Abusive customer making threats

dancingfairy

Trouble with paying him off is:
1) you'd be engaging with him and would give him more opportunities to be rude/unpleasant to you
2) it still wouldn't stop him taking you to court if he so felt like it.
3) he could argue that you repaid him as there actually was a problem with what you'd done and go after more compensation.

I really wouldn't engage with any further conversation with him to be honest and just report him to the police if he persists with the threats/swearing.

Best of Luck
df
Edit: do you have professional insurance at all? If so and he goes further he can take it up with your lawyers if necessary.

rustyboy21

OP

Don't give him his money back. Write to him and say you will see him in Court.

I would then request a small claims court hearing close to yourself and hit him with a counter claim which should cover your time, Costs, energy and stress he has put you through.

Been there, done it got the T shirt and won. Don't give in !

Any further threats by phone, say that you are not willing to discuss with him the matter whilst he is swearing and hang up. Kep on doing this until he gives up

paddyrg

How much is your time worth? For £60 I'd be inclined to send a cheque and wish him to the devil.

Fact is, sounds like he's already 'troubled' far deeper than anything you could say or do or wish him.

Consider it a really cheap lesson, take cash upfront from hereon in, and get yourself some terms of business drawn up where the client will have 14/30/whatever days to reject work should they feel there's a problem, etc. Get each client to sign/agree to the terms before starting work. Take photos of the items as they arrive in their original condition and in the condition you return it in, and print and staple these to the agreed terms for that client... you get the idea - just make sure if you get another nutter down the road, if it does end up in court, that you have excellent evidence in your favour.

£60 is a cheap way to learn such a good business lesson ;-)

MothballsWallet

OP, if he's sending you abusive emails, he's in breach of the Telecommunications Act (2003) as that makes it a criminal offence to make or send abusive phone calls, texts, faxes or emails.

Also, if he's doing it repeatedly, he's also breaking the Harassment Act (1997).

I'd report the donkey to the police and see what they say.

ILW

Paying him anything will be taken as an admission of wrongdoing on your part.

I would just tell him to "do one".

Kittenonthekeys

dancingfairy wrote: »

Edit: do you have professional insurance at all? If so and he goes further he can take it up with your lawyers if necessary.

No, I don't have any professional ins. TBH, never had any problems with anyone before in 20 years of doing this work.
(Sorry, don't know how to do multiple quotes in one posting, so will have to respond separately!)

Kittenonthekeys

rustyboy21 wrote: »

OP

Don't give him his money back. Write to him and say you will see him in Court.

I would then request a small claims court hearing close to yourself and hit him with a counter claim which should cover your time, Costs, energy and stress he has put you through.

Been there, done it got the T shirt and won. Don't give in !

Any further threats by phone, say that you are not willing to discuss with him the matter whilst he is swearing and hang up. Kep on doing this until he gives up

BIB - can a 'defendent' actually request a hearing close to them? I assumed it had to be in the claimant's area?

ValHaller

I too would offer nothing. I would ignore it all until and unless there was a Letter Before Action. If it came from a solicitor, i would write back outlining the salient points - done to spec, email afterwards saying pleased, subsequent abusive emails "all of which might be laid before a court". And I would offer the £60 "in full and fiinal settlement without prejudice and without admission of liability purely as a means of bringing the matter to a close".

The solicitor would see that this was not a good case to litigate and would charge his client far more than the £60.

paddyrg

Also, mught be worth posting in the 'small business' forum here for some different eyes and thoughts

DCFC79

Kittenonthekeys wrote: »

No, I don't have any professional ins. TBH, never had any problems with anyone before in 20 years of doing this work.
(Sorry, don't know how to do multiple quotes in one posting, so will have to respond separately!)

Multiqote is the button/icon with the 2 speech bubbles on top of each other.