I’m a gc and had a guy from Craigslist s__ew me on a job, I got him back though?

A contractor was in a bind, needing extra hands fast to knock out a demolition and cleanup job on deadline. With only three full-time guys, he posted an online ad for two temps and quickly locked in a guy and his roommate at $22 an hour, set to start bright and early at 8 a.m.

What started as a simple hire turned into a total headache when the pair pulled every excuse in the book and never showed. Six months down the line, the same guy applied again—and this time, the contractor saw the perfect chance to flip the script with some seriously satisfying payback.

‘I’m a gc and had a guy from Craigslist s__ew me on a job, I got him back though?’

It all kicked off when the contractor needed five solid workers to guarantee the demo and cleanup finished on time. He already had three regulars, so two temps would seal the deal:

Come 8:30, nobody. He called—the guy blamed his roommate for oversleeping but swore they were coming:

Six months later, another job, another ad—and guess who replied? Exact same guy. Payback time:

This whole situation boils down to straight-up flakiness in gig work. The contractor got stuck short-handed on a tight deadline because someone treated a job commitment like it was optional. Those endless delays and weak excuses didn’t just waste time—they could have cost real money in lost productivity.

Some might say the revenge went a step too far by deliberately wasting the other guy’s morning. Fair point, but in the wild west of online casual hiring, trust goes both ways. Employers risk getting ghosted, workers risk not getting paid. When one side flakes hard, it’s easy to see why the other might snap back.

Clinical psychologist Guy Winch, author of Emotional First Aid, explains it well: “Revenge can provide temporary satisfaction because it restores a sense of justice when we’ve been wronged, but it rarely leads to long-term emotional resolution.” (Psychology Today interview, 2019). That quick hit of “gotcha” feels great, yet it doesn’t fix the underlying frustration.

Better long-term moves? Contractors can protect themselves with small deposits, clear contracts, or sticking to platforms with ratings. Workers build reputation by simply showing up—it’s gold in manual labor circles. And if karma feels slow, sometimes the smartest revenge is thriving anyway while the flakes keep flaking.

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

Online folks were all in on this one, loving every second of the clever turnaround and cracking up at the sweet irony:

Tons of people straight-up celebrated it as perfect karma:

Others tipped their hats to the smooth execution:

A few even tossed in ideas to make the payback saltier:

The rest just soaked in the satisfaction or shared quick laughs:

In the end, this is one of those rare tales where lack of professionalism meets a perfectly proportioned comeback. No real harm done, just a solid dose of “taste your own medicine.”

So, where do you land on this—genius move or a bit too petty? If the same flaky worker hit you up months later, would you let it slide or serve up your own version of hilltop justice? Drop your thoughts below!