so there's no question about it: I'm Stupid. Notice the capital S. This post may not be helpful for the majority of AW members, but if you've ever questioned your intelligence and you're in a hurry, skip to the last paragraph - it may save you some money (and dignity).
Ten years ago, I was working for a church. A guy came up and started talking to my helper and me. About 15 minutes later, he said he was working for the pastor on the corner building and wanted to do a little cleaning up. He asked to borrow my backpack blower. "Sure. No problem. Take the push broom and shovel too." As soon as he was out of earshot, my helper said, "WTF are you doing? You just lost a 450 dollar blower." "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Didn't you hear him? He wants to help the pastor." My helper laughed. And when we couldn't find the guy, he didn't let me forget it.
Another helper wanted to buy my boat for 10k. "Sure. No problem." I drew up a contract. We agreed that I'd deduct 25% of his paycheck each week until it was paid off. He worked about a month before Katrina hit. When I got back from a two-week evacuation, he had burned up the engine trying to rescue people stranded on their roofs. When I asked about the boat, he said it was being fixed. This went on for weeks. Finally, I got tough and said, "Please, just tell me where the boat is." He gave me the name of the marina. Nothing had been done and the cost of repair was more than the boat was worth. My helper? Got depressed from the sights of Katrina and took his life.
Then there's the contractor. Got ahead of me by 16k before I had to fire him for shoddy work. After 1 1/2 years, my wife and I are still living in the den as we save to redo his work and finish our bedroom and master bath.
The latest happened yesterday. A guy walks up my drive and calls to me in my detached office/workshop. He wants to take a dent out of my daughter's car (compliments of a hit and run driver). We talk about replacing a mirror (compliments of a driveby), painting a few rust spots, and fixing her electric window. We agree on a cash price. After a few hours, I'm called again. The dent is fixed, but covered with globs of turtle wax. The window needs a part, which they will order and install when it comes in. Same for the mirror. I look over the car and see turtle wax in all the spots that they painted. I was told it had to dry before I removed it, and the paint would look just like new. I paid them all but a few bucks for the mirror and window part that they agreed to fix. I'm not stupid. If I paid them everything, they wouldn't come back. Well, when the wax dried, I wiped it off. Globs of it. Yep, to hide the rust spots they didn't paint and the pathetic dent removal job. And their telephone number? Yep, disconnected. I really hope this doesn't help any of you - I'd hate to think there are others as stupid. Sorry I don't have any cash for all of you, but you know what they say about a fool and his money...
Ten years ago, I was working for a church. A guy came up and started talking to my helper and me. About 15 minutes later, he said he was working for the pastor on the corner building and wanted to do a little cleaning up. He asked to borrow my backpack blower. "Sure. No problem. Take the push broom and shovel too." As soon as he was out of earshot, my helper said, "WTF are you doing? You just lost a 450 dollar blower." "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Didn't you hear him? He wants to help the pastor." My helper laughed. And when we couldn't find the guy, he didn't let me forget it.
Another helper wanted to buy my boat for 10k. "Sure. No problem." I drew up a contract. We agreed that I'd deduct 25% of his paycheck each week until it was paid off. He worked about a month before Katrina hit. When I got back from a two-week evacuation, he had burned up the engine trying to rescue people stranded on their roofs. When I asked about the boat, he said it was being fixed. This went on for weeks. Finally, I got tough and said, "Please, just tell me where the boat is." He gave me the name of the marina. Nothing had been done and the cost of repair was more than the boat was worth. My helper? Got depressed from the sights of Katrina and took his life.
Then there's the contractor. Got ahead of me by 16k before I had to fire him for shoddy work. After 1 1/2 years, my wife and I are still living in the den as we save to redo his work and finish our bedroom and master bath.
The latest happened yesterday. A guy walks up my drive and calls to me in my detached office/workshop. He wants to take a dent out of my daughter's car (compliments of a hit and run driver). We talk about replacing a mirror (compliments of a driveby), painting a few rust spots, and fixing her electric window. We agree on a cash price. After a few hours, I'm called again. The dent is fixed, but covered with globs of turtle wax. The window needs a part, which they will order and install when it comes in. Same for the mirror. I look over the car and see turtle wax in all the spots that they painted. I was told it had to dry before I removed it, and the paint would look just like new. I paid them all but a few bucks for the mirror and window part that they agreed to fix. I'm not stupid. If I paid them everything, they wouldn't come back. Well, when the wax dried, I wiped it off. Globs of it. Yep, to hide the rust spots they didn't paint and the pathetic dent removal job. And their telephone number? Yep, disconnected. I really hope this doesn't help any of you - I'd hate to think there are others as stupid. Sorry I don't have any cash for all of you, but you know what they say about a fool and his money...
wait don't take that the wrong way.
