It's something that could only be a reality in our dreams... to be paid not to work. Well, a cellphone repairman got his moment when a man came into his shop and asked him not to fix a phone for £40 ($52.28).
Oli Pickles expected a regular day at work until someone with a rather odd request came into his shop in Sheffield. The client handed Oli a smashed up phone stuffed with cash and a rather strange note concealed inside it.
It read "Bro - keep the money and the phone. Just call my missus and tell her you can't fix it. I'll tell you full story later."
So, Oli did what he was asked and called the number. He said that the phone was damaged beyond repair and that there was nothing he could do. She thanked him and said she would pass on the message.
The strange request left Oli pretty confused and intrigued as to what this guy was hiding. However, it would've cost double the price to repair the broken iPhone 8 Plus and the man never came back to explain.
Well, Oli did what was asked of him but his mysterious client probably also should have added that he would prefer it if Oli doesn't go to a national newspaper and spread the word. Speaking to Daily Mail, Oli said: "I've been fixing phones for six years and have never been paid not to get one going again. It's the strangest thing that's ever happened to me.
I don't know what this customer was trying to hide but clearly he wanted to keep it secret from his partner. It must have been so important that he was willing to pay for it. Normally, people are desperate to get their mobiles working again but not him.
"When he handed over the phone I just had a feeling that he wasn't coming back. There was something not right about him and he was acting quite shifty. He just dumped the phone on me and couldn't get rid of it quick enough. I told him to come back in two hours but I knew deep down that it wasn't going to happen."
"This customer only left me £40 so it's not worth my time to sort it out. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the money either. The whole thing is just a bit weird," said Oli. "I've been thinking about what this customer might have been getting up to and just can't work it out, but it does make me laugh."