My grandpa told me to never trust a handshake deal back in 2007 and I learned why the hard way

3 comments

3 Comments

Oh I don't know man, a handshake can be more binding than a contract sometimes. Back in 2003 I bought a truck from my neighbor with nothing but a handshake and a promise to pay him monthly and he never once came after me even when I was late a few times. The thing with paper contracts is people find ways to wiggle out of them all the time but a handshake deal relies on actual trust and reputation which means more in small communities.

ross.felix17d ago

You're both missing a big piece though. Handshake deals work great until someone dies or gets sick and their family has no clue what the terms were. My uncle sold his tractor on a handshake back in the 90s and when he passed away his widow had no idea who owed her money or how much was left. The guy who bought it just disappeared into the wind because there was no record. Contracts aren't just about holding each other accountable while you're both around. They're about leaving a paper trail for when life gets messy and people aren't there to remember what was said.

ruby_rivera7617d ago

Hmm, is a missing tractor payment really the end of the world though? Like, yeah it sucks for the family but that's a pretty rare worst case scenario for most people just selling a used lawnmower or something.