Can I get mad at someone I bartered with to do a job that did not do that job?
I worked out a trade deal for someone to do some soldering for me. I had three devices that needed soldering, and they could keep one for themselves if they soldered the three of them for me. Today I discovered that they didn't even attempt the soldering, they fucked up all three of the devices, such that the soldering job can no longer be done by anyone, and they want me to compensate them for the time they wasted trying to fix them without soldering. I asked them to do the job, in trade for keeping one, because I am ill and my hands won't do fine work any more. I definitely don't want to pay them for not doing the job I asked, which I asked them to do because I couldn't afford to pay someone to do it. The job is still not done and can never be done now. Am I wrong to be angry with them? Do I have to be grateful and compensate them for their time that they wasted not doing what I asked them to do?
While that is true, the verbal contract stipulated non-monetary compensation on job completion. Job was never completed, so the contract was never fulfilled, and compensation is not owed. This is why repair depots have a minimum charge for technician time laid out in their pricing.
OP, you are totally allowed to be angry. You have good reason to from what I can read.
Don't compensate them. They never did their end of the bargain. If they react in frustration or anger, that is the fault of their poor emotional intelligence and I encourage you to focus on your own sanity. You can't fix them, but you might be able to do something with those boards. :)
I got the parts back. They are wrecked, one is broken in half, and they are covered with solder drippings. Going to trash them, they weren't worth a lot to begin with, just gonna take the L. I didn't pay them, they seemed huffy about it but whatever, I don't have to see them again. Thanks for the advice all!