Leaflet posting earns me my first window wars threat….

[Trev81]

Hi all,

Well I had quite a amusing yet rather threatening call yesterday from what I can only guess is some scally wag and his mate that clean windows in a area where some of my leaflets were distributed. Prob the dirty sponge and chamois leather type that claim the dole and clean a bit on the side to fund there crack habit!!!

My phone kept been called from a "unknown" number non stop so decided to answer it in the end and was asked if this is the "window cleaner" first I thought it's a enquiry so I said yes it is how can I help you etc, to be greeted with a mass of abuse, not to drop anymore leaflets in my area we dont need your type here and if we see you dropping more leaflets or see you working we will slash your tyres, beat you up etc etc, this went on for some time to the point where they were stating they will find out where my van is and where i live and "torch" it and beat up my family put me in a wheel chair etc!!! All nasty threats which I take with a pinch of salt and prob just bluffs, but I was quite shocked that some scumbags would go to such a extent over a few leaflets and another window cleaner canvassing a area he happens to perhaps work in.

I have had no more calls back from them yet, but what I find weird is they kept asking what my company name is when it was clearly written on the leaflet, so it got me thinking if perhaps somebody got a leaflet and just passed my number on to a fellow windy or mate of theres? I dunno but all a bit weird and although they don't scare me it has upset my partner a lot and she is feeling uneasy about the threats.

The number was witheld but what would you guys do if it happened to you with such threats? Anybody would think I am a rival mafia/drug gang rather than just a chap offering a decent standard of window cleaning! I kept stating to them it's a decsion made by the customer who they use just like in any other trade etc etc but the abuse just kept coming! Well my van is still in 1 piece currently but for peace of mind I am having a tracker fitted to it next week as I guess you never know what these scumbags are capable off!

 

[boarcity]

increase your leafletting effort. i had something similar happen to me , the long standing windie called me up saying i was targetting his work. i wasnt . but then decided to . i redoubled my leafletting efforts in his area after laughing at him down the phone

 

[Jimroot]

Total cowards. I know it's hard to ignore but try not to let it affect you. Let the local police know, then carry on. If they have to use the phone to threaten they are weaklings. No point in worrying about theft and vandalism as could happen anytime from lots of people, just take normal precautions. If they get closer than 3ft with threatening behaviour, hit them hard and several times in the most painful places, then let the police know what happened referencing the phone threats If appropriate (witnesses)

 

[Jake]

Defo report to the police mate, ridiculous behaviour, it's happened to me once before and it's not nice at all.

 

[Jimroot]

It's a crime to threaten on the phone. They might be known for it by the police

 

[Dave B]

Get a few mates together and then call their bluff on the phone

Meet them somewhere and beat the **** out of them

I would not stand for threatening my family

Or ignore it either works but i would be tempted to shut them up a bit lol

 

[TolishAPurd]

They're all mouth by the sounds of it. The ones to worry about are the ones that just come and lump you without warning. Definitely go to the police about it and get it on record. Just in case anything does get physical, it'll be a lot easier to claim self defence.

 

[Alien Human]

If their withholding their number I very very much doubt that they have any balls whatsoever to actually follow through with anything.

If they are making threats but don't actually know the name of the company they are making threats to then I very very much doubt that they have the intelligence to actually do any harm.

But........personally I would also log it with the police which personally I think takes some balls to do as it goes against a common human / male instinct which is to meet fire with fire and deflates the 'big chest' reactions which are so tempting (for me anyway)

There is a saying 'Respond -don't react' which I try to use when faced with similar situations. I only actually succeed in doing that about 50% of the time but we live and learn.

Good luck with it bud.

 

[Dave B]

I find it very hard not to react as it is a very instinctive reaction with me

 

[Alien Human]

I find it very hard not to react as it is a very instinctive reaction with me

Same Daveyboy - seems to be my default setting as well.

 

[paul fenwick]

me personally I would find them and kick the :turd: out of they s cowards just because they threatened my family dont care about the work side of things,its a free open market and NOBODY owns an area,but nobody gets away with threatening my family

 

[peter rogers]

WELL @paul fenwick IF HE did that they wud prob have witnesses and phone police get him done

get real guys

@Trev81 if anything happens get evidence and witnesses and go to the police check your phone see if u can record calls

dont do anything stupid like at the end of the day they threaten u

u go kick there cnut in . uel end up no round and in jail

get on with ur work and wait see what happens

 

[Smurf]

I would have said calmly something like "This phone converstion is being recorded and by the way a hidden number can still be traced" would soon shut them up I'm thinking then just end the call.

 

[SolarPanelCleaning]

Just calmly plan how to put them out of business.

 

[Natty1972]

My god it's like going back to the dark ages . Record all the **** you get on paper , time , date, what happened ..

 

[paul fenwick]

go to the police and its your word against theirs so unless you record every phone call you receive the police can not do a thing and to be honest with no evidence they would say they have more important things to get on with.as I stated nobody threatens my family and I do live in the real world

 

[Posh]

Police mate. Them threatened your family & that's not on. If you do somet yerself yer as bad as them even if we wanted to. Yer no good to your family in nick.

 

[paul fenwick]

posh in my area in the past 36 hours there has been one murder two shootings and a lad stabbed 4 times in the middle of a packed city centre in the daytime,and that's just what made the news so going to the police with no evidence would likely be a waste of time and they seem a bit busy to be honest,if you have evidence then great get them arrested. Me personally I don't like violence but after 14 years driving a taxi it taught me that sometimes unfortunately you have to come down to the scum bags level.like I said I would laugh off the idiots threats about the work side but not my family's safety.

 

[TolishAPurd]

Theres two scenarios here;

Recieve threat> wait until he finds you> batter him> get arrested>your word against his >fine or jail

OR..

Recieve threat> report to the police and get it on file> wait until he finds you > batter him> get arrested> tell them he has threatened the life of you and your family previously, and here is the incident number mr officer> get let out same day, whilst he gets slapped in cuffs.

...no brainer to me. Nothing to lose by telling the bill as if it ever comes down to it, they will be on your side. Whereas if you give him a beating in the street in front of witnesses that didnt see the start of it (since no one ever does) you'll both be arrested and fined, the story will hit the paper, and they'll probably make an example of you.

I worked in nightclubs for years so I got to see the worst side of drunken human nature, and there is a lot you can learn from doormen. And one of those things is that you get the police on side by letting them do thier job. Otherwise they will fck you right over as you are just another scrapper in the streets.

 

[cheapncheerful]

of course Im STILL waiting for the answer as to why anyone can be allowed to ring me and NOT leave a number shouldnt be allowed...

I was rather hoping the window cleaning industry has put all that in the past especially as there is plenty of work out there...they are building houses so fast around here that the whole area is changing month on month../emoticons/biggrin.png

of course dont let it put you off leafleting as then they will have won...