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The Bad Dirt Shakedown
We need 25 loads of dirt to raise the floor of our multi-use building in our ministry center in Armenia Bonito. However, we only have 10 loads of dirt. The reason is because the vendor providing the dirt stopped delivering and demanded a higher price. Here is a simplified and shortened version of our latest encounter with a cheater:
Vendor #1, “I will give you the dirt for $60 a load, and you can use my heavy machinery to spread it out for free.”
One week later – Vendor #1, “I am now charging you $70 a load.”
One week later – Vendor #1, “I am charging you $70 a load and I am also going to charge you to use my heavy machinery.” Mike, “No thanks. We are not going to use your heavy machinery if you are going to charge us. We’ll spread it by hand.”
One week later – Vendor #1, “If you aren’t going to use my heavy machinery then the dirt is $90 a load.” Mike, “We will use another vendor, he told us he will only charge us $60 a load.” Vendor #1, “You are cheap and dishonest!” Mike, “Maybe, but I am not an idiot. I am not paying $30 more a load for the same dirt from the same riverbed.” Vendor #1, “You’ll see, the other vendor’s dirt is bad and he is dishonest.” Mike, “Bad dirt? You don’t even know who the other vendor is.” Vendor #1, “%#*@ gringo &%$#!”
And, so, here we sit with only 10 loads of dirt as we await 15 loads of “bad dirt” from Vendor #2.
