I agree, this is they best way IMO, its small world and shrinking every day...and I think your reputation is very important.

I've learned the hard way that if you're going to do something for free or bartering don't expect anything in return... If the favor is returned I'm greatful but I don't expect it... It's like lending a friend money...I only lend the person money if I know I can live without it because chances are they're borrowing the money because they don't have it to begin with...so if I get repaid great, otherwise I choose to give it away... same goes for goods/services.

Bartering doesn't seem to work because one person always fee's they're getting the short end of the stick... It's not always the case but it's very common. I've found that sometimes it's best to just pay for what you want and move forward!

took the words right out of my mouth... I have learned friday never comes..

again
 

this was a favor and thank god it was only a little work. I do the same thing ,charge for the estimate and then refund it upon repair. The repair I was speaking of is not on the 20000.00 estimate ,it was the new boat. I will not disclose who or what boat. Just wanted to find out if this is happening to others.

Thanks guys as always !!

Billy

sooo true offshoredrilling.people use me all the time for price comparrison.sometime it really pisses me off,but sometimes if i know whats up i will low ball the price,and then when they come back for that realllll goooood price i say to them it will be 4-6 weeks before i can do the job.now i am a a-hole.but i always live by this motto,what come around,goes around.if they were up front and tell me they were price shopping i would not have to be a a-hole,right?

Thats it in a nutshell....

I rebuild bamboo fly rods. I take them from crap and turn them into collectables again.
Over the years many have sent me stuff to fix and I have, sometimes free with a condition of a complete rebuild on next rod.
Funny how it seems I don't do the next rod.
But it may come back to me in the long run as I am sure I have done rods others are supposed to rebuild.
Also its like sending out a rare reelseat to some one who "really" needs it, and not even a thanks..
I just look at it as, I hope I never do that to someone else.


Johnny

I have decided to nix any bartering after an experience this past summer with my boating website. Back in April, one of the marina owners asked if I would run an ad for him in exchange for a discount on dry docking. Since I trailer my boat to different lakes and rivers (to cover events for the website), I told him I wasn't interested in dry docking, so we agreed that I could launch my boat there in exchange for running the ad fo the length of the season. I went 3 or 4 times during the summer with no issues, but one weekend at the end of the summer we were there with another family (as guests on our boat) and he came running over, arms flailing telling me he wanted out of the deal and wanted us to pay for launching and parking for two cars. I wasn't about to get into a scene in front of our friends, but I reminded him that this was his idea (to trade ad space for the launching), and if he insisted, I would just go to the marina 2 miles up the street, remove his ad and not deal with him again. He ended up letting us launch that day, but I learned my lesson. Money talks and :bsflag: walks.

Your not the only one, a combination of Selfish Baby boomers and Generation ME, is what we have now. I cannot even start on how many time I lend my PWC's out and only ask they return them full of gas (like they were when picked up) only to go ride it and tank be empty. Borrow boating gear only to never see it again, or hell borrow anything for that matter. Let some one use my lift at my dock only to find the cables all efed up next time I see it:eek:

Some favors are returned and those friends are keepers, maybe one out of ten

this is way too true these days, if you are doing people favors then you are just a sucker in their eyes. i cant tell you how many times ive done extra work as a favor for customers, then on the next job i bid to them if im $1.00 higher than the next guy on 200k worth of work they still give them the job.

i am glad i am not the only one that chit happens to.no loyalty in this country anymore.