My response: [LONGISH] Beware: dealings with Bert Thomas

From: Bert Thomas <bert_at_brothom.nl>
Date: Thu Jan 27 05:53:46 2005

Hi all,

Here's my response:

In short:

Fred can simply get his stuff if he pays me the money back that I payed
for him in advance (and drops his other claims). I never had any other
intends.

Long story:

I indeed wanted to do Fred a favor back and collected the stuff for him.
I try to do CS at a local university AND try to run 2 companies and try
to keep customers happy and in between try to spend some time playing
with my old stuff. Obviously my hobbies have the lowest priority.

As I am currently very busy and can only borrow the van from time to
time I decided to drop the stuff at home, which is basically halveway
between the seller and Freds apartment. I admit that I should have
notified Fred that I collected the stuff.

Last saterday Fred called me and we had a long en kind conversation. I
always enjoyed talking with Fred, as he has a lot to tell. At the end of
the conversation Fred started about the stuff I collected and what his
plans where for it. I said that I would like to keep some stuff of it,
as Freds main reasons for buying the stuff was obtaining the Minc
hardware. At least, that is what he told me. Fred reacted very excited
that it was HIS stuff. I didn't expect such an excited answer and
responded with "hey, I payed for it you know". If it isn't obvious, my
only intend saying that was that he can have some respect for me, as I'm
not his personell he can yell at. However, that got him totally
aggrivated for some reason and he started threading me that he was about
to say bad things about me on this list and a lot of other stuff that I
had no answer to. I don't like being spoken at in that way, especially
not from someone I just did a favor. So if that is what he wants to do,
its his decision and he should do so.

I see people on this list as very intelligent people and I assume that
each of you can decide for yourself what my character is.

After this weird end of the conversation on the phone, Fred send me an
invoice for EUR 700,- ex VAT for repairing my PDP11 and a letter
demanding the stuff. I have no problem giving Fred his stuff, but of
course he simply has to pay me the money back that I payed for the stuff
in advance. I do not want to pay Fred for the time spent working on my
PDP11, as that was a favor for which I intended to return him this other
favor. If I had known that in advance, I wouldn't have contacted Fred in
the first place.

When I look back on it now, I feel that Fred intentionally invited me to
repair my computer, only to be able to "demand" a favor in return, as he
knew I can borrow my brothers van from time to time. There is nothing
wrong with that as far as I am concerned. Fred and I did more favors to
each other in the past. However, I don't understand his anger and
disrespect.

Peace to everyone.

Kind regards,
Bert
Received on Thu Jan 27 2005 - 05:53:46 GMT