make a digital recording of the entire visit as for you say as little as possible get the complainant to [hopefully] dig a hole for himself??

cuboid · 6 Mar 2018

The scratches could have been mine. They go in the direction window cleaners clean. Horizontally. Saying that, I saw nothing before or after I cleaned the windows. It was a bit dark. Didn't hear a scratching sound but maybe I was tired. The scratches in photo are appalling. They're metal patio doors so I can't replace them. £300 a panel by a professional. He was suspiciously keen for me to clean his house windows Monday pressing me for a time which never usually does and I worried it was a way just to get me face to face and quiz me with the issue. I said I was ill and did not go. Should I go round at some point? And just maintain I didn't see anything offer numbers of private glass fitters and do his windows for free. Offering to pay apparently is a legal admission of guilt.

TicTac · 6 Mar 2018

What do you use; a squeegee, or a purified water brush. There's nothing on a squeegee that would cause those sort of scratches, and you'd have heard it. A brush would go up and down, but could hold a bit of grit in it, but I wouldn't have expected those marks on a brush either. Is it just the one window, or are there more of them, and where was this window in the sequence.

Inspect your equipment, and you'll more than likely end up telling him where to go.

Notch7 · 6 Mar 2018

Kids messing about.

Maybe they put the hand print on it too. Maybe you should make noises about fingerprinting!

KenGMac · 6 Mar 2018

Just think about how you clean the glass??

Not wishing to put words into your mouth, BUT?

Every window cleaner I have seen working, and indeed I do it myself is to use the [in my case] a squeegee [neoprene rubber in a plastic holder]

Given the image presented, the scratch damage is inconsistent with a single sweeping motion firstly across the very top of the window, the next move is to swivel the implement and run the cleaning implement back across the window, edge to edge continuing downwards in continuous sweeping motions, without lifting the Implement off the glass at any time.

The scratch marks simply [to me] do not conform to damage having been occasioned by the act of window cleaning???

Question?

How do you clean a pane of glass? in bits or by a single sweeping top to bottom motion? Think about it?? If you lift off the cleaning implement there is a distinct mark.

Sorry but the damage at least to me does not stack up with cleaning the glass.

Ken

transam · 6 Mar 2018

Bloke is trying it on imo

cleaning a window with the correct equipment . You never made the scratches . Is the bloke a tenant ???

cuboid · 6 Mar 2018

TicTac said:
What do you use; a squeegee, or a purified water brush. There's nothing on a squeegee that would cause those sort of scratches, and you'd have heard it. A brush would go up and down, but could hold a bit of grit in it, but I wouldn't have expected those marks on a brush either. Is it just the one window, or are there more of them, and where was this window in the sequence.

Inspect your equipment, and you'll more than likely end up telling him where to go.

I cleaned that window both with the brush (pure water) and with a squeegee as they were filthy. It would have to have been grit caught scouring pad or brush. It is possible to make scratches with grit in a scourer like that and not hear it but probably u would hear it. He hasn't said anything but asked me to clean his windows. Maybe all is cool. I just want to be prepared. He didn't pay me of course but he did say the windows were recorded as dirty in the inventory after I'd cleaned them.

planenut · 6 Mar 2018

Looks like intentional to me and I would suggest that he reports the matter to the Police.

cuboid · 6 Mar 2018

KenGMac said:
Just think about how you clean the glass??

Not wishing to put words into your mouth, BUT?

Every window cleaner I have seen working, and indeed I do it myself is to use the [in my case] a squeegee [neoprene rubber in a plastic holder]

Given the image presented, the scratch damage is inconsistent with a single sweeping motion firstly across the very top of the window, the next move is to swivel the implement and run the cleaning implement back across the window, edge to edge continuing downwards in continuous sweeping motions, without lifting the Implement off the glass at any time.

The scratch marks simply [to me] do not conform to damage having been occasioned by the act of window cleaning???

Question?

How do you clean a pane of glass? in bits or by a single sweeping top to bottom motion? Think about it?? If you lift off the cleaning implement there is a distinct mark.

Sorry but the damage at least to me does not stack up with cleaning the glass.

Ken

If I did do it, my guess is there was a piece of grit in scourer on the end of my applicator. This is a tool which put the soapy water onto the glass. The glass was filthy so might have been rubbing hard to get stains off.

Been blamed for scratched window, how do i handle this?

Similar threads