Before I begin, here's a little background info:

  • I've been fixing broken electronics since I was 8 years old (was poor af, and that was the only way I ever got "new" toys). I can fix anything. Game consoles, computers, household appliances, you name it.
  • Currently, I'm dealing with about 100 2008 - 2010 macbooks & macbook pros that my buddy pulled out of a dumpster. Luckily, every MacBook of the same year has almost the exact same guts, although there are a few differences between revisions. My buddy & I are splitting the profits 60/40. I get 60%, he gets 40.
  • I sell them for $100 - $150, depending on the year & storage capacity.

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Anyway, on to the story.

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So a customer interested in buying a 2010 model hit me up on facebook. We negotiated, and I eventually relented to selling it for $120. Fine, no real loss to me I suppose.

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I should also mention that I'm half asleep when he gets here. And when I'm tired, I turn into a complete retard. I don't think before I speak, I talk like a friggin radio, my speech is slurred, & I get tongue tied like crazy.

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So he's here, checking out the merchandise, doing some tests to make sure it's gonna do what he needs it to do. All the while, I'm struggling to stay awake cuz I played Smash Bros all night (I know, I'm an irresponsible man child lol).

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In my stupor, I eventually start bragging about how my buddy got these macbooks out of the dumpster & how I've made over $1000 this week.

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Suddenly, this customer who drove for over an hour just to get here gets an alarmed look. "Free? Out of the dumpster, you say?" I can see in his eyes. Damn, I just fucked up. He starts trying to low ball me, offering $60 and talking about how he doesn't trust the product cuz it's been in the dumpster.

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I stand by the agreed upon $120, and assure him that everything but the screen is "new" (actually being somewhat honest. The motherboard was pulled from a donor laptop with a shattered screen, and the battery was factory sealed when I got it.)

But no dice. He won't budge on the $60, even telling me to keep the charger (which cost me $75)

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The lessons to be learned here:

  1. Shut up. Only speak to answer questions & to initially establish trust.
  2. Never let your customers know how much you've invested in your product. Once you do, they'll feel like they're getting screwed & will want to renegotiate the price closer to what YOU paid for it.
  3. Never disclose how much money you make. People are spiteful & envious. If they are made to feel inferior, financially or otherwise, they will do what they can to attempt to bring you down to their level. You see this all the time in the conspiracy theorist community (evil rich, illuminati, & other bs beliefs that make them feel like the better person).
  4. Go to sleep. Being tired kills productivity.