Money Moral Dilemma: Am I paying too much for holiday car breakdown?

1356

Comments

  • pennypinchUK
    pennypinchUK Posts: 383 Forumite
    Was your 2nd hand car suitable for the distance necessary to drive home? Had you/they had it checked out before your friends drove it home? Were they driving as cautiously as would be expected when driving a cheap, older car over a long distance?

    If the answers to the above are yes, yes and yes I believe you'd done everything reasonable to expect the car to be suitable for the journey, so they should pay the tow fee. If not, you should pay a proportion.

    Although, given the car is a write-off and you've already lost it's value of £700, I'd be pretty miffed if any of my friends rubbed salt in the wound and asked me for any further contribution - you're already heavily out of pocket.
  • Mark_Beech
    Mark_Beech Posts: 77 Forumite
    It was the friends who made the concious decision to go home early. Their other option would have been to hire a car (assuming they did not want to use public transport with luggage etc.)
    They therefore need to accept any risks associated with that decision ... including the possibility of breakdown. They would have paid in a hire car ... so they should pay in this instance.
    You were not even in the car. If anything they should compensate you for any repairs needed to the car. There is also the possibility that the car broke down as a result of being over loaded or badly driven or both.
    You are certainly the one who should be feeling aggrieved. We should never make assumptions about what "might" have happened. It's possible that if you had all driven home together with you driving more carefully that there would not have been a problem.
    Mark
  • Gem_84
    Gem_84 Posts: 21 Forumite
    What I wonder is this:

    Why didn't they contact you BEFORE they had the car towed? Surely it's up to you as to which company towed the car being as it's yours?! If they did then you should have asked them if you were expected to contribute?

    It seems as if they simply forgot the car wasn't theirs. However, as many people have said before, it does sound like the car would have broken down either way.

    You have two choices, pay them and never let them borrow anything of yours again, or don't and risk losing your friends.
    Rise, like lions after slumber
    In unvanquishable number!
    Shake your chains to earth like dew
    Which in sleep had fallen on you:
    Ye are many—they are few
  • Your friends sound like a lot of opportunistic !!!!!!!!!!s. You've already provided the car for you all to go away in, and lent it them to go home early leaving you in the lurch (how were you going to get home?). Ok, your car is a bit dodgy to have written itself off, but asking you to pay an extra £50 to get them home is too much, when you're already losing £700. If they split the extra £50 between them it's only £17 each - let them pay it.
  • The word I put here was free loaders, nothing rude! Don't know why it has gone !!!
  • liz545
    liz545 Posts: 1,726 Forumite
    Given that they weren't insured to drive your car, I think the outcome could have been a lot worse - if the breakdown had resulted in an accident they/you could be facing a much bigger bill. If you think the friendship with them is worth keeping, I'd pay the £50 to keep the peace and look at it as an expensive life lesson.
    2015 comp wins - £370.25
    Recent wins: gym class, baby stuff
    Thanks to everyone who posts freebies and comps! :j
  • liz545 wrote: »
    Given that they weren't insured to drive your car, I think the outcome could have been a lot worse - if the breakdown had resulted in an accident they/you could be facing a much bigger bill. If you think the friendship with them is worth keeping, I'd pay the £50 to keep the peace and look at it as an expensive life lesson.

    I think if you read the first bit you'll see that they WERE insured, £50 to keep the peace? What about the car, OP is already down £700.
  • florere
    florere Posts: 104 Forumite
    "my cover only insures me in the car"

    Seems to me that you have already paid your share. I'm surprised they asked you when you were kind enough to lend them your car.
  • preciousillusions
    preciousillusions Posts: 543 Forumite
    edited 7 May 2014 at 3:16PM
    The word I put here was free loaders, nothing rude! Don't know why it has gone !!!

    Haha, the !!!!'s make it look much worse! Censoring fail!

    I think it depends on the state of the car when you loaned it to them and whether or not it was deemed likely to break down or alternatively just a very unfortunate and completely unforseen situation.
  • Cimscate
    Cimscate Posts: 145
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I think they are pretty good friends only expecting you to pay your share, it's your car and presumably not their fault it broke down. Would you expect them to pay if they were using your cooker or phone or fridge etc and it broke down? I don't think so.


    If you have a beef with anyone it's the person who sold you the car depending how long ago you bought it. So pay up and keep your friends.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards