this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2025
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Aotearoa / New Zealand

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Recently I talked to three people who were ripped off by builders and tradies. One of them was out by more than a hundred thousand dollars, the others were in the tens of thousands of dollars.

People signed contracts and then didn't finish the job. In one case when confronted the builders said "you can't move in until I am done and if you don't accept this I won't be done for at least a year".

In the other case the contractor demanded double the money halfway into the build and contacted all other builders in the area and smeared the friend so that they didn't pick up the job.

In the third case the contractor took half the money up front, didn't show up for weeks, finally showed up for a few days and did a few things and the fucked right off. This was for about a 30K job.

Court costs are ten thousand dollars per day of trial (including prep work by the attorneys) so all of them had no choice but to take being ripped off. The tradie community seems pretty tight too so once you are ripped off you are known as a mark because all of them had issued with other tradies they hired afterwards.

Needless to say cops and the courts are useless.

Learn to do things on your own I guess. You can't trust any builder or tradie in NZ.

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[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (33 children)

It depends on what you mean. NZ is better than the majority, if not all of, the world's nations.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's definitely not better than all the nations. It's certainly not better than any country in the EU for example.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

New Zealand has ranked higher than the EU in terms of both democracy and happiness.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Why are you changing the topic?

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You say that like mentioning happiness and democratic stability in comparison to EU countries is irrelevant to the assertion that EU countries are somehow doing better than it.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

First of all the topic is corruption and a court system that doesn't work for the consumer.

Secondly those surveys are measuring people's feelings. We have gotten used to corruption and accept it as a fact of life. We don't get upset when we are ripped off or when government contracts are given to politically connected companies or when jobs in both the government and the private sector are given mostly on the basis of mateship, how likely it is that you can pronounce the name of the person and their skin color. Or when parliament hands up punishment based on the political party of the supposed offender.

To us that all seems normal and matter of fact so we don't get upset and go about our daily lives pretending all countries are also this corrupt.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You don't think the EU or its member states have any corruption? The streets of cities like Rome and Paris are filled with scammers whom they just let roam around to do their thing. Spain in particular has a massive burglary problem. UK police don't even necessarily trust themselves during public events. I know that in the very least, Auckland isn't lazy.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You don’t think the EU or its member states have any corruption?

Why the straw man? Did I say they had zero corruption?

I said they have less corruption.

The streets of cities like Rome and Paris are filled with scammers whom they just let roam around to do their thing.

That's not the same thing but hey if that's what you are going to hang your high horse on OK I guess.

Spain in particular has a massive burglary problem.

We are not talking about burglaries though.

UK police don’t even necessarily trust themselves during public events.

This sounds like something a right wing zealot would say. You aren't one of those wingnuts are you? One of those white supremacist trump loving idiots who hates everybody who isn't a white straight christian male.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They don't have less corruption though. They're literally dismantling their own democratic processes. New Zealand at least has its declared values in mind. And perhaps this is all not helped by their desire for American defense or by talks that Canada might join the EU. The rest of what I said were just pointers.

I am a transracially mixed race asexual woman from Vermont; you are shooting the messenger with overvigilance if you think I'm saying anything inspired by a random menagerie of bigotry.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They don’t have less corruption though.

I think they do.

They’re literally dismantling their own democratic processes.

Which ones?

New Zealand at least has its declared values in mind.

No they don't. Nobody cares about these so called declared values (whatever the fuck they are).

I am a transracially mixed race asexual woman from Vermont;

Sure you are. I totally believe you.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You can think what you want, and I'd respect that. I would not impose out of mere disagreement. But I am who I am.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Uh huh. Sure buddy. Whatever you say.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago

Why the skepticism anywho?

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Dude, I don't know what this conflict between you and her is about, but you've got to stop eventually. I can tell a certain amount of it is deception on your part, which is why you're already banned from both lemm.ee (something that happened multiple times) and on your lemmy.cafe account which your recent fedilore post that got removed (because it's deception) makes explicit, which means you are ban evading, something the people here take seriously. Maybe that's why some people said you were banned from Tumblr (where your posts are archived but where you aren't). Going by the rabbit hole, this deception of yours also got you banned from Reddit (quite a few times, more than can be linked), Twitter (as the user StalkDat; I'm not going to link to there as per the rules, but you are ban evading as StalkDeez), and DeviantArt (again, a few times; their forums are filled with your crusade), which has begun turning into a pedophilia website going by the replies to anyone bringing it up. You also recently had a video removed from YouTube, which they rarely do except in absolute emergencies; which, again, shows the gravity of the deception). I don't know how it could be easier to read the room. People are catching onto the fact that this is tiring and deceptive, and the modlogs being the modlogs doesn't make them accurate or honest.

Take your own advice. Disengage. Unless you're providing said advice only as a form of attack. In which case stop.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 1 points 3 days ago

Speak for yourself. I appreciate the added context.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

You're back on yet another alt.

you were banned from Tumblr

I was not banned from Tumblr, I deleted that blog because when I proved you wrong that your impersonation account was the person you're impersonating and I explained how you're banned from 10 instances on your main, you blocked me and deleted my replies on your blog. My posts had served their purpose and I'm not the biggest fan of Tumblr's UI, so I deleted my blog.

got you banned from Reddit

I've never had a Reddit account.

Twitter (as the user StalkDat)

I don't have an account on Twitter. The site owner is a Nazi.

your recent fedilore post

I don't have a recent fedilore post.

You seem to be conflating me with everyone who is wary of you. And it's perfectly normal and reasonable for lots of people to be wary of you considering you are a Kiwifarms troll with a history of Nazi apologia, and genocide denial. The links I just posted go to you own comments. May I ask why you are banning yourself from your own communities on your sockpuppet accounts and inserting a link about autism in the modlog? On some instances the "Filter by mod" feature allows a person to see which mod banned which person. Nobody's banning you for being autistic, that was something you completely made up.

[–] sicksigma@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

You’re back on yet another alt.

Agreed. See also https://sh.itjust.works/u/Jedikkeneus

I recommend not wasting your time arguing with her. It never goes anywhere, and drama for drama’s sake is what she wants.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm not an alt. I picked everything up from a conversation in the ModlogAbuse community. Stop referring to me as "you", because I'm a totally different animal.

I literally linked to the fedilore post. Shows you're lying out of your teeth.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

https://lemm.ee/modlog?page=1&actionType=All&userId=19444489 https://lemmy.wtf/modlog?page=1&actionType=All&userId=16883667 https://lemmy.wtf/modlog?page=1&actionType=All&userId=13651221

Right after your other alts got banned after 2 months of no activity this account suddenly comes back to life rushing to defend Leni. Sure, buddy.

literally linked to the fedilore post. Shows you’re lying out of your teeth.

It was a comment, not a post.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Isn't she getting banned all the time? That would make everyone who comes back after a long break suspicious. Not that it would be conclusive in the first place.

It was a comment, not a post.

Same difference. You even said on there that you couldn't post images on that instance in that post. Then miraculously you appeared on your current account to provide some.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

That would make everyone who comes back after a long break suspicious.

No, it wouldn't, because other people don't suddenly come back and immediately start defending a just-banned Kiwifarms troll with Nazi apologia and genocide denial in their posting history.

You even said on there that you couldn’t post images on that instance in that post.

I didn't say that. You're conflating me with someone else.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It wasn't sudden considering we just talked about where I picked up the information. I link to these. It shouldn't escape you where I'm coming from with this. Again, stop lying out of your teeth.

I also looked into much of it before coming by. I don't defend the Kiwifarms part unless she signed up to defend people at the source (look into that), but the claims she "denies" a genocide or "defend" Nazis are based on semantics. From the looks of it, she acknowledges the tangible actions. What other people do regarding her should be none of your business and shouldn't be publicly pressured by you.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

but the claims she “denies” a genocide or “defend” Nazis are based on semantics

You commented 50+ times in this thread where you doubled down on trolling about how the AfD aren't Nazis and how Elon Musk's Nazi salute wasn't a Nazi salute.

Here, you said Elon's Nazi salute "has been debunked though".

You dismissed what's happening to Palestinians as "war crimes" "not genocide".

unless she signed up to defend people at the source (look into that)

You made replies on Kiwifarms where you mocked people for being upset that you defended Kiwifarms as a "free speech" site on Lemmy, saying they're probably from two demographics who are most at odds with Kiwifarms (autistic and trans people). You also referred to people as lolcows there.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hence semantics. And once again, you're conflating me with someone else just because I said something about the issue. The whole AfD thing is a debate in its own right. Look, be mad at her if you want, but don't shoot the messenger and don't drag every single person on earth into it. You're obsessed.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Wow, that was fast. You watched the video already?

No, no you didn't. Otherwise you'd be responding with something else. Watch the video. Notice that's Simon Whistler speaking.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm not watching a YouTube video. One person saying the AfD aren't extremists does not prove anything. Did you look at the AfD's official posters?

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

One whole video versus two posters. You believe in the posters. And some people believe in the video. If one isn't conclusive proof, neither is the other. That's why people consider it a debate.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

You say that like you didn't just admit to ignoring the video I provided. And I'm not even defending them, you're just seeing an enemy everywhere you go.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Also, stop editing your comments after you post them to make the replier look bad. That's just dirty arguing.

[–] Joeyowlhouse@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm not. It's a habit to fix links, typos, formatting. You're already doing a good job of making yourself look bad by logging in to an inactive account and immediately rushing to defend a Kiwifarms troll whose alts got banned a few hours ago and saying the AfD being Nazi-aligned is "debatable" when I've posted the AfD's official posters and I also included links of the AfD's leaders using Nazi slogans.

[–] PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

Except we discussed that's not happening. I also wouldn't call inserting small bits like sentences about autism to be "fixing typos". Nice try. And I told you why all your other accusations are misapplied.

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