PSA: A guy in my shop yesterday tried to pay his $75 tab with a handful of loose screws.

He said they were 'high quality stainless steel' and should cover it. Has anyone else had a customer offer literal junk as payment?

4 comments

4 Comments

verawhite1mo ago

A guy tried to trade me a box of mismatched fishing lures for an oil change last month! He insisted they were vintage and valuable. I just pointed at the credit card reader and he finally pulled out his wallet.

jordan_webb1mo ago

Oh man, I don't know if I'd call it "charm" exactly. I mean, pulling out random junk from your trunk and hoping it covers a bill feels more like a hustle than a nostalgic throwback. Like those lures are probably worth what someone paid for them at a garage sale, not some hidden treasure. Maybe it's just me but if you're running a business you can't really survive on "well maybe that's worth something to someone" whims. You gotta pay the electric bill with real money, not mystery tackle.

emmawood1mo ago

Actually, I kind of get where that guy was coming from. Barter used to be totally normal before cash took over, and sometimes people just don't have the money but have stuff they think is valuable. Those lures could be worth something to the right collector, you never know. Maybe he was just trying to be creative with what he had instead of being a deadbeat. Isn't there some charm in old school trading that we've lost?

grantf731mo ago

Had a guy try to pay for a muffler with a bucket of old golf balls once. Just told him the register only takes cash or card, not sports equipment. He grumbled but went to an ATM.