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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/VirtualKnowledge9612 on 2026-02-27 14:49:43+00:00.
I’m generally a quiet person. I don’t usually start conversations, but if someone talks to me, I’m pretty open. Lately, I’ve had to deal with a lot of people while building my new house. Even though I didn't know them well, some distant relatives started acting like we were close friends and well-wishers. I’m a simple guy, so I fell for it and believed their act.
The FU: I needed to buy tiles for the house, and one of these relatives is a tile contractor. He took me to a shop and pushed these "single-charged digital finish" tiles, swearing they were the best and that he uses them for everything. I knew contractors usually get kickbacks from these shops, but because he was family, I ignored the red flags. I trusted him and decided to go for it.
The Mess: The purchase got delayed because the cost was high. During that time, a friend put me in touch with an actual expert. This guy told me the truth. Those tiles are builder grade. They look flashy so builders can sell flats quickly, but the finish wears off, they crack, and they even absorb water after a few years. My relative didn't mention any of these drawbacks. When I told my relative I wanted to switch to a matte finish because it's safer for the elderly people in my family, he completely changed. He got defensive and started making up excuses about how matte is bad and takes too much time to fit. It reminded me of a sadhguru quote I read once: Trust means you don't have clarity. I realized I only trusted him because I didn't have the facts myself.
The Fallout: As soon as he realized I wasn't buying from the shop where he gets his commission, he did exactly what I feared. He hiked his labor price. Since the construction is at an urgent stage, I just had to agree and pay the extra money. To make it worse, the delivery truck got a flat tire on the way to the site. So now I’m stuck paying a penalty to a relative who tried to screw me over on quality just to make a buck. I’m just waiting to see if he even does the work properly or if he’ll sabotage the floors out of spite.
TL;DR: Trusted a friendly relative for my new house construction, almost got scammed into buying low-quality tiles so he could get a commission, and now I’m paying him extra labor costs because I didn't buy from the shop he suggested.