I bought an expensive S$900 gadget last August. I hadn’t even used it 10 times when I realised that there was a technical flaw to it — a perfectly functioning gadget but with a flaw.
I decided to sell but
- I didn’t want to lose a lot of money on it
- I didn’t want to lie about its flaw (I know some people wouldn’t mind using it anyway with this flaw)
- I knew that only people with a special interest in the gadget would buy it — which narrowed down the buyers to very few
- I didn’t have the time to look for a buyer
I left the gadget in a corner but it nagged at me every time I walked by that corner. I felt really bad that I couldn’t use it. I tried to think of ways to sell it. I put it up in eBay and another internet buy/sell site. I waited and waited but no buyer enquired.
I thought I’d make an ad and stick it all over the bus stops and at the bus interchange. I thought of even setting up a little display with a big sign board at the busy bus stop!
I thought I’d ship it to the Philippines or to bring it across to Malaysia to see if someone would be interested. I thought even of donating it. But I was told I’d have to pay heavy taxes for shipping it.
About a month ago, I got a call asking about my gadget. I was upfront and told the enquirer about the flaw. He immediately said he’d think about it and hung up the phone. No one called for a long time and I was getting increasingly desperate to get it out from my sight. I wanted to use it, but I just didn’t feel free to use it. Someone scolded for being honest and telling the potential buyer about the flaw.
I asked God many times to help me find a buyer. A few mornings ago I pleaded with God to please help me sell it. It was just IMPOSSIBLE as far as I was concerned with the kind of conditions I had placed on selling it. That same morning, I spoke to someone who knew about the market for my gadget.
He said, “At most you will get $300.”
“$300! What?! I’ve hardly used it.”
He told me that the people who knew about these gadgets know my predicament and they would take advantage and push the price down really low. My heart sank.
That same day however, I got a call. The man said that he had a gadget which he had sold when he needed the money. He said he regretted selling it. We made an appointment to meet the next evening.
He was as desperate to buy it as I was to sell it!
He said he paid about $1000 for his and had sold it or $450. He said my gadget was just like his, but better. It was the same colour as his, and lighter too. I asked him if he wanted to try it and he said, no, he knows how it works. He just stared at it a long time. He really wanted it — and I mean wanted it.
I told him many times about the flaw but he said it didn’t matter to him because it would serve his needs very well. He asked me how much I would sell it for and I told him that I had advertised it for $800. I asked him to make me an offer. The nice man told me he didn’t want me to lose a lot of money.
In the end, he said “how about $600?” And I said, “why don’t we meet in the middle — you increase it a hundred and I would lower it a hundred.” He immediately gave me a deposit and arranged to pick it up the next evening.
As we were parting ways, I turned around and saw him staring at my gadget. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. He came back to me and asked if he could take a photo of it.
I have been going through a challenging season in my life. And the gadget was just another thing on my plate that was eating me. God really worked a miracle for me.
“Angel, if I can take care of your gadget, I can take care of everything else that you are going through.”
WOW.
