Copying someone’s work can seem like an easy way to get ahead, but when you mess with the wrong person, it can backfire in ways you never expected.

So, how would you handle it if you were running a business and discovered a competitor was trying to copy your designs and make a quick buck off your hard work?

In the following story, one automotive professional finds themselves in this very situation, and the result is pure satisfaction.

Here’s how it went down.

Copy my parts and you go out of business!

My old boss and I both work in the automotive aftermarket, manufacturing and selling parts to “fix up” or restore a classic car.

At the time, my boss worked for a company that made those big tubular push bumpers and side steps for trucks, Jeeps, and other such vehicles.

It’s not uncommon in our industry for companies to splash each other’s parts. Splashing is when somebody copies an exact copy of your part.

We try to avoid it happening, but that doesn’t always work.

The boss figured the best thing would be to go ahead and help his competitor.

One day, somebody called him and started asking lots of questions about the bumpers, like which other models they fit, what the return policy is, etc.

He quickly figured out that this was a competitor who was going to splash his parts and then return them for a refund.

So instead of NOT selling him the parts he sells him a whole pallet full of parts.

Here’s where he got his revenge.

The only thing is that they built these parts specifically for this company.

They moved brackets and bent things wrong so that visually everything looked correct, but it would never in a million years bolt up to the truck and work.

Sure enough, 60 days later, the parts come back, they issue the refund, and then trash that lot of parts.

Fast-forward a few months, and that competitor goes out of business. It’s pretty hard to sell junk parts that don’t fit!

It seems like that could’ve gone either way, but glad it really was a competitor.

Let’s see how Reddit readers relate to this story.

The website probably didn’t do that again.

Great point; but he probably saved a ton on advertising.

This seems like it would be true.

Too funny!

That was a lot of extra work, but totally worth it in the end.

There’s nothing like knocking out the competition.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.