Travelers offering driveway cleaning

...__...

There are so many honest hardworking tradesmen who have lost thousands of days work due to
this "minorities" handie work.

There's not a van they cant break into nor a stolen power tool they cant sell.

I remember chasing many out of the garden at night as they tried to rob the workshop swinging a saw at them hoping Id whip an arm off.

Dr Brown

With their new "ethnic minority" status they are basically untouchable were the law is concerned.

degsie

BrianD3

The individuals that I and my relatives have encountered in recent years have been quite polished - they have business cards, are polite and look the part with clean and neat work clothes. They don't have stereotypical traveller accents or greet you with "Howaya boss".

Dig a little deeper though and suspicions arise. As already said, Fully Insured on a flyer or business card means nothing. Googling phone numbers throws up some interesting results with multiple business names in different locations apparently using the same mobile number. Websites with SEAI and other official looking logos on them - again, means nothing and actually should make a person suspicious.

Addresses given as being in a particular business park or industrial estate but no unit number given. The business park exists but if you go looking for the premises will you find it, probably not as it doesn't exist.

freshpopcorn

One thing that always makes me very dodgy of anybody who is offering services/product at the door is a person wearing a pair of very shiny shoes!

Dr Brown

BrianD3 wrote: »

The individuals that I and my relatives have encountered in recent years have been quite polished - they have business cards, are polite and look the part with clean and neat work clothes. They don't have stereotypical traveller accents or greet you with "Howaya boss".

That happened to my parents awhile back a very well presented and well spoken frontman (for the travelers) knocked at the door he came across like he was some sort of civil servant or government official.

To cut a long story short my parents ended up getting "work" done in the garden but the lads who did the "work" were the stereotypical "Howaya boss" type people who you could spot a mile away.

This begs the question are the travelers paying well spoken respectable type people to front their businesses to give them an air of legitimacy ?

CeilingFly

Be wary if the give a strong bang on the door rather than a simple ring of the doorbell - it's their way of checking if the alarm is on.

Sue Pa Key Pa

No sympathy whatsoever for anybody who entertains these 'tradesmen'

Dr Brown

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

No sympathy whatsoever for anybody who entertains these 'tradesmen'

You have to feel sorry for elderly people who get taking in by them.

elperello

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

No sympathy whatsoever for anybody who entertains these 'tradesmen'

Don't forget that some people can be vulnerable.

King of Kings

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

Power wash my front driveway every year. Do a great job for a decent price. Very pleasant too.

That's not what most people in AH want to hear though!

no it's not.
please don't post this type of stuff again.

Sue Pa Key Pa

Dr Brown wrote: »

You have to feel sorry for elderly people who get taking in by them.

Apologies, obviously I would exclude vulnerable people from that comment

imme

Reputable quality tradespeople DON'T call door to door

It really is that simple

huddlejonny

...__... wrote: »

There are so many honest hardworking tradesmen who have lost thousands of days work due to
this "minorities" handie work.

There's not a van they cant break into nor a stolen power tool they cant sell.

I remember chasing many out of the garden at night as they tried to rob the workshop swinging a saw at them hoping Id whip an arm off.

Was it a Samurai Saw 😀

huddlejonny

...__... wrote: »

There are so many honest hardworking tradesmen who have lost thousands of days work due to
this "minorities" handie work.

There's not a van they cant break into nor a stolen power tool they cant sell.

I remember chasing many out of the garden at night as they tried to rob the workshop swinging a saw at them hoping Id whip an arm off.

Was it a Samurai Saw 😀

nuac

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

They're honestly hard honest workers.

I live in Mayo. That has not been my experience

punisher5112

nuac wrote: »

I live in Mayo. That has not been my experience

Don't worry its the same across the nation and any other country for that matter.

Spanish Eyes

Disconnect the doorbell. Install a little cctv connected to your laptop. If they rap on the door they are looking for business and if you don't know them, leave them.

Everyone else will know you and your number and will call you from outside.

I was plagued with this for a few years. ESB, Airtricity, Bord Gais, Jehovah's, gutter cleaning, driveway cleaning, you name it. Don't have a working doorbell now, although it looks like it still is!

Feck OFF already. If I want something done I will use my own phone/local recommendations thank you!

punisher5112

One only has to look at their graves to know they are cash rich and love anything to do with cash.

Look at the amount over the years that pull up to a Toyota dealer pay in cash and drive off in a new hiace or avensis.

We silly fools working and paying taxes among taxes have nothing while they're provided with everything and get to call you racist....

branie2

Part of the culture, boss

DubInTheWest

Dirt birds you'd have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't rob anything, then you're in danger of them robbing the eyes out of your head, and then coming back for your eyelashes lol

But yes trouble. Years ago they gave my mother a price, then when the job was done added an extra 100 quid on. She complained at first but they persisted and she ended up paying the extra 100. I wasn't around, such a pity!

Atlantic Dawn

Never ever ever ever do business at your front door, it will nearly always end in tears.

theoldbreed

I have yet to meet a traveller that has changed my opinion of them being no good scumbags.

We live in the countryside down a small lane so you notice someone who is noy supposed to be there. You have to be alert. They robbed a cement mixer from our yard a few years ago and tried to coax our dog into the van. Our dog is a retriever, big teddy. The only people he barks at are travellers. I didn't know he had a bark until them.

They have been chased off a fee properties here.

Never buy goods or a service from people who call to your door.

aujopimur

The lads down our way are very much above board when it comes to payment, Travellers Cheques only accepted.

jsd1004

BrianD3 wrote: »

The individuals that I and my relatives have encountered in recent years have been quite polished - they have business cards, are polite and look the part with clean and neat work clothes. They don't have stereotypical traveller accents or greet you with "Howaya boss".

Dig a little deeper though and suspicions arise. As already said, Fully Insured on a flyer or business card means nothing. Googling phone numbers throws up some interesting results with multiple business names in different locations apparently using the same mobile number. Websites with SEAI and other official looking logos on them - again, means nothing and actually should make a person suspicious.

Addresses given as being in a particular business park or industrial estate but no unit number given. The business park exists but if you go looking for the premises will you find it, probably not as it doesn't exist.

They usually have an imaginary landline listed too. Lasted fashion is calling door to door with full safety gear on..helmets hi viz jacket.. even a harness.

A Battered Mars Bar

Salt of the earth so they are. A group of them had the kindness to tell me my gutters were crooked and didn't comply with regulations. They fixed them right up. I had them in for tea and sandwiches. Poor old me had a broken tea pot and with a swipe of the hand by the traveller it was fixed. God bless I said. Ti b gaw draw chim saw, he said. Such beautiful lyrical speech.
I don't know how it happened but they now live with me and use my house as storage for their tarmacadam business. Even offered poor me an old job with them. I get paid with lodgings and sandwiches. They great.

branie2

Dud one of them look like Brad Pitt?

rafatoni

A neighbour of mine in south dublin (lady in her early 80s) had these very nice gents knock to the door and offer their services of cleaning the drive and gutters.

Anyway by pure chance i was in the queue with her in BOI to which she told me it would cost 10k to get this job done. Alarm bells straight away, i informed the very nice bank manager of the situation (he knew the lady for years coming in and out) took her into a room and had a chat with her, in the mean time the guards were called.

Guards went the house and arrested them straight away as they had done a number on a few people in the cavan area.

Absolute vermin.

Four Winds

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

Power wash my front driveway every year. Do a great job for a decent price. Very pleasant too.

That's not what most people in AH want to hear though!

Yeah, I think you’re making this up. Nobody gets their fcking driveway power-washed every year. Not even the mechanic up the road from me.

Pinch Flat

Ah sure the lads up the lane from me in porterstown West dublin are sound. They use the verge between the halting site and the road as an open air tip. They have bins on the site but won’t use them. Sure the open air tip is free. Dead handy. Just empty your bin over the wall. Sure throw in a few prams, TVs, fridges (the recycle Center is a few hundred yards away) etc and sure in no time it looks great. Every now and again when the rat infestation gets to crisis levels the council some out and clean it all up. Then they do it again. Good to see my hard earned taxes going to good use. Being going on all the 15 years I’ve lived in this area.

One of my neighbours who originally comes from the midlands had stolen property from his parents house recovered from the same site near us a few years ago, sound lads, they were just keeping it safe for him.

timthumbni

A small village near me in NI. The chemist had to hire a security guard when this lot moved in for about 6 months. They sent their kids in to shoplift on a multiple daily basis. In the end they put out pictures of items on the shelves (like they do with razor blades) of any item over a pound.

They were eventually moved on by the locals as the cops were powerless. Good job too.

Atlantic Dawn

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Never ever ever ever do business at your front door, it will nearly always end in tears.

Wise words and worth being quoted every few pages.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Wouldn't let them look in the gate

branie2

Another one of their "jobs" is "tarmacading" the driveway

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

as our good friend Alan Partridge so rightly pointed out

uck51js9zml2yt

I never do business at my front door. I don't care if the even have a reputable company's id hanging from their neck.

mloc123

The old woman across the street from us gets them in on a regular basis to powerhose her drive and other jobs. They make some meal of it...

Galwayguy35

I'd rather get someone qualified and insured to do work on my property rather than have to worry if the lads doing the job are scoping out the place, going to do a sh1te job or have an "accident" and put in a claim.

But you will always have gullible people who will part with their hard earned cash and it's a number game with the ethnic minority folks, keep knocking on doors until you find a soft target.

BTW always offer to pay by cheque, they hate that.

KildareFan

I had the driveway and gutters cleaned a couple of weeks ago. I googled and found someone who had a website, address, landline and mobile phone number, insurance etc. I phoned him, agreed a price, and he turned up on time, did an excellent job, accepted a cheque.... no problems. No idea what his ethnicity was other than he appeared caucasian.

demanufactured

Dr Brown wrote: »

With their new "ethnic minority" status they are basically untouchable were the law is concerned.

Really.... That's not what my dog thinks...

elperello

demanufactured wrote: »

Really.... That's not what my dog thinks...

Your dog may be a good judge of character but don't take any legal advice from him!

demanufactured

elperello wrote: »

Your dog may be a good judge of character but don't take any legal advice from him!

He isn't interested in giving legal advice..... He prefers to give chase to any vermin who enter the front gate.

elperello

demanufactured wrote: »

He isn't interested in giving legal advice..... He prefers to give chase to any vermin who enter the front gate.

You and he might be ok if he see's them off the premises.
On the other hand if he takes a lump out of one of them on the public road both of you will need legal advice.

demanufactured

Nah... He isnt allowed outside the gate.... And it's always locked.... So any vermin who make it Inside said gate are now trespassing... So they are breaking the law... And he smells them a mile off.. So they should take heed of his barking and not break the law.... Or else.

elperello

demanufactured wrote: »

Nah... He isnt allowed outside the gate.... And it's always locked.... So any vermin who make it Inside said gate are now trespassing... So they are breaking the law... And he smells them a mile off.. So they should take heed of his barking and not break the law.... Or else.

In that case you should be ok.
However as a general rule it's not a great idea to let Fido bite callers no matter what their business.

demanufactured

elperello wrote: »

In that case you should be ok.
However as a general rule it's not a great idea to let Fido bite callers no matter what their business.

He doesn't mind any one else just doesn't like "members of an ethnic minority"

punisher5112

demanufactured wrote: »

He doesn't mind any one else just doesn't like "members of an ethnic minority"

That's what I call a best friend....


Dogs are extremely good at reading people.... Smell I'm sure is a big give away ;-)

demanufactured

punisher5112 wrote: »

That's what I call a best friend....


Dogs are extremely good at reading people.... Smell I'm sure is a big give away ;-)

Yep.

elperello

Seriously though folks.

It looks like there are a good few of us big enough and ugly enough to deal with unwanted callers.
There are vulnerable people out there though who may not be as well able to handle the situation.
This is a link to some advice from AGS http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=8933

If you know anyone who is vulnerable you could do worse than print off a few of these for them.

Dr Brown

Our "ethnic minority" friends have been busy scamming people in Australia.

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/australasia/australian-mp-sparks-backlash-for-her-antiirish-comments-36276594.html