# Social Category > The Whistleblower Forum >  Delays upon delays of service.

## Russelvn

Hi guys, this should or could be a simple one i'm not too sure about.

I bought an iphone last year, the seller basically disappeared after I found out it was locked..yes yes, dumb on my part, couldn't check it at the time, deal was enticing enough for me to skip the basics.
Anyway got a guy that promised he could find a way to fix it, if not temporarily but permanently. The week before I took it to him, my cousin got screwed in a similar way but he actually paid more and he doesn't know anything about phone in this regard. 
Took the phones to this guy and we regularly kept me updated via whatsapp. Note this was last year mid July. 
The invoice he gave me said approx. 2 weeks to completion. We have been chatting in the interim but problems occurred. He has asked me if I don't mind the rom being flashed or something and I just asked if it was legal and if the phone would work. He also said it would take about a month before he gets the new rom chips or something of that nature. After the time was up I enquired and he said he will have it done in a week. Then the excuses came, it doesn't work, he tried this method and that method...Last resort he sent it away to get it done BY an apple employee or something. 

I kind of forgot about the phones and he assured me it will be done in december, mind you I got to know the guy through the chatting. Erratic and no time management skills and seems to allow things to happen to him and go with it. He doesn't have a lot of time for himself and his kids because he is always working.
I even offered a free Working Consultation of him and his business from me, which I would charge R500 for 20min for 2 times and he kept blowing me off.

So the new year hit, its 2017 and one of his goals was to clean up the backlog. So I again asked him formally about the meeting and this time we scheduled it and I had a back and forth with his PA for last week friday. I gave 2 dates and 2 very precise times. He had 4 days to choose one and he chose the friday. He also assured me he would have the phones with him when we met. Anyway Friday came and he messages me Friday morning before 7am, we meet at 2:45pm, and says he has a this thing every week that he has to go to a management meeting with his primary customer or something and I told him its fine. 
I let it go yet he basically stole a time slot where I'm usually in town that time, either networking or just chilling with some friends. 

So he messaged me today, after me trying to get some sort of time frame again of when he will be able to deliver the phones. He replied and said the 26 Jan. Basically a week from now.

My story is I'm quite Civil when it comes to material things, I can basically just get another of whatever it is that can be bought. 
But obviously don't waste my precious time.

So my question in all this ramblings:
Without taking any legal action because I understand the guy is struggling and all, even with making time out for Free advice that will revolutionize his business model, how do I give him a valid wake-up call?

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## Dave A

> how do I give him a valid wake-up call?


There's no use flogging a dead horse.

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## AndyD

Chances are if the original purchase was as cheap as you suggest then you bought a stolen phone from some low-life who then disappeared. You've now given it to some other low-life to try and do something similar to what the FBI recently paid professional hackers $1.3 million for. 

Good luck with that, I don't see things panning out well.

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## Russelvn

Thanx for the advice guys and for the article @andyd.
I'm a practical person and love the idea of strategy. I could right the guy off but I chose to stick it out to see if I can't, in time make him a client.
Practically, I should just wait till Thursday and if nothing happens... well, then I suppose I could just involve the cops then.

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