“13 years ago I was in my late teens, living on my own and really struggling to live financially. One of the few possessions I had was an old laptop.
My laptop had stopped working properly and while I’m fairly proficient in using a computer, I had no idea about fixing them. I did a bit of searching on the internet but couldn’t get it working so I ask my step dad to take a look. He has a quick look and says it f@#ked but he’ll take it off my hands if I don’t want it so I said sure. If it’s broken then it’s no good to me.”
“10 minutes later I walk in the room and he’s using it. I asked if he fixed it and he says “yeah, thanks for the laptop”.
I was obviously pissed, my mum says she wasn’t getting involved and his only response was that he did a quick internet search to find the fix and I could have done the same.”
“I was broke and he took one of my only possessions even though he had a pc and a laptop already.
A few months later I was visiting my mum and stepdad when I had an idea.
While i am useless with computers, I’m very competent with mechanics. Specifically Audi’s, and my step dad had a 2001 Audi A3.
Before coming in the house I went under his car and unplugged the oil level sensor and a vac line for the turbo.”
“Later on that day he went to go to the shop or something, when he started the car it threw up oil warning lights on the dash and wouldn’t boost so he turned it off and had a look of concern on his face. I went out to ask him what’s up and he said that something gone majorly wrong. He says something along the lines of catastrophic turbo failure or engine failure.
He’s already spent quite a bit on repairs and didn’t want to spend any more money on it so spoke to my mum about just cutting his losses and scrapping it.”
“I asked how much it’s worth at the scrap yard and he says £100 so I ever so graciously off £120 to take it off his hands to maybe part it out which he accepts. He signed over the logbook (title) and wrote me a receipt of purchase and handed the keys over.
I walked outside, lifted the bonnet, pretended to look at my phone for a minute, went under the car and plugged the vac line and oil sensor back in, fired it straight up and drove around the block. When I got back I gave him the thumbs up and said it’s all fine now.”
“His mouth was wide open and he was mega pissed and my reply was “you could have found the solution too with a quick internet search”.
He tried arguing that it wasn’t fair and if its working then I can’t just take his car but I just said he didn’t have a problem tricking me out of my laptop and that he’s already signed the car over to me so tough luck. My mum kinda laughed and said she’s not getting involved and that it was his own fault. I still have the car to this day and it’s practically in showroom condition and runs sweet.”
“Here’s the old girl in all her shiny glory.”