Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: stu007 on August 20, 2008, 11:14:16 pm
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I have been doing window cleaning for just over a year now but im new on here. I decided it was time to leave my full time job and expand my run. I arranged to buy a run in the Wapping area the agreement was i would be £2500 for it two installments of £900 and one installment of £700. Did the run once and paid £900 and started to receive death threats tht if i went near the area again it could be dangerous for me. Now i have 3 kids and want to go home to them at end of night so i decided i did not want run anymore. Im now looking to have cash back but the guy selling is only willing to offer me £900 worth of work or for him to keep all of run plus my money. I dont really want the £900 worth of work because of the threats. Never had any other prooblems with anyone except this run. what do i do. i would prefer not to take the customers then sell them because i dont want someone else coming back to m about them getting threatened. What should happen
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who is threatening you mate?? Window cleaners in the area??
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sounds like a scam from the guy selling
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If you are getting death threats then that is serious get evidence then go to the police no one should have to deal with that kind of abuse
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sounds like a scam from the guy selling
Just what i was thinking...hes got your number and has prob got another phone to threaten...
Are the threats phone calls or texts?
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I do not know who is making the threats and i have spoken to the police they have told me they do not see it as a serious threat they also say most threatening phone calls cant be traced because they now use mobiles with sim cards that are not registered. The guy who is selling run says he has no idea who it could be but he would say that. Dont even know if he is on this website
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They are phone calls but if its the guy who is selling he would have someone doing it for him i would assume
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Also meant to ask does anyone know where i would stand legally
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Did you sign any kind of agreement with him for the 900?? CAB would advise you if you have grounds for a small claim etc...
Or just work it and if someone does turn up give em a crack:)
I dont think its the kind of thing anyone is going to follow up on to be honest, at the end of the day you are not stealing work or undercutting, its just a cheap trick.
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How have they got your phone number? Is your van sign written, or have you leafleted the area also? Otherwise who would know your number? :-\
Tony
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The chap who he bought it off :)
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The chap who he bought it off :)
Yeah, that's why i asked. ;)
Tony
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Do 2 things!
1/ go to the police
2/ walk away and have no dealings with this low life scum
Andy
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I wouldnt take any notice at all.
If the guy was at all serious he wouldnt be telephoning you first to make threats, he would just turn up and give you the "bad news" face to face.
Any idiot can call you on the phone and make threats
Did you get "my cousin/brother /uncle / Mate is blah blah blah (the local hardman) which you should then interprate as " I am a total w****r so I will try to scare you by mentioning a nutter that I think you might be scared of"
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Report the threats to the police. Whoever is making the threats is trying to scare you and it's working. If someone is really going to get you they wouldn't threaten you, they would use the element of surprise, so if you decide to continue because you desperately need the money, be aware of your surroundings and anyone who may be around you.
I have known some unscrupulous illegal window cleaning characters in my past who have made threats to other legally working window cleaners threatening to push them off ladders and similar for working their patches. You have to stand your ground, ignore the theats whilst being aware of the situation.
If you are a trad cleaner I would recommend using wfp if possible to reduce the element of danger should this person who is making the threats follow up what they are preaching. Try and enrol on a self defence class (i.e. Judo, boxing), to give you some confidence and the ability to know how to defend yourself in the future and carry a personal alarm or mobile phone to alert the police if someone should provoke you into a fight situation.
Personally, I think the situation you are in is just scaremainering and it's working. Only you can decide if you feel strong enough to ignore the threats and continue working or take the easy option and walk away from the situation out of pocket financially and feeling scared and humiliated. Don't let bullies ruin your life, stand up for yourself or you'll always be picked on in life is my honest opinion.
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I wouldnt worry about it, its strange youve had a call after the 1st clean, if your
vans not sign written its 100% the person you bought it off as hes made a quick
£900, ive had this when i 1st started and still went out the next day and carried
on and had nothing since i reported the incidences to the police and it can be
traced as they contact the network company who pass on the number to police
then police contact the caller to say they no its them, if the number on my phone
comes up withheld i select answer on phone but let them speek 1st then you
can decide if you want to speek to them, or direct witheld numbers to answer
phone.
Chris
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How many threats have you had? If you get another call say "My brother* and I do not take kindly to threats - we will defend ourselves against any assault - this call is being monitored and you have been reported to the Police - is there anything else you want to do to incriminate yourself?"
They will probably ring off then. If not then whatever they say just put the phone down.
* Even if you haven't got a brother it gives the impression that they are dealing with more than one of you.
Nine w/c's out of ten will either be friendly or at worst stand-offish with you - occasionally you get a fool that mouths off. Only extremely rarely does it go further. I am a family man and personally I have taken the chance by standing up to bully boys and they have backed off - but you must make your own decision.
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I have been doing window cleaning for just over a year now but im new on here. I decided it was time to leave my full time job and expand my run. I arranged to buy a run in the Wapping area the agreement was i would be £2500 for it two installments of £900 and one installment of £700. Did the run once and paid £900 and started to receive death threats tht if i went near the area again it could be dangerous for me. Now i have 3 kids and want to go home to them at end of night so i decided i did not want run anymore. Im now looking to have cash back but the guy selling is only willing to offer me £900 worth of work or for him to keep all of run plus my money. I dont really want the £900 worth of work because of the threats. Never had any other prooblems with anyone except this run. what do i do. i would prefer not to take the customers then sell them because i dont want someone else coming back to m about them getting threatened. What should happen
It's easy to say from here because it isn't me. However, I reckon I would go to the police (as you have done) and make a complaint about a "threat to kill". If the guy on the desk won't take it seriously and log it, be polite but assertive and insist that you want it logged. If he won't do it, request that a superior officer is called upon to do it (that usually wakes up the guy on the desk).
Regarding the window cleaning work: I would carry on with the £900 worth and tell the threatener that murder carries a life sentence and that you have logged a complaint with the police. If you get the chance, ask them if a life sentence is really worth it for a bit of window cleaning. I can't see them troubling you. If you are freaked out, maybe try to get hold of a stun gun (illegal) in case there is an attempt to assault you. If anyone does try anything, the most likely target would be your vehicle as getting caught for vehicle damage is a less serious offence (unless it's sabotaged to make it unsafe).
I suppose me being built like a brick "out" house helps. Although I'm a big softie, they don't know that.
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I had loads of this when I started up, i think it got to about 15 death threats in the end. It was because I was leafletting all over. I still am but the guys threatning have got the message I couldn't care less and have give up trying to put me off.
I found invitng them to tell me where they are right that minute and saying I am happy to go see them concentrates their mind.
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I had loads of this when I started up, i think it got to about 15 death threats in the end. It was because I was leafletting all over. I still am but the guys threatning have got the message I couldn't care less and have give up trying to put me off.
I found invitng them to tell me where they are right that minute and saying I am happy to go see them concentrates their mind.
I just don't get the mentality of some of these guys. Some guy was leafletting an area where I work quite a few years ago. I had some work I wanted to offload (free of charge) so I phoned him. By the time I contacted him he had enough work anyway. However, he gave me the contact details of a company that would supply my W/C equipment much cheaper than I had been paying (this was when I worked trad and before I had internet). After I went WFP, I started getting the odd job through him that he couldn't do. I still get an occasional enquiry because of him - and I haven't even seen him for a few years.
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I had loads of this when I started up, i think it got to about 15 death threats in the end. It was because I was leafletting all over. I still am but the guys threatning have got the message I couldn't care less and have give up trying to put me off.
I found invitng them to tell me where they are right that minute and saying I am happy to go see them concentrates their mind.
I just don't get the mentality of some of these guys. Some guy was leafletting an area where I work quite a few years ago. I had some work I wanted to offload (free of charge) so I phoned him. By the time I contacted him he had enough work anyway. However, he gave me the contact details of a company that would supply my W/C equipment much cheaper than I had been paying (this was when I worked trad and before I had internet). After I went WFP, I started getting the odd job through him that he couldn't do. I still get an occasional enquiry because of him - and I haven't even seen him for a few years.
I have done the same i always introduce myself to any window cleaner in the area where i/he works, they are usually wary at first but if you smile and say hi they soon chat away and on every occasion its led to me selling work i dont want, or picking up bits they dont want, finding out where there are streets with no cleaner, I know this isnt any help to the chap whose getting threatened, but i just agree with shiner that its easy for window cleaners to get on and unless someone is undercutting you or being deceptive, i dont get this "my patch"mentality, i hope they fall off a roof, prats.
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If someone rings you and tells you there after you i would laugh at them,if i was after someone i wouldn`t ring them to tell them i would be at there door.A coward will warn you,someone who means it won`t,next time he rings ask him if he wants your address.
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I have two bits of advice
1 Ignore the bully and carry on, if you want a wee bit of peace change your business number and also tell him that you have a lot of bampot friends ( us on the forum) who will come down and stand up to him behind you, although it will not be easy the bully as all bullies do will soon leave you alone and pick on somebody else weaker.
2 Or and here i make the pledge of £10, we on this forum will raise the £900 for you to walk away. Many people out there know i am good for it due to past examples. With the amount of bragging of daily earnings that goes on here we can easily donate this money.
I propose we send it too someone of good standing whom we all know, whether you buy from him,agree with him or disagree with him i believe we all respect him. Glyn H will you collect and handover the money to one of our fellow window cleaners in real need? Let Stu,one of our own sleep soundly at night, donate some money and let us all learn a lesson from this. There is no quick fix to success, hard work hard work hard work and then some more hard work.
Rare very rare that anybody ever bought success
Good luck and sleep sound Stu
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Glyn H,no way send it to me lol. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I had loads of this when I started up, i think it got to about 15 death threats in the end. It was because I was leafletting all over. I still am but the guys threatning have got the message I couldn't care less and have give up trying to put me off.
I found invitng them to tell me where they are right that minute and saying I am happy to go see them concentrates their mind.
I just don't get the mentality of some of these guys. Some guy was leafletting an area where I work quite a few years ago. I had some work I wanted to offload (free of charge) so I phoned him. By the time I contacted him he had enough work anyway. However, he gave me the contact details of a company that would supply my W/C equipment much cheaper than I had been paying (this was when I worked trad and before I had internet). After I went WFP, I started getting the odd job through him that he couldn't do. I still get an occasional enquiry because of him - and I haven't even seen him for a few years.
There is only one of them I see regularly and he is starting to warm to me. I get an occasional 'Nice day' and a smile every now and then. Much easier to be on reasonable terms.
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change your phone number....dont put it on your van or dont do any leaflets for while..
if they want to give you another threat they will have to confront you..
then grow a set of nuts and stick the loaf into him..
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if they were serious they would have done it face to face,
as it was done over the phone, they are spineless and all talk
ignore it
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carry on doing the work , but if your really concerned see if you can get a mate to come out with you when you do it , its clearly the guy you bought it off on a scam , so face him up regards alan
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Go back to some of them custys you have done and ask them how many different w/c they have had over the year and see if there has been a change.
You never know he might of done this before (thats if it is him doing it).
If i was you i would carry on cleaning them.
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NEVER let someone bully you.
Bullies are cowards. They are weak.
If someone really wanted to do you damage they would have walked up to you and told you so.
In my mind, even if they walked up to me, they could say whatever want anyway....I have a bigger gang on my side - the POLICE
Do you honestly think some big time gangster is willing to go to prison for the rst of his life for the sake of a few hundred quid for 'a mate' who happens to be a window cleaner?
Real villains deal in hundreds of thousands of pounds a week!!....they have no interest in this sort of thing any more.
If you were dealing drugs...now that would be a different kettle of fish! :o
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When anyone tries to push his snout into the trough, other piggies will squeal.
You are buying the round fair and square, don't allow yourself to be intimidated, your kids would rather grow up with a dad that that stands up to bullies.
The guy making the calls is just as likely to be some puny little chav.
The law of the jungle must not be allowed to prevail in any decent society.
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Invite him round,that`ll tell you what type of a man he is.Or if the next time he phones you ask him where he lives and tell him your on your way round to see him,when you get there i`ll bet he`s out.