[stu007]

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

[seandyer2003]

who is threatening you mate?? Window cleaners in the area??

[mci services]

sounds like a scam from the guy selling

[Dean Aspects]

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

[seandyer2003]

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?

[stu007]

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

[stu007]

They are phone calls but if its the guy who is selling he would have someone doing it for him i would assume

[stu007]

Also meant to ask does anyone know where i would stand legally

[seandyer2003]

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.

[macmac]

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

[seandyer2003]

The chap who he bought it off

[macmac]

The chap who he bought it off

Yeah, that's why i asked.

Tony

[poleman]

Do 2 things!

1/ go to the police

2/ walk away and have no dealings with this low life scum

Andy

[Glyn H]

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"

[Wayne Thomas]

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.

[jaykie]

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

[AuRavelling79]

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.

[Paul Coleman]

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.

[davids3511]

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.

[Paul Coleman]

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.