Recently bought window cleaning round stolen back by sellers

[Elmz]

Hi just looking for any advice really, this is the story.

I recently bought some round from two lads who were moving to Wales, They needed the money so I also employed them before they went for a time. They went and i was doing the work for a couple of months. Happy days.

This month comes around and I go to the jobs and they have all been done by these boys who have come back, not only that they collected money that was owed to me from the month earlier.

So me and my mate go to the house to have a word, and their mum comes out and says she will call the police, they boys come out and say they dont care they sold it to me they are going to continue to do it and its up to the customers who cleans their windows and if we do anything the police are going to be called, This is not a problem as i am trying to run a legitimate business and dont want to resort to violence even though its very tempting, and in a way yes it is up to the customers who cleans their windows, any other firm but not them.

Ok so the legitimate route so far has been going to the customers and explaining what has happened, Some of them seem sympathetic to the situation, some say first come first serve. The situation is made worse by the fact they used to work for me, so people assume its normal. One elderly lady got so spooked because they told her her gutters were leaking (her son is a builder and they are fine) she doesn't want anyone to clean her windows now

Right now Im almost 2 grand down getting mugged off by two thieving kids who i helped, Is there anything i can do about this apart from the obvious?

Thanks

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

Did you get anything in writing?

 

[Elmz]

Yeah I have a receipt for what I bought.

 

[Dave B]

I can't comment without being banned for my language

If you get nowhere with the legal route leave it a few months..go on holiday..when you are away get someone to give them a spanking so you can't be blamed

I know it's not the right thing to do but you'll feel better about it

 

[Elmz]

Restraint is hard yes. Has this happened to anyone else? or is this particularly uncommon, I have never heard anything like this before. Yeah I just wanted to check if there was actually any legal route to go or if this is my only option.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

You have a receipt. Do you have a contract stating that they agree not to work the area or customers for say 3 or 5 years or whatever?

If not your screwed.

No violence is not the answer and @daveyboy has just screwed you on hiring a 'hit man' whilst your on holiday as it's now public record

I sold work to @Paul Dodsworth on here and we have a contract that explains a round is sold is nothing more than good faith.

Also if these customers are saying 'first come first served' then you dont want them anyhow

 

[Dave B]

It was a joke @Green Pro Clean Ltd

Nobody would actually do that although we would all feel like it

 

[JBC88]

Something similar happened to my uncle.

He worked the round he was wanting to buy with the seller's as a part down payment. He paid a deposit got receipt and then the following week round details and full payment were due to be exchanged but my uncle couldn't get hold of the guy he did a vanishing act. He had no joy going round the customers saying what happened so took it to court.

Although he won the case he's had no refund of deposit at all. He can only now pursue with county sheriffs but decided not to due to the ongoing expense.

Also the guys were quite dodgy and knew where he lived so he didn't want any comeback. Hes wrote it off.

Court us legal way to deal with it but by no guarantee of getting any money out of them. Sorry to hear mate.

Next time you buy make sure the contract lists every house and customer you're "buying" and make sure there's a no compete clause like what Green was saying.

On a positive note my uncle does really well now he has a bigger round than what he was buying. If you are resilient and determined I'm sure you will succeed in the long run.

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

I've heard of someone who was working another persons round for them for a while. They then tried to sell it within that time frame but it all came out before the transaction went ahead. When I bought work I made sure I had signature copy of the guys identification with a contract saying that he could not canvass or work within 5 mile radius of any job sold to me! Try your best to take them to court and scare them with some letters from a solicitor explaining the possible legal consiquences of their actions. Try and find any evidence you have such as customers and txt messages anything. Hopefully this might be enough to scare them into backing off! If that doesn't work I would personally keep cleaning the windows until the customers told me or them to back off and then would make it my mission to make it impossible for them to have any kind of respectable round they will probably lose 90% now as they customers are going to get fed up with the hassle of it.

 

[David K]

If the to guys are moonlighting , IF ! Go report Them to revenue ..

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Are they signing on? Getting any benefits?

 

[Elmz]

Thanks for the replies, That's good so basically i have to let them steal from me. Its driving me mad i cant do anything about this. I am stressed I wake up angry and go to bed angry.

Lessons learned from this, never employ anyone, never help anyone out, the risk to reward ratio is too vast and never buy round just canvas it yourself

 

[Dave B]

It's just a sad reflection of the world we live in nowadays

Basically people take the **** and we can do nothing

 

[mark]

ok!! start cleaning the customers that are sympathetic with you for NOW.re knock and tell them" all "YOU are the owner of this round and clean them,its irrelevant if they have cleaned them already!!!you simply cannot give in in.show the customers your receipt!!!again it does not matter if they say we know them -blah,blah.your the boss,carry on its your round,wished I was local,i would spare my time and help you with this.giving in is not an option.your in a better situation.you have money to sought this in your own way???

 

[Chris33]

I'd defo look into their background (as green already said) as much as possible. Surely theres a chance they are not licenced or insurance is not in place?

That they are singing on is also a possibility,don't you know anyone mutual who can verify this?

Aye,defo can't give in though

 

[mark]

its not what you know its who you know

 

[mark]

in a legal way!!!!

 

[TolishAPurd]

Absolutely don't take out revenge on them. It is a dish that should never be served, and especially not cold. Definitely don't mess with their working day by buying a load of cheap bike locks and locking up their ladders every few weeks. Whatever you do, don't slash their tyres. And it would be really wrong to get random friends to make fake appointments in remote locations with the promise of big money. I'd be very dissapointed in you if you took out a small advert using his details in an anonymous paper or website advertising a porche carerra for £1, whilst posing as a jilted wife out for revenge. And whatever you do, don't visit www.dogdoo.com and have dog:turd: mailed to him... if someone irresponsible were to recommend you do this, they would likely tell you to order the 'poopoo grande'.

Post is for entertainment purposes only...sort of.

 

[Chris33]

Get canvassing that area hard and cut them out the game!

 

[mark]

they have set you up without a doubt,and yet you have been good to them,YOUR MISTAKE,umm customers tend to be loyal even to these(I wont say)any way!!!onwards and upwards YOUR ROUND CLAIM IT,easier said than done.nothing to lose,clean clean clean

 

[Dave B]

Send the boys round

As much as i joke about it when i lived in west london that stunt would have seen them walking funny for the rest of their lives

What is it about this country when they can get away with that but give them a slap and you get the old bill at your door

It's all wrong mate