Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay the window cleaner?

Am I the only person who thinks these real life "money moral dilemmas" are not dilemmas? I much prefer the old style one's, which at least made you think....

For instance, this is the simplest question ever posted. You've not paid, you've told the window cleaner you don't want your windows cleaned by him. So you're under no obligation to pay.

Simple as can be.

I wonder if the "consideration before the fact" would work here - meaning that payment has to be agreed before goods or services are provided. You cannot turn up and clean someone's car and then turn around and say you want payment for this. He is turning up and cleaning your windows and saying he wants payment. You did not arrange or agree to this.

I most certainly would not pay, as others have said this could be taken as agreement to having your windows cleaned. It may well be a way of trying to drum up trade - he might think he might as well clean your windows while he is cleaning the others (I assume "A" still gets the windows cleaned?) and chance that you will start to feel guilty enough to pay him.

I'd pay him this time (as long as this is the first time)

But I would explain to him that I hadn't contracted his services before, and wouldn't be doing so again, but as he may have made a mistake by cleaning the wrong windows then as I have received the service (unless I'd already done them myself that week) I'd only be paying this time. If he turns up again there will be no payment.

I'd also put a note in my front window, stating 'No Windows to be cleaned - will NOT pay.'

Seems very difficult to get yourself blacklisted here!!! I'd hate to be the neighbour who asked for my windows to be cleaned - maybe their'ye missing out!!!!

pennypinchUK wrote: »

Am I the only person who thinks these real life "money moral dilemmas" are not dilemmas? I much prefer the old style one's, which at least made you think....

For instance, this is the simplest question ever posted. You've not paid, you've told the window cleaner you don't want your windows cleaned by him. So you're under no obligation to pay.

Simple as can be.

I agree. I read the question and thought "That's not a dilemma". It's simple - you didn't ask him to clean the windows, so you don't pay him. If he wants to clean your windows, whether by mistake or not, he does so for free.

If someone sent you a £200 bottle of champagne in the post unsolicited and then said you owed them £200, would you pay? Of course not!

Just because it's probably only a fiver or so, the principle isn't any different.

If you didn't request the service it's not your problem, you have no moral obligation to pay and you've just got a freebie thanks to your daft/sneaky window cleaner (who very well may be touting for business).