[John Farrell]

Posted on 27/02/12
Region: North West England
Location: Hawarden, Flintshire
Type: Domestic
Monthly Avg Value : £250
Established For: 2 years
Comments: This is excellent work and very compact area with plenty of room to expand work around it. All done by water fed pole method, cleaned with the WFP since the start. Genuine reason for selling. Moved from area. Ready to be done immediately. Quick sale required. 
Asking Price : £1,400
Contact Details : Right Image -  - [Send Email]
 
Went to buy this round today handed the money over, took the worksheets shook hands and left to go and introduce myself to my new customers. Second house in and lady comes out " sorry not happy they not been cleaned since the beginning off November so just leave them " next five houses no one home so just left leaflets explaining changeover. Go to the next job on the list a nice little grove begin to post and couple houses in lady comes out with changeover letter " excuse me love sorry but got a new window cleaner the last one your refering to has not bin since October  " so start to panic. Then as I go to post next door as there's another 4 next to each other next to the lady I just spoke to she speaks up again and says " I wouldn't bother posting them either they all gone with the new window cleaner.
It gets better next street on the list two houses were empty occupants moved out couple of month ago. Out of 25 houses about 4 people were happy to carry on. Phoned the person who sold it me gave him a piece of my mind and managed to get my money back.
Never again will I be stupid enough to buy a round without working the first clean I am lucky I have not lost my money. This person lead me to believe it was a well kept round that was up to date he must have forgot to mention it hadn't bin cleaned for 5 months. My day would have bin a total waste but the time I was expecting to be cleaning I just flyered and canvassed the area and picked up a fair little bit so not a total waste.

[scud]

  I'm sorry mate, but what do you expect to happen handing cash over for a list of work without checking it out first?

  And £1400 for £250 worth of work??


 Do you want to buy some beans? They are magic.

 Think with your head, not your wallet.

[richardlingard]

theres some real scum in this businness mate, not everyones as sound as on this forum = apart from me of course :-)

[davids3511]

You've been bloody lucky to get your cash back.

[Viktor]

250 monthly (25 houses) ave. £10 per house, for £1400

You are out of your mind !

[GDwindowcleaning]

If you want the work we text about then I will start to make the intros, I have known the guy a while and will sort it without that kind of hassle...

Should be with you next week too...

[John Farrell]

  I'm sorry mate, but what do you expect to happen handing cash over for a list of work without checking it out first?

  And £1400 for £250 worth of work??


 Do you want to buy some beans? They are magic.

 Think with your head, not your wallet.

I know I was stupid wont happen again the guy seemed really genuine. Even after after i got my money back he was sorry and said he could not believe that none of the customers had phoned him to let him know but i told him he cant just neglect the customers that are due to be cleaned every 4 weeks to expect to just be waiting for him after 5 months.
I didn't pay 1400 for it I knocked him down got my money back in the end and won't make that mistake again.
Ironically some of the customers I was walking away from said there windows were that bad could I do them but they didn't want to use the same person cause he took the p.

[Richard iSparkle]

bad luck john, but amazing that you managed to get your money back.

anyhow, i;ve got a list of addresses you can buy off me for £1500 if you like.  meet me at my local and i'll hand it over  

[John Farrell]

If you want the work we text about then I will start to make the intros, I have known the guy a while and will sort it without that kind of hassle...

Should be with you next week too...

Cheers George lucky escape really look forward to hearing from you mate

[John Farrell]

You've been bloody lucky to get your cash back.

Very lucky his phone was off the first few time I tried it back aswell then managed to get hold of him he met me Within about 15 mins of me phoning him. Think he just tried his luck leaving the work for that long thought they would wait forever for him.

[Ian101]

blimey mate you were lucky getting money back !!!

some dodge pots out there !!

[Ian101]

if it gets too far travelling for a few houses just pass them onto me 

[Jackal]

havnt you got any customers at the moment as it seems like you would need be deperate for work paying that for
£250 of work,at least you got money back,get george working for you seems like he work get you that amount easily

[John Farrell]

havnt you got any customers at the moment as it seems like you would need be deperate for work paying that for
£250 of work,at least you got money back,get george working for you seems like he work get you that amount easily

Got a fair amount of work and this round wasn't that far from all my other work so thought it would tie in nicely. The price on the add is what the guy wanted for it but I knocked him down then I agreed to buy it. I was lucky to get my money back aswell. I posted the handover letters before I got knocked back off a few an some of his old customers who haven't replaced there window cleaner have phoned me back complaining so I explained what had happend an they now want to use my services plus canvassed a few and done a few leaflet drops and made myself a days work out of half the guys unhappy customers  who tried rippin me and picked up a few myself.
Been a roller coaster day really thought I was out of pocket now got my money back plus a days work for free.

[stuart mc]

I did an hour or so this afternoon on work I have picked up one or two flats every month, it started with two bungalows and I am now on 16 flats or bungalows, all this was another window cleaners work that hadn't been done since october, I actually fully expect someone to turn up one day cleaning away having bought the work from the last guy only to be told to do one, and I feel for whoever it may be, I doubt I will lose any though

well maybe some as the last guy was taking £2.50 a flat and I am pretty sure he has just dumped the lot as underpriced, but you never know he could try sell it

[John Farrell]

I did an hour or so this afternoon on work I have picked up one or two flats every month, it started with two bungalows and I am now on 16 flats or bungalows, all this was another window cleaners work that hadn't been done since october, I actually fully expect someone to turn up one day cleaning away having bought the work from the last guy only to be told to do one, and I feel for whoever it may be, I doubt I will lose any though

well maybe some as the last guy was taking £2.50 a flat and I am pretty sure he has just dumped the lot as underpriced, but you never know he could try sell it

If I left work for over 5 months without a phone call or an explanation I wouldn't expect it to be there. This guy led me to believe he was on top of the work not just left it for almost half a year. The state some of the windows were in were bad. I have had customers complaining to me from the houses he tried to sell me most of the day from the doors I knocked to the phone calls from the handover letters. Just explained my self and told them I am reliable and will not let them down and they all seem to be fine.
Same with with you Stuart that's your work you have picked up. How can anyone try to claim the work they have not been to for near enough 6 months let alone try and sell it to someone else.

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

john where you based
i also clean around them areas 

[stuart mc]

yes john I agree, I have neglected some areas in the past so I gave the addresses to a new start and told him to canvass them, and stick a quid or two on my prices, but I never charged him and I certainly wouldn't have went back myself after nearly 5 months, that was years ago though and very rarely let things slip like that now

I have only bought work once and it was the same amount as you £250 or so and it was a nightmare, I would never do it again unless I really knew the person and the work

[Mike55]

just learn from this experience and if you buy work in the future make sure you meet the customers with the old cleaner before parting with your cash....

Interesting to see people's reactions to the amount paid for the work....

how much do you guys think that work is worth generally? 

This guy sold his round for 5x the monthly I'm guessing.  Would you let your own work go for less?

[John Farrell]

john where you based
i also clean around them areas 

I am from Manchester gav but most of my work is in and around Chester.