Twenty or so years ago, before the days of the internet, the main way of selling a round in London was in Loot. A newspaper a bit like Exchange and Mart that covered London.
Dodgy characters would blitz canvass up about 150-220 names and addresses then sell it as a working round for big money.
The poor mugs who bought them never stood a chance.
About three years ago a well known window cleaner around our way dropped out of sight, I think due to health problems. I picked up quite a few of his customers and started cleaning them.
Then a young lad started knocking on their doors introducing himself as the new window cleaner. This was about a year later. Although i was more than a bit annoyed initially I soon mellowed.
Somebody had approached the old window cleaner and bought his book off him for about £200. Whoever it was he never took over the round but just sold it on to this lad for about £4,000.
To be honest I wasn't that bothered, I always have loads of work anyway and I wasn't going to make an issue of it. To be even more honest I felt sorry for the lad..
Many of the customers wanted to stay with me anyway. But its bad, what a nasty mean trick to pay on a young lad. His dad had given him the money to buy it thinking he was helping his son get established in life. In reality he was conned rotten. Other window cleaners had picked up other customers and were not as gracious as I was about giving them up. He was threatened and all sorts.
He's gone now, I haven't seen him about for ages. Poor kid. I still feel bad about it when I clean those customers I still have and always think about that young lad.