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What causes people to be short-sighted in their thinking, in that they are willing to receive extremely short term gain at the expense of any long-term relationship?
Here is an example. A friend of mine has a new neighbor, who noticed my friend's painter one afternoon doing interior painting work. New neighbor asked my friend's painter if he could come over and paint a bookcase. They agreed on a cash price and painter performed work that same day. When it came time for payment, new neighbor had all kinds of excuses (e.g. may I wire you the money next week) why they could not pay. My friend and I are incredulous that someone who just moved in to a neighborhood would sacrifice short term gain for any future relationships. Painter learned a tough lesson in trust and new neighbor knows that painter is legally powerless. Do people not realize that bad reputations travel fast and they have just lost any future social capital?
cash up front for someone you don't know...problem solved.
You can't trust anyone now-a-days...especially strangers.
Is it possible that the new neighbor was telling the truth, that he didn't have that much cash on hand, maybe he didn't expect the painter to have time to do the job so quickly the same afternoon? .
No...not possible...the new neighbor is a user...excuses don't cut it!
I'm still kind of hung up on how Happ's friend knew the neighbor didn't pay cash. It seems unusual to me, as well, that the painter would've told Hap's friend about the new neighbor not paying cash, and not on the day of services rendered. Like...why did the painter think Hap's friend should know? I'm curious how that came about.
No. They find another victim soon, that's no problem at all. There is no painters meetup or black board where crappy customers are listed as far as I know. Just like you get usually screwed by half the painters/handymen who are around.
I just never understand why people do that for amounts that aren't even that high. They hide and lie and have to come up with excuses, get yelled at - and what for, for $200? Is that really worth it, what kind of life is that to be defending yourself and stiffing people? Whenever you are out in a store or restaurant you have to worry you run into them. You never know if someone will sue you. I don't understand that mindset.
I also don't understand the mindset of handymen - I have fired and hired probably most in my area. They show up too late, leave too early, do crappy work. If they would do what they promise, I would rehire and recommend them and they would have the greatest success and income. But they don't seem to care to get cussed out and yelled at and leave disappointed customers behind.
Perhaps since people are more transient compared to in the past and many don't really know their neighbors, the bad actors think nothing of engaging in unethical behavior since few will know.
Perhaps since people are more transient compared to in the past and many don't really know their neighbors, the bad actors think nothing of engaging in unethical behavior since few will know.
They don't care! Does my neighbor care if people know she tried to cheat me out of 2K? Obviously not. She tried to do it. And we're both still living here all these years later. Me right on top of her. And she does NOT care.
Liars and chats and thieves obviously do not care or they wouldn't be the way they are.
They don't care! Does my neighbor care if people know she tried to cheat me out of 2K? Obviously not. She tried to do it. And we're both still living here all these years later. Me right on top of her. And she does NOT care.
Liars and chats and thieves obviously do not care or they wouldn't be the way they are.
We don’t actually know that the contractor was never paid, just that he wasn’t paid cash immediately after he performed the service. He might very well have been paid the next week and the neighbor might have been embarrassed he couldn’t pay immediately. Even in this thread, we had numerous interpretations of what it means to pay “cash” and depending on what the contractor meant, if he actually meant “cash” as in dollar bills instead of by check or electronic funds transfer, the neighbor might really not have been able to pay right that second.
We don’t actually know that the contractor was never paid, just that he wasn’t paid cash immediately after he performed the service. He might very well have been paid the next week and the neighbor might have been embarrassed he couldn’t pay immediately. Even in this thread, we had numerous interpretations of what it means to pay “cash” and depending on what the contractor meant, if he actually meant “cash” as in dollar bills instead of by check or electronic funds transfer, the neighbor might really not have been able to pay right that second.
I know, I am just saying if he did, he doesn't care what the neighbors think about it!
Perhaps since people are more transient compared to in the past and many don't really know their neighbors, the bad actors think nothing of engaging in unethical behavior since few will know.
Yes, if the neighbor isnt planning to stick around and create a good reputation, then, they might not think twice about stiffing someone.
If I have workers at my house doing anything I make sure I have cash in hand. Its not hard to get cash.
I do work for some neighbors when they go out of town. They offer to give me an advance but I trust them, and never had problems with getting paid. They actually just give me a blank check and ask me to just write in what they owe me. We trust each other.
I agree, its short sighted to stiff people. Id not trust that person.
I'm still kind of hung up on how Happ's friend knew the neighbor didn't pay cash. It seems unusual to me, as well, that the painter would've told Hap's friend about the new neighbor not paying cash, and not on the day of services rendered. Like...why did the painter think Hap's friend should know? I'm curious how that came about.
Agree. People keep losing sight of the fact that the OP's friend is not the mooch, but the friend's NEIGHBOR who the OP doesn't even know. 3 degrees of separation, and yet everyone is so sure that the painter has never been paid, to this day.
OP, you must be incredibly bored to be so nosy and judgmental.
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