Scammed!

We had a "roaming" gang once blitzing our area for block paved driveways.

They came and offered a free quote. I said no thanks, he said "it's free", was really pushy and aggressive and wouldn't take no for an answer. Thought he was actually in danger of losing his temper that I didn't want a quote. Irish accent.

Then I sat back and watched them make a right mess of every other driveway on the street. Most sank where they parked shortly after. Then gone, without a trace, no doubt to the next neighbourhood.
 
Ivor Windybottom said:
We had a "roaming" gang once blitzing our area for block paved driveways.

They came and offered a free quote. I said no thanks, he said "it's free", was really pushy and aggressive and wouldn't take no for an answer. Thought he was actually in danger of losing his temper that I didn't want a quote. Irish accent.
Click to expand...

Yep, they can be quite pushy, with air maybe a sense of entitlement. I remember one, where I was out on the drive, working on the car, he at the gate, him absolutely demanding I get up, and go speak to him at the gate. He wanted to 'fix my roof', which certainly didn't need any fixing. He wasn't happy with 'no' and called me ignorant, as I walked off.

We used to get them fairly regularly, but since putting a warning sign, with a pictogram of an alsation on the gate, we might only get one per year. It also works well for the other door to doors. I no longer open the front door to strangers, I open the living room side of bay window, which is alongside the door, take any parcels that way. If they want to 'do my drive', 'fix my roof', or etc., I just say no, and close the window, before they have a chance to respond.

I've been looking over the road, from a distance, at the work they were supposed to have done there. For what good it will do - They have simply splashed a bit of mortar, around untidily, and over the top of the three lowest corner ridge tiles, on their hipped roof. I wasn't in, but I recorded their antics, on my security camera....

Only two of them actually working, the other four wandering the area in the second vehicle, and they were all gone in 90 minutes. I wonder how much they charged?
 
They targeted my elderly mother several years ago offering to cut back some trees and bushes in the back garden of her bungalow.
They trotted out the usual spiel that they were working in the area and had room on the van for more waste, so could do the work at a discount for only £1500.
My mother bartered with them for a while, convincing them to wait whilst she popped to the toilet (took about 15 mins) .
After about an hour of haggling she'd manage to get the price down to £600 for them to do the work.
Then, all four foot eleven of her told them to get on their bikes.
Mission complete.
RIP.
 
Lirefighter said:
They targeted my elderly mother several years ago offering to cut back some trees and bushes in the back garden of her bungalow.
They trotted out the usual spiel that they were working in the area and had room on the van for more waste, so could do the work at a discount for only £1500.
My mother bartered with them for a while, convincing them to wait whilst she popped to the toilet (took about 15 mins) .
After about an hour of haggling she'd manage to get the price down to £600 for them to do the work.
Then, all four foot eleven of her told them to get on their bikes.
Mission complete.
RIP.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't recommend deliberately winding them up. Some are pretty nasty types, bad things could happen.
 
Ivor Windybottom said:
We had a "roaming" gang once blitzing our area for block paved driveways.

They came and offered a free quote. I said no thanks, he said "it's free", was really pushy and aggressive and wouldn't take no for an answer. Thought he was actually in danger of losing his temper that I didn't want a quote. Irish accent.

Then I sat back and watched them make a right mess of every other driveway on the street. Most sank where they parked shortly after. Then gone, without a trace, no doubt to the next neighbourhood.
Click to expand...
Years back we had someone come to the door. 'Hello, we've recently finished a job in your area putting pvc cladding around a roofline. We have some left over. Would you be interested in us installing it on your house?'

We said no thanks.

A neighbour along the road took up their offer ... she was left with a side and a half done, badly. They said they had run out of material and would return, which they didn't. And yes, she had paid them.

I'll say again, they're scum.
 
morqthana said:
Or alternatively, "if it quotes like an insane swivel-eyed conspiracy fantasist, spouts bollux like an insane swivel-eyed conspiracy fantasist, it's an insane swivel-eyed conspiracy fantasist".
Click to expand...
That's what I said
Ihavenojob said:
"If it quotes like a himmy, spouts bollux like a himmy, it's a himmy."
Click to expand...
 
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