This is long. And I don't know if I'm being silly. So I'm coming for some straight talking.
We had a window cleaner come and do our windows. In January, he came and said his PayPal was going wrong and people were having trouble paying him. Fine, I asked him to write down his bank details and I'd just transfer the money for the clean into his account when he came by. He cleaned, I nipped on the iPad and paid him. But the system was slow, and I clicked twice and paid him twice by mistake. I went out the door to see if he was still about so I could let him know, but he'd left. I tried ringing him over the next week, but I couldn't get an answer and assumed that since I'd paid using my full name as a reference, that he'd see the payment had gone in twice and just not collect next time.
Six weeks later, he cleaned my windows again during the working day, and pushed a bill for 2 cleans (the one six week previously and that one) through my door, along with a hastily scribbled note saying he needed payment and was struggling up meet his bills. Again, I tried calling the number on his website, no answer. Just constant ringing. I tried sending an email, but it was returned saying the address wasn't verified. I double checked and made sure the payments had indeed left, which they had. I checked then against the payment details he'd left and they matched. I assumed he'd made a mistake.
Anyway, fast forward 6 months. Window cleaner comes round at about 7pm (ish). Says we owe him money for 3 cleans now and we're his worst customers. He's shouting and we try to calm him down. He's almost incoherent. I offer to show him my Internet banking log on to show I paid him twice in the January, he says 'it isn't good enough'. He also said he came round earlier that week and cleaned the windows, so it's 3 cleans we owe him for. I said I hadn't seen the windows had been cleaned, but as its been raining ill give him the benefit of the doubt and pay him cash for that one now. Whilst I get my purse, he's ranting and raving and really going crazy, and then calls me 'a fucking bitch'. DH said 'right, that's enough. We've paid all that we possibly owe, you don't want to see the Internet banking transactions even though we've offered. Here's the money for the clean you said you did in the week. Please leave now or I'm going to call the police.' He steps back onto the pavement and says 'nothing you can fucking do now, I'm on public property!' And starts almost bouncing on the spot with energy. DH tells me to go inside the house and phone the police. I turn to go inside and the window cleaner gets inside his van and drives off quickly.
We didn't call the police because it was so bizarre, we talked ourselves out of it, and I felt like we'd be wasting their time.
A few weeks later, we are coming home from work and getting our son out of the car. Window cleaner has seen our car pull up from his view point about 100 yards up the street, as he's cleaning gutters for a new family who moved in. He gets down from his ladder, walks over a bit further and yells 'alright mate, how are you doing?' To my DH. DH replies 'very well thank you, good night.' And we go inside. As we do, he calls something else but DH ignores it as he can't make it out.
Fast forward to this evening. He's cleaning a chimney and we see his van on the drive him. I jokingly say to DH 'I wonder if he'll speak to you again?'
As I'm putting DS to bed and reading him a story, there's a knock on the door. DH answers and sure enough, it's the window cleaner. He was almost manic, very loud and forward and almost aggressive in manner. He says he wants to apologise for what happened, and here's our money back (?!), as he proffers the cash. Begs DH to take it and give it to charity, and if he doesn't take it, he'll put the money under our car wiper or post it through the letterbox. He says he's now got so much money from his new business in chimneys, he doesn't know what to do with it, a point which he almost shouts several times, and our set to that evening prompted him to leave window cleaning and start chimney sweeping, so thank you SO much, to the point DH asks him if he's alright and that he's really happy he's doing so well, but it's all forgotten and in the past. The man then says 'what goes around comes around you know.' And DH says that's great, that he hopes he does well for himself and says good evening.
I've never seen anything like his behaviour. It's aggressive, jittery and very random. I'm frightened that next time he comes, I'll be on my own. It feels like an invasion of personal space and I don't know if I'm over reacting or not. It's so bizarre, I almost talked myself out of posting in case I'm lying in my head iyswim?
I have checked and checked that we paid the right person against the details given, and we have.
Please tell me what I should do, and how I should feel. I'm a bit concerned tbh.
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AIBU?
AIBU and over reacting? Or is this man's behaviour around my home strange?
47 replies
ziggiestardust · 16/09/2013 19:34
OP posts:
Coconutty ·
16/09/2013 19:52
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