Guards don't help me, either. However, one time in Morthal, the thugs showed up, and I killed them. Then that boy who already had mental issues came along. He was in the middle of them, and went, "Ohh, dead body." He turned and went, "Ohh, dead body." He turned again, etc. This kept going for a while until he finally worked free of them. No joke. It was funny as heck at the time. I'm sure he's emotionally scarred now.

and that they need not to kill you but that the contractor has no qualms about it if they deem it necessary. And not most, every contract note has the same text for thieves

Also yeah, the guards don't help me either. They just stand about and look at me running or fighting them, and if I kill them they just approach one of the bodies and say "such a shame".

Who knows, maybe the thugs do some pro bono work as well, you know, to promote themselves.

Real lesson learned - don't loot their gear, it's crap. I just take their gold since well, who doesn't like gold?

Wanna know what else is funny? Sometimes the people you've killed will send hired thugs after you. Even in death they will get their revenge!

I seem to get Hired Thugs all the time for pickpocketing Carrots off of people... I just line them up as they are walking towards me and snipe them down one by one :3. Did you know If you hit one Hired Thug before they see or even talk to you the other 2 will walk normally as if nothing is happening.

Guards doesn't help me if http://imageshack.us/a/img13/7932/2013040500005b.jpg. And the thugs beat you as long as they kill you, you kill them or you run away. Sometimes they hurt me too much and then I would rather run and hide to survive than to risk my life by trying to fight them back.

Funny thing, I was just in Dawnstar near the iron mine's smelter, I waited, and two of them spawned in the middle of a tree and were stuck. I don't even know where the third one is. So I just sat there and killed them, didn't find the letter so I don't know who I pissed off.

They're thugs. They don't understand this no kill idea.

Perhaps it's just a normal part of Skyrim life...got a problem with someone? Kill them with thugs. It would explain why the guards do nothing about it.

I actually have a funny "Hired Thug" story. It's nowhere near as good as my first marriage story, but it's still pretty cool.

I usually skill pickpocketing right after becoming thane of Whiterun in game, and this is usually pretty early. So obviously after "Dragon Rising" I get free level ups by jacking amethysts and the like and afterwards it's off to the throat of the world. Now, it's important to remember that I do not fast travel, so walking from Whiterun through Riverwood, making a stop at Fort Neugrad (? whichever is closest to Pale Pass) and finally through Ivarstead to the top of the mountain. Well, after the whole deal with the Greybeards teaching you whirlwind sprint I go back in the monastary and who do I find in the lobby? Hired thugs lounging around the stone benches. I hope the implication is that they followed me all the way up the mountain and didn't just spawn there, since the note indicated they were under contract from Olfrid Battle-Born.

Anyway, the Greybeards did an excellent job of observing their nonviolent ways as Lydia got her skull crushed by a warhammer and I eventually used a fear spell (They were too powerful for Fury) for CC and pick them off.

Gerdur sent hired thugs after my druid. I guess I accidentally picked up something marked as stolen in her house after she gave the help yourself and stay as long as you like speech.