We are located in a small town, a pilgrimage centre. So, there is generally a tendency to trust people. Unfortunately some bad actors abuse the trust placed on them. An example below, where the protagonist had earlier supplied a printer to our office, with payment only after delivery.
Unfortunately, I trusted him with two personal laptops for repair, and the timeline is shown below. On initial contact, he asked for 100% payment in advance, and I agreed. Would it take a week? Two weeks? A month? He said that it would take only 10 days or so, not longer.
12 July 2022 - paid Rs. 7950 + 5200
13 July 2022 - paid Rs 800 more -
18 July 2022 - paid Rs. 5000 more -
Now starts the delay after delay.
30 July 2022 - There was no response on 21st or 22nd, when he was supposed to deliver. I waited a whole week, then sent a message asking him to give a realistic date. He sends a picture of a Covid-19 rapid test, saying he tested positive today. It's only humane to wait - so I did not ask again - for two weeks. Since there was no message at all from him, on 15 Aug, I sent a message asking if he has tested negative for Covid.
15 Aug 2022 -
So the promised date was 18 Aug. But no.
On 23rd Aug, he brought one laptop. Hinge display issue was fixed, but overheating issue remained. Instead of 8 GB RAM, only 6 GB RAM had been installed (so he took out a 2 GB stick and put in a 4 GB stick?) No explanation, no word about why this was so ...
Then he wanted to take the hard disk mounting bracket for the 2nd laptop. I told him to bring the laptop to the office and install it from there. He said he would bring it by 4 pm. Again no show. So, the current status is that he promises to deliver, but has not delivered - multiple times.
Yesterday, 28th Aug - the message from the Security Officer was to give him an ultimatum - if no laptop within this week, complaint will be filed with the police.
Then I sent a message to some of my local contacts, warning about this person. 6 of them got back, saying that they too had burnt their hands with him!
Unfortunately, if we keep quiet about such behaviour, we are enabling further abuse of trust.
Update: 4 Sep was the ultimatum last date. On 3 Sep I get a set of messages from him that he is bringing the laptop "after lunch". Finally, on 4 Sep, he delivered it in the morning. Then he promised to add more RAM to the other laptop where only 6 GB had been installed. On 5 Sep, he tried adding two 4 GB sticks. Machine did not boot. Apparently one of the 4 GB sticks was defective. He said he will replace.
Update: On 15 Sep, he came again with another memory module, tried it on the Lenovo laptop which had only 6 GB instead of the promised 8 GB, didn't work. Said will replace, if he can take the laptop to his office and test with various modules. I said OK, no hurry, so he said he would return the laptop the next day and took the Lenovo laptop. I also requested him for 2 hard disk enclosures as part-repayment of the 5k.
On 24th Sep, I got a message that he succeeded in making the 8 GB RAM work,
"Tomorrow will handover". That worked OK. Then he said he would get the hard disk enclosures and "total invoice for everything" the next day.
On 10th October, he brought 2 hard disk enclosures, "Rs. 950 each". I thanked him. (On Amazon, they are currently on sale for Rs. 595 each.)
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