Anybody get a surprise visit from a plumber?

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

I just had a guy show up at my door saying he was the plumber and he needed to get into the cellar to fix broken pipes.

Well, i didnt call any plumber, so i asked at the other apartments. Nobody at my place called a plumber. We figured he had the wrong house but he couldnt give us a customer name.

Now this might have just been a mistake, or maybe somebody made a prank call to the plumber. But this made me suspicious.

People: If a repairman comes to the door and you didnt call him, check with your landlord/tenants before letting him in!

And, if this is happening at other houses around town, i sure would like to hear about it.

Comments

[viellen]

He couldn't give a customer name? That's really sketchy. Did you see a company badge on him at all?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

most small contractors don't have company badges the way the cable company and gas company do. but yeah, that sounds really sketchy. particularly without a customer name (particularly the landlord's name).

[darthcr1.livejournal.com]

I used to work in an office in Kendall Square, where this sort of thing happened a lot. There was a ring of thieves that posed as repair men, delivery guys, the "water cooler" guy among others. After we had some laptops stolen, the police told us that this group had been in and out of the area for a couple of years.

So, yeah. if someone wants into your house and your landlord doesn't let them in, or you don't get a heads up from the landlord, tell them to go back to their van and call their office. They can have their boss call your landlord and then the landlord call you with the okay.

Even if they know the landlord's name it doesn't mean they're okay, it just means they were smart enough to check who owned the building.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

The idea of asking for the customer's name was in case he was looking for a neighbor's house. While being able to give a name doesn't prove that he's cool, being unable to give a name is a little weird.

[magickcat.livejournal.com]

You didn't let him in, right?!
Damn, that's so shady.

[simply-juniper.livejournal.com]

That is very shady. I'm glad you didn't let him in. I always ask for identification, even (or perhaps especially) from those coming to the door looking for money for such and such charity. I just like to know who's coming into my house or asking for money is legit.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

the guy doesn't know who he's working for? but he got the address right? does he even know what he's about to work on? or why?

i would ask for his card. doesn't have a card? sketchy, have him provide his name, work phone #, call to verify... THEN

ask to see his id / driver's license - as in, slip it through the door - take a digi-pic of it, and/or write the info down. same name he gave? or does he run for it. casually mention that you'd like to call his employer or perhaps verify with landlord or police.

if he drove in, get his plate #s too.

regardless, call your landlord and verify. if the landlord says "huh" call the police. lock the basement door too :P

#

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

There was a string of rapes in the Boston suburbs at houses that were up for sale. A guy would come to the house and say that he wanted to look at it, but his realtor wasn't able to join him that day, so he just wanted to look on his own.

Creepy people come up with all kinds of stories to get in places.