Real-life MMD: Whose glitch is it anyway?

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Comments

  • You got your euros and there is every chance that the bureau will realise their mistake and debit your friend's account, so the matter is out of your hands. Next time, buy your own euros.
    'Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.' George Carlin
  • A.Jones
    A.Jones Posts: 508 Forumite
    DustD wrote: »
    Those people saying 'you got the EUR200 you paid for' are missing the point. And I don't get this 'go halves' business either. Why?

    Say I gave my friend a £1 to get some milk for me while they were shopping. They come back with the milk, but then explain they weren't charged for it but they are going to keep the money anyway. Or they say heres 50p... I wouldn't be happy with that.

    The friend could also say "I got free milk, and I'm keeping it as it was free. You can go and get your own."
    DustD wrote: »
    This MMD isn't as black and white and the scenario described above, as quite rightly people have mentioned theres a fair chance the Bureau will realise their mistake and debit his account at some point, which would mean -£200 to him which isn't fair.

    I think the money should technically go back to the OP, as I don't see why the friend should profit.

    If the friend shouldn't profit, after doing the work getting the currency, then why should the OP profit?
  • Fatabelly wrote: »
    It's his money.... It's his account and he did you a favour.
    Why didn't you do it yourself? You're only jealous because he was lucky to get the glitch.... Get over it!!

    Ah, the old "jealous" line. I was wondering when that would rear its ugly head. It's such an unoriginal, lazy and hackneyed argument, totally without evidence (unless you're a mind reader), and displays a complete lack of originality.

    If someone doesn't like the things you like, do you label them "haters" as well?

    (In answer to the original question, it's not your money, it's not your friend's money. If they insist on keeping it, grass them up.)
  • djb77
    djb77 Posts: 17 Forumite
    Should you have your £200s back? No. Should your friend keep the £200s? Not really, they should go back to the Exchange Bureau and mention that it had not been debited out of their bank account.

    If it turns out the Exchange Bureau have their money and the glitch has happen elsewhere as I have known this to have happened before (as one party had their money and the other party still had theirs). Then it is up to your friend to decide what they do with – split it, keep it, give it to charity, etc, etc

    I know it does not mention this but surely the friend got their money exchanged at the same time. If so, how come their money had been debited from their account as surely they would have got it altogether in one sale. If this is the case then is the extra £200 in your friend’s account actually for the Euros not being charged?
  • I don't see how either of you could feel comfortable keeping or spending money that wasn't yours, and which you might be asked to give back some day.

    The money doesn't rightfully belong to either of you, so you can squabble over it all you want but I think you both know that neither of you really has a claim to it.

    The only thing to do is contact the bureau and explain it. There's a chance that they'll say they have no record of the transaction and can't be bothered chasing it down, so you can keep the money - and then if you're really good mates you can split the money and spend it with a clean conscience! If your mate insists on keeping the money though, then c'est la vie - you'll still have exactly as much money as you would have had without the glitch, and maybe just one less friend than you thought you had!
  • Avon2001
    Avon2001 Posts: 99 Forumite
    edited 17 October 2012 at 3:13PM
    What the OP's friend gets is what the court gives them and while there are sentencing guidelines, how they are interpreted can vary widely. There was a college student with no criminal record recently jailed for 6 months for stealing a £3.50 bottle of water during the riots and before that there was a woman jailed for 6 months for stealing a bottle of milk because she had no money and was desperate.

    I'd also point out that a criminal record can have a serious impact, particularly if it relates to theft/fraud. Unless your friend never needs to look for a new job or get credit, they may live to regret this.

    Sooner or later the BDC is going to work this out and go chasing the money so frankly I'd suggest to the friend that they contact the BDC and pay up and then get a new friend.
  • I had a similar situation happen about four years ago: British Gas came to do some work and I sent them a cheque for nearly £600 for the work but they didn't cash it. I called them two or three times telling them that I hadn't paid yet and on the last occasion, the girl I spoke to told me that if I didn't have the invoice number (which I didn't) then they couldn't look into to see what the problem was with taking payment. I suggested she could find the invoice number by checking the works done on my account and tracking that way but whether too lazy or just inept, she didn't do it. Four+ years later, I still have the money sitting in savings in case they come looking for it at some point (although this looks increasingly unlikely). My understanding is that they have six years to come for the money after which it's mine.

    I think that your friend ought to contact the exchange and make reasonable attempts to pay for the goods and, if unsuccessful in paying, keep the money on ice in case they come for it in future. I definitely don't think it's the OPs to have back.
  • susan47
    susan47 Posts: 64
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    No way should your friend give you the £200 back as you got what you paid for. As for your friend, I'd be worried if I were him. How can he relax knowing that the £200 doesn't belong to him and it could be taken away at any moment? They might even charge him interest if they figure he's done it deliberately, who knows! I certainly hope he doesn't spend it anyway or he could end up with a sudden unexpected overdraft. Normally they spot their mistakes and come looking for accidents like this...
  • Elisecas
    Elisecas Posts: 51 Forumite
    The money doesn't belong to either of you. You got what you paid for. If he spends the money and the company bill him later well, more fool him. If he keeps the money then it's his liabilty/conscience. You got what you paid for, let it go.
  • Barryfan
    Barryfan Posts: 67 Forumite
    I really think honesty is the best policy here! The £200 rightly belongs to the exchanfge bureau and no doubt this will eventually come to light. Your friend should do the right thing and contact the bureau - to do otherwise is theft - and he knows this!
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