"What's the worst that could happen?"
This question is so encouraging and a confidence booster.
As a programmer, my laptop is my woman, my everything (in Wandecoal's voice). I have been without one or two weeks (20,160 minutes). I hope my now bad laptop rests in peace, it had served me for over three years (she was faithful).
On Instagram, I came across an online store called "Legit laptop007" (the name sounds legit right?). There, I saw my dream laptop for the perfect price, it was too good to be true. An HP Spectre Pro X360-Intel Core-i5 pro with 500GB SSD and an 8GB ram for just #105,000. It wasn't brand new (even if i sold my destiny, it won't be enough to afford a brand new one), it was UK used but at this price, I would be cheating the seller. I decided there and then to get it, time to empty my little savings and get to work again. There was just one tiny but significant problem, I had to pay before delivery but can Legit Laptops007 be trusted?
"What's the worst that could happen?"
My mind was made up to go ahead and pay but I decided to call a friend and seek his opinion (I didn't plan on taking his advice if he said "Don't trust legit laptops007".
"Tony, my big man friend, how far na?" I greeted him.
"O boy, everywhere good oh. How work na?" Tony replied.
"Bad oh, my lappy spoil for good two weeks now and I never fit work but I just see one wen I wan buy online but na pay before delivery." I said.
"Hahaha, online sellers these days no dey do pay on delivery, everybody dey try save him head oh."
"So I no get choice na, na to close eye buy am be dat". I quickly replied happy to assume he agreed with me.
"Another option dey sha, you fit use escrow" Tony said.
"Watin be E-X-C-R-O-O?" I asked in surprise
"Na company wen dey act as middleman as you wan buy something so when you no trust the seller, you go pay give the escrow company then when you get the laptop say e legit as the seller promise, dem go con give the seller him money."
"Na free?" I asked without thinking
"Hahaha, free tin no go kill you, no be free but the company wen I dey use, their own charge dey very low, their name na middletrust, you fit check their website [url]middletrust.com[/url]." "Them dey try" He added.
"Hmmm, OK na, you too much, I go check them out." I thanked him and ended the call.
People do say I am stubborn, in fact I know I am stubborn. After checking the company out, I must say I was impressed but that was their business not mine and the stubborness in me said:
"What's the worst that could happen?"
So I decided to put my trust 100% on Legit Laptops007. I transferred #105,000 plus #1,000 delivery fee (from Lagos to Benin City) and they promised to deliver within 3-5 working days. Five days later, my laptop had not arrived, I could have sworn I was beginning to lose weight. On the 6th day I got a call from a delivery company to come collect my package.
"Yes! I didnt need an E-X-C-R-O-O afterall." I thought
I got my laptop, it was red rather than black as agreed but i didn't mind, I plugged it to full charge just before the power went out (This is Nigeria!). I quickly checked the SSD, it was 256GB and not 500GB, the RAM was 4GB and not 8GB. I suddenly began to worry.
I looked at my laptop screen again and my jaw dropped when I saw:
"Your battery is running low (10%). You might want to plug in your PC."
I quickly grabbed my phone, got on Instagram and went to the page, was about to lay my complaints when I noticed a statement on the page:
"STRICTLY NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES"
Again, I thought;
"What's the worst that could happen."

Your Egungun take one chance dey do freestyle for highway. Chai! Now Mack truck don do you fatality.
Sorry o!