Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

Last week I sold my dearly beloved truck of six years.  She was a 1977 Ford F-150 Explorer with a charming exterior and even more beautiful inside (she was our wedding getaway vehicle too as pictured above).  I posted my ad on craigslist and had a number of bites and offers.  I felt that my asking price was fair and I told them that I wouldn't waiver from it (at least until I had exhausted my possibilities).  About a week after posting the ad I received a phone call from an Abbotsford man who asked if I would be willing to write him a gift letter and take the cash "under the table".  [In case you don't know what a gift letter is, it is a document that ICBC requires when someone gifts a vehicle to another and thus ensures that the buyer does not have to pay any tax.]   I told Him that I don't operate like that and I couldn't be dishonest about the transaction.  He told me that he'd think about it and then call me back.

The next day he actually did call and we set-up a meeting.  After a quick test drive he gave me the asking price.  He told me that he felt he could trust me because I was willing to be honest with the government and him.

So, in case you were wondering if honesty is still the best policy, I would have to agree.  Although honesty is rarely easy it does reap the best rewards.