Dispute over garden fence job leads to viral revenge
A painter and decorator from Finishing Touch Sprayers was left furious after a customer refused to pay for a garden fence painting job. The homeowner had requested the original brown wood be painted dark grey, but after completion, claimed dissatisfaction and declined to settle the bill.
Painter takes action after non-payment
The tradesman, who said he had 'worked really hard' on the job, decided to take matters into his own hands. In a TikTok video, he showed the disputed grey fence and announced: 'Can't pay, we'll take it away.' He applied paint stripper and used a pressure washer to remove the grey paint, restoring the panels to their original golden brown colour.
'Took our paint back because [the] customer wouldn't pay,' he stated, asking viewers: 'Would you do the same?' In a follow-up post, he revealed the customer now wants him to repaint the fence, offering to pay double upfront.
Viewers react to the fence dispute
The viral footage sparked a flurry of responses. One viewer said: 'Never understand why people think they can just not pay for work done...no one has any morals anymore.' Another joked: 'Looks better now,' while a different user commented: 'I'll never understand why people ruin their fences with awful grey paint. I bet they were glad they didn't pay now.' Another TikTok user chimed in: 'You did them a favour, looks fab.'
However, one viewer clarified: 'You think a pressure washer took the paint off? He clearly added a paint stripper then pressure washed it off. Hence the before look.'
Consumer rights guidance on payment disputes
Consumer rights experts at Resolver have provided guidance for dealing with tradespeople. According to a spokesperson: 'If the tradesman failed to deliver what you expected when undertaking work you need to ensure you raise the issue with them as you notice it. It is important not to let lots of little things add up and fester as then they became hard to resolve. First raise the immediately and if you can keep a record of issues that you have raised and what was agreed.'
The guidance concludes: 'If you do not pay then the tradesman has the right to remove what they have done or they may take you to Court. You should therefore be fair and reasonable in your approach.'
