The Test

[Mr._johngalt]

One of the things I do for fun and to pick up lunch money
is buy and sell boats, motors, trailers, and "stuff".
Today I sold a real nice utility trailer I bought at an auction.
The price was $300 firm. First guy to come by looked to be about
70. Seemed fairly sharp. Anyway, he says "I'll take it!" and hands me an envelope with cash, saying "You better check that."
Inside were three (3) hundreds and a fifty. I said the price was
$300 and gave him the $50 back. He didn't say a word.
This never happened to me before and my theory is it was
just a test to see what I would do. Maybe this was a real life version
of that old TV program 'The Millionaire" and having shown my
mettle, someone will now be sent around to give me a big pile of cash.

JG

 

[Sam]

Possible, based on the fact that the old guy did not thank you.  Keep your hope up 

 

[UncleHoney]

I think you just passed the old guy's character test. I'll bet he'd got more money than the average bear and likes to play games to test peoples honesty.

If you had counted the money and hadn't said a word about the extra fifty he wouldn't have batted an eye, but he wouldn't ever be a return customer either.

 

[donheff]

Maybe the $50 was there to distract you. The $100s were fakes.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Maybe the $50 was there to distract you.  The $100s were fakes. 

I did look at them pretty carefully after he left.

JG

 

[WilliamG]

Interesting encounter. It does indeed sound like a test, perhaps to see if he would want to consider ever doing business with you again?

Sorta reminds me of when I was in the Air Force back in the 60's. As new non-commisioned airmen living in the barracks we didn't get paid a lot. Pay day was called "exchange day" because that was when people scurried around paying back loans from the previous pay day. A borrowed from B, B borrowed from C and so forth to "go down town". I often loaned a fiver to acquaintances not knowing how hard it would be to get reimbursed. I thought it was a reasonable "test" to know the character of that individual for future reference. Don't think I ever got completely stiffed, but had a couple of instances where I had to hound and wait to get the payback.

 

[Outtahere]

The test might also have been to say I don't need to check it and then when you checked it later to call him and return the 50 , either way I believe you passed.