Abusive customer making threats

Equaliser123

gb12345 wrote: »

Obviously no one in their right mind would use a solicitor for something like this, but the OP is dealing with someone who is not playing with a full deck, so anything is a possibility.

Yeah, but if the nutter guy uses a solicitor, the fees will massively outweigh the claim. So even if (perversely) he was to win, he will still be out of pocket as no costs will be awarded against OP.

George_Michael

One thing to bear in mind is that there may not actually be any intended malice from the customer concerned.

What's been happening certainly doesn't sound like something a rational person would do so it's a possibility that they could be a dementia sufferer (or something similar) and may not actually be mentally aware of what they are doing.

RuthnJasper

Kittenonthekeys wrote: »

Yeah, it did seem to be too good to be true, getting away with it for 20 years!
With the notable example, of course, of afore-mentioned non-payer who pretended to be dead....

BTW, it gets even better, as I'd totally forgotten to mention this at the beginning - it is apparently poised to form a crucial part of Whacko's 'case' against me - he is claiming that I have made the item resemble his neighbour :T

Bl**y hell! :eek:

I've had something vaguely similar to this myself. I used to work for a famous educational establishment and a parent tried to sue because their child (an idle layabout) failed an A-Level. There was much personal and deeply unpleasant abuse bellowed down our 'phones, spewed into our email inboxes and sent via snail-mail. All bad enough, but somehow worse because I and certain of the subject's teachers had put a LOT of time and effort into extra tuition and advice for the student.

The key point of the case was over a lengthy coursework essay which formed 30% of the total marks. It was blindingly obvious to my colleagues and I that the parent had written the essay, not the student! Key phrases and slurs against the school staff had been repeated almost verbatim in the closing summary of the essay! :think:

It went almost all the way to court; many meetings with solicitors, etc., and all the parent achieved was a hefty fee for being made to look an even bigger t*t than they did to begin with.

Kitten - from your posts you sound like a really nice person and I am so sorry that you are having to go through this. Please don't give in to this or let it grind you down. I also agree with the other posters who advise not paying the £60, outside eyes would look at it (probably) as a clear admission of your culpability.

Please keep us posted; we're rooting for you! Keep smiling...

Best wishes. x

Kittenonthekeys

George_Michael wrote: »

One thing to bear in mind is that there may not actually be any intended malice from the customer concerned.

What's been happening certainly doesn't sound like something a rational person would do so it's a possibility that they could be a dementia sufferer (or something similar) and may not actually be mentally aware of what they are doing.

You may well be right, but how can I possibly know what, if anything, is wrong with this person? Who am I going to ask?
All I can do is try to protect myself and my business.

dawn_rose

I can uderstand you saying its only 60 quid but for me its the principle of the matyter and if he does it once he could try it again elsewhere. id email back saying its been 2yrs and no refund also that you have forwarded all abusive emails to the police. Hopefully he'll disappear. x

somethingcorporate

What an awesome thread!

Any chance you can post up some of his emails (with any identifying info removed and edited for a family audience) so we could all have a good belly laugh!

unholyangel

Kittenonthekeys wrote: »

You may well be right, but how can I possibly know what, if anything, is wrong with this person? Who am I going to ask?
All I can do is try to protect myself and my business.

If he has been threatening violence, you could contact his local health board/co-ordinators and make them aware, he may not have any friends or family to do it for him.

It may be that he was self managing previously but has now reached the stage where he needs supervision, isnt taking his meds or perhaps hasnt been diagnosed yet and its just a recent thing.

Had something similar with parents neighbour. Started out just getting names mixed up and over years progressed to threats then progressed further into physically accosting people, throwing sticks at people or even throwing buckets of water over them.

Eventually they decided that as she was a danger to herself and others, she could no longer live on her own (even with assistance).

Such a shame too because she was always lovely and friendly when I was younger. Her mental decline really only started a few years after her husband died.

Kittenonthekeys

somethingcorporate wrote: »

What an awesome thread!

Any chance you can post up some of his emails (with any identifying info removed and edited for a family audience) so we could all have a good belly laugh!

Tempting, but not quite sure if I should, or not at least perhaps not before its been resolved.

unholyangel wrote: »

If he has been threatening violence, you could contact his local health board/co-ordinators and make them aware, he may not have any friends or family to do it for him.

It may be that he was self managing previously but has now reached the stage where he needs supervision, isnt taking his meds or perhaps hasnt been diagnosed yet and its just a recent thing.

Had something similar with parents neighbour. Started out just getting names mixed up and over years progressed to threats then progressed further into physically accosting people, throwing sticks at people or even throwing buckets of water over them.

Eventually they decided that as she was a danger to herself and others, she could no longer live on her own (even with assistance).

Such a shame too because she was always lovely and friendly when I was younger. Her mental decline really only started a few years after her husband died.

He hasn't threatened any violence; at least not as yet.
Although I understand and respect what you're saying, I don't really want to get involved with that or go down that road.
If it escalates, I will just contact the police and leave them to deal with it as they find appropriate.

RuthnJasper

Kittenonthekeys wrote: »

Tempting, but not quite sure if I should, or not at least perhaps not before its been resolved.



He hasn't threatened any violence; at least not as yet.
Although I understand and respect what you're saying, I don't really want to get involved with that or go down that road.
If it escalates, I will just contact the police and leave them to deal with it as they find appropriate.

Kit (if I may!),

I completely agree with your stance; If I were in your place I wouldn't want to involve myself in these issues, though I do understand and have great sympathy for situations that ARE based in dementia or some other sort of head-trauma. I also wouldn't want anyone to misinterpret my actions in that I might be making allegations of mental infirmity as "revenge" for the customer's slurs. It's a murky and litigious road, paved with the debris of misunderstandings past...

Besides, there is more than sufficient information in your initial post to suggest to me that this customer was a belligerent reason-vacuum when he first brought his commission to Kitty's business two years ago. Clearly there was something with a scaly-piscine-like aroma about the deal at that time (odd emails, over-specific instructions, etc.), which doesn't smack of a sudden decline but rather, as others have suggested, of either a need for ready cash and thoughts that kicking KittyontheKey's litter tray is a good way to get some, or further damage (by the dog or others) to the item recently, which the customer wants Kitty to repair for free.

Keep smiling Kitty (watch out for those furballs though!)
x

atrixblue.-MFR-.

wow call most haunted he's dead and has risen from his death bed as poltergiest and is communicating via e-mail to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uxIo4t7xM