cold call guttering cowboys

[fitch]

On Tuesday an Irish bloke rang the doorbell wanting to know whether we needed any guttering replaced. We did and like an idiot I let them start.

A couple of blokes turned up, one who called himself Matthew, and proceeded to literally rip off the guttering, the fascia board and the timber underneath. They then said that the rafters were rotten and when I took a look there was absolutely nothing wrong.

When I started shouting at them and almost went to fetch a blunt instrument they ran off leaving us with a shambles on the ground and having to find someone to repair the damage.

Okay, I was a complete plonker, but please don't make the same mistake.

[Sue]

At least you didn't pay them in advance.

[fitch]

No. The guy who came to the door was about 35-40 and coincidentally (?) someone else came today, looking very efficient, with a smart looking brochure asking the same question. In retrospect I should have looked at his brochure but didn't give him enough time to show it to me.

I'm not saying they were connected, but the missing guttering is at the back of the house and although it can be seen from the road you have to be looking pretty hard to notice it.

Maybe I'm getting paranoid.