anyone ever been ripped off ? stabbed in the back etc

[flare]

Hello All!

Ive been running my own business now for around a year, and by god do you meet some horrible folk! Ive had people not pay me for a job, people go behind my back - freinds knowing i had the job price agreed etc...then on purpose go in much lower leaving me out of pocket., some freind eh! go a 50 / 50 venture into the job and discover at the end the other guy was taking more money from the job, recently been supposed to be a partner with this guy where we do the larger jobs toghether so ive been splitting all my work with him and he hasnt been returning the favour, then on his jobs the money isnt split equally i find it really unfair but perhaps im too soft to be in business! tho i dont see the harm in splitting things 50 / 50 if you go into the same job togheter! considering we are both carpenters on the same level! so i just feel that ive given and helped loads and recived nothing but a kick in the face back! I think people just see the greed and want more and more money and dont really care about being fair about it! does bsuiness always have to be this ruthless sometimes?

 

[Bucephalas69]

Some people are parasites. They will feed off anyone they find weaker than themselves.
We live in a predatory ecology. If there's a buck to be made by hook or by crook you can sure bet that you'll find a million unscrupulous gits for every ethical guy out there.

Your not the first to be screwed over and won't be the last.
Why do you think so many "philanthropists" give back money later in life?
It's because to get it in the first place they screwed over many people. What they didn't account for later in life was the accidental development of a conscience or a morbid fear of their oncoming death and are trying to make up for it.
Keep your nerve and don't doubt that your way is the right way. You will be able to sleep at night!

 

[G. Lasagne]

i wouldnt split a job i obtained 50/50.
Get a sub contractor who appreciates the work and pay him per day, better still get a full time employee which works for me.

 

[flare]

I have had the chance to do what these people have done to me but i just cant bring myself to do it! Well im not going to change now, GasAngel i think that would be the best way, to have a subbie who is happy to work for a half decent day rate, as long as everyone is happy i guess and we aint screwing anyone over to get what we want! Its just a game i cant be ar*ed with!

 

[Kev Jaques]

Are the apprenticeship schemes not still running for carpenters and joiners? I did mine 25 years ago. If I was still doing that and had my own company I would certainly look to get a young lad or lass on board with day release.
You get to pass your skills on and teach them more than they could learn at college/uni.
As GasAngel said also getting a subbie on would mean they could be pretty much up to speed with a couple of meetings and be thankful for the work.
One of my m8s up in Blackpool is still a chippie, they are struggling up there due to the housing market, if you are up in that neck of the woods I would recommend him.

 

[CKG]

I was ripped off big time in my last business venture by my 50/50 partner.

He trousered quite alot of wonga behind my back. And took on a contract to finish a development (that our company was working on) that went bump half way through owing us about £20K.

I only found out what he was up to when I turned up on site mob handed early on a sunday morning to ransack our materials out of the properties.

There he was working merrily away. Turns out he was in cahoots with the architect, who was a complete crook too.

Other than that I tend to keep myself to myself and don't get much bother from the riff raff element.

Though I did have an employee touting my customers ready for his move into self employment.

Good thing is my customers stuck by me and all of them phoned me to make me aware of what he was up to. Which was good of them.

 

[estwig]

The attempts to screw me are relentless, I like to play fair with people, some folk see this as a weakness and try to screw me. Some have succeeded in the past, but each successful attempt to screw me only ever happens once. The trick is not too let it make you cynical and bitter.

In order to do business, you have to put a certain amount of faith in human nature and you have to be seen as someone decent to do business with.

Don't let 'em get to you mate, rise above it, learn, move on.

 

[stugster]

I've been invoicing estwig for the past year in small amounts and his other half hasn't realised yet. I've got a good couple of grand out of him and he's none the wiser!

 

[lockie]

Loads of one armed takers around, pass them work but never get it back, only one arm to take with. After a while you learn whos good and who isnt and only pass jobs to the right people who will reciprocate it.
I too have seen the p### takers but they dont survive with that tactic for too long as word gets around to others in the trade what they are like.

 

[estwig]

I've been invoicing estwig for the past year in small amounts and his other half hasn't realised yet. I've got a good couple of grand out of him and he's none the wiser!

Well now that ain't gonna happen, cause Mrs estwig is Scottish and as you well know, that means she is tighter than a gnats ar*s!!!

Getting money outta the company secretary, being a typical Scot, you need a spanner to get 50p outta her hand!!!

 

[mpen]

I got ripped off big time around twenty years ago, I sold my business to one of my best mates, did the deal on a hand shake, helped to transfer the business over to him, introduced him to all my customers, worked with him for 4 months, gave him 4 months grace before he had to start paying me £1500 a month for 4 years, I got £4500 and he told me to f off. he ran it for around 5 years and sold it for big bucks.

I made me very bitter for a long time, but time moves on, I met up with him a couple of years ago and we deal with each other on a weekly basis now.

I will be a lot more cautious this time around, but their are still some decent people around.

 

[roofing solutions]

yeah everyone tries to fook ya, the best thing to do probably isn't the nicest. If someone tries to screw you over you teach them a lesson it'll only take a couple of slaps for word to get around that your not to be f**ked with. You might not make any friends this way but you'd probably make more money!

 

[maxine]

I just think that when I look back you do kind of weed out that sort of crap early on say in the first year so hopefully a lot of that is behind you now and you have got through it with your integrity intact

Treat everyone with caution but don't loose complete faith.

I think we have been luckier than a lot of people in our plumbing and plastering business as my husband was able to blame a lot of stuff on me and hide behind the "office" which I didn't mind at all as it stopped him getting dragged into lots of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours discussions

 

[MH1]

freinds knowing i had the job price agreed etc...then on purpose go in much lower leaving me out of pocket., some freind eh!

You need to keep quiet a bit more.

Had a couple of guys try to rip me off over the years, last one was a bit silly, it was only £180, but he decided I wouldn't do anything for such a small amount.

He paid me back once he was back on his feet, plus interest.

I am suprised people will deal with such guys again, leopards do not change their spots.

 

[mpen]

this is ****, you should be able to look someone in the eye, shake his hand and do a deal.

or am I just waiting to get screwed again.

no Im a good judge am I?

I don't belive everyone is after ripping me off

 

[CKG]

yeah everyone tries to fook ya, the best thing to do probably isn't the nicest. If someone tries to screw you over you teach them a lesson it'll only take a couple of slaps for word to get around that your not to be f**ked with. You might not make any friends this way but you'd probably make more money!

I used to work with a painter that took that approach.

The architect was avoiding signing off the interim payments on a development we were on one month for some reason so he dragged him up the top of the scaffolding by his throat and dangled him over the edge untill he agreed to bring a cheque down to site for him later that day.

He got his money.

 

[strikingedge]

I do believe in Karma...what goes around come back around twice as hard and hits them in in the goolies!

I am quite forward looking, so although I have dealt with and been ripped off by a number of people, the animosity tends to fade after a while.

However, Karma does sometimes need a helping hand and these guys shouldn't be able to get away with it...so I keep a C**T list of the worst offenders. When I have a bit more time, I will dig out the list and visit retribution upon those gits unto the 3rd generation

 

[scribe]

Getting ripped off is a learning curve.Get rid of the dead wood but you have to be a bit harder otherwise the sharks will eat you alive ,good luck.

 

Getting ripped off is a fact of life. Just because you wouldn't do something or behave in a certain way yourself does not mean that others wouldn't.

I have been surprised by the people who have ripped me off over the years, and a good percentage of them got the chance because of some personal link or other, no matter how small.

I only get caught in a certain way once though, and am becoming more and more difficult to rip off in any way tbh.

 

last week i was looking at my key words ext and clicked on a site and found they had my images as there work the cheeky buggers so i emailed them and they have removed the work ,some people

 

[Afaia]

Keep your integrity and don't stoop to the level of those who have ripped you off. Your reputation will benefit in the long run.

But you must learn how to protect yourself better. Can you get a deposit for work on the day you start? And interim payments if it is big job?

As has already been said, do not tell anyone else what you are quoting for or how much. Don't give them information they could use to screw you.

I would never take a partner. Sub-contract or employ people. If you have got the work then you should be in charge, even if someone else will do some or all of it. Work out what their contribution is worth and pay them accordingly but do not tell them what the whole job is worth, or let them anywhere near the cash.

 

[RobAtPressDispensary]

I would never take a partner. Sub-contract or employ people.

Personally, I would take a partner and am in business with partners now. But it has to be on a strictly business level, with properly negotiated binding agreements, and provisions in place to cover the possibilities of rip-off. I would never assume that a friend would remain a friend once I went into business with him/her.

Rob

 

[flare]

thanks guys some real good advice there, some of the **** that goes on eh. well it seems like now its happened to me that it will be harder to do again next time. Im over it already!

time to move on

 

[flare]

just to add to this.... like estwig says you got to trust in human nature sometimes..... tho sometimes it feels like you have seen human nature at its ugliest.

I mean you see the greedy people, people that would step on anyone to get what they want. Whats the point once you get what you want you will probably feel empty still. Just youve upset and ripped off a load of people on the way.

For me i seriously doubt some people sometimes and see their business ventures as acts of greed, its pretty ugly at the lenghts people will go to, to get ahead.

Of course i am ambitous and i feel i want something better for myself. But im not prepared to f**k people over to get what i want and to step on people and cause misery, yes id like a comfortable lifestyle. But im not prepared to turn over greedy, ruthless and damn right selfsish.

Just feels like ive seen alot of ugly **** since i started and to be honest i dont have time for half the **** that goes on. People need to have a long hard look at themselves, perhaps think before they act at times. At the end of the day whats the point in causing so much suffering to others just so u can get ahead, its no wonder why so many people once they are millionaires give back when they are older.

For me loads of money is a path of emptiness............

 

[Mel72]

Hi Flare

I am still not sure what line of trade you are in. But I represent with masses of Trade Training companies at Frank Comms . Have a look on the website and click on the frame. I can introduce you to any of those MD's and they will gladly allow you to circulate a sits vac advert amongst their students for free.

They are hungry for work, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, locksmiths etc..

Thanks

Mel

 

[sas carpentry]

While sub-contracting last year I got shafted by some one I trusted to the tune of £300,good luck to them if they need it more than my family!

Ill never work for them again needless to say ,it's there loss.

 

[wholesale_uk]

Hello All!

Ive been running my own business now for around a year, and by god do you meet some horrible folk! Ive had people not pay me for a job, people go behind my back - freinds knowing i had the job price agreed etc...then on purpose go in much lower leaving me out of pocket., some freind eh! go a 50 / 50 venture into the job and discover at the end the other guy was taking more money from the job, recently been supposed to be a partner with this guy where we do the larger jobs toghether so ive been splitting all my work with him and he hasnt been returning the favour, then on his jobs the money isnt split equally i find it really unfair but perhaps im too soft to be in business! tho i dont see the harm in splitting things 50 / 50 if you go into the same job togheter! considering we are both carpenters on the same level! so i just feel that ive given and helped loads and recived nothing but a kick in the face back! I think people just see the greed and want more and more money and dont really care about being fair about it! does bsuiness always have to be this ruthless sometimes?

The problem is some people have a conscience and others do not, when you have a conscience you expect others to act in a manner that you would also act in, however you don't take into account that they don't have a conscience.

Trust should work both ways, the same thing has happened to me, I built a website for someone and was supposed to receive half the takings but got nothing, I was completely ripped off. It seems in business that gentlemens agreements no longer stand, and unless things are written down on paper and signed then a handshake means nothing !