We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Should I pay her?
bundly
Posts: 1,039 Forumite
An Ebay-ignorant and computer-novice wealthy pensioner acquaintance asked me to sell her nearly-new Apple Mac computer because she wanted to switch to a PC. I'm not a computer pro, just a competent computer owner. She'd paid £800 (almost new but secondhand) for the Mac, and would be happy if I could just get her money back. If by chance I got more for it on Ebay, I could keep the profit, for helping her out.
With this incentive, I walked to her house, took photos of the item, walked back, downloaded and sharpened and cropped them to make it look its best, copied down the entire spec from the box then typed it all out into an Ebay listing, spent time making the item sound really appealing and added the photos. I also created Ebay and Paypal accounts for her and answered all incoming questions from ebayers for ten days.
The Mac sold for an amazing £1,150. I only earn £10k a year so, as you can imagine, I was thrilled at having earned (after ebay/pp fees) about £330 for about 3 or 4 hours work. She seemed a bit miffed, obviously didn't expect it to sell for that much over the £800.
She then said, in a friendly, humorous manner, that for £330 I really ought to also guide her through the process of buying a new PC, set it up for her, and show her how to use it (in ways it differed from the Mac). I agreed. I then helped her create a spec to have a PC built for her and accompanied her to the PC shop and ordered it, because she finds the jargon terminology confusing.
When I hadn't heard from her for about a week I phoned and asked hadn't the shop built it yet? Yes, she said, they did it in a day, that she'd collected it, a new male friend had set it up. So I said, well, what about my £330? And she said, "But the arrangement was, I'd only pay you that if you helped me set up and show me how to use the new one, and you didn't". So I protested that I was ready and willing and waiting, and it had been HER choice not to call me. She then explained that this new friend of hers is a computer engineer who had offered to help her (for free) and so knew a darn sight more about PCs than me, so who could blame her. No, she wasn't going to give me a penny.
I was so darned furious with her that I auctioned on Ebay about 50 vintage magazines that she had lent me to read. She didn't seem to think these mags all that precious, it was just, "oh give them back sometime, no rush" kind of thing. They went for £100 (less fees).
Because I felt so conned by her, I have blanked her ever since.
That was a few years ago. Then suddenly today she has contacted me out of the blue, demanding I return the magazines, which she says are extremely rare and valuable.
What should I do?
With this incentive, I walked to her house, took photos of the item, walked back, downloaded and sharpened and cropped them to make it look its best, copied down the entire spec from the box then typed it all out into an Ebay listing, spent time making the item sound really appealing and added the photos. I also created Ebay and Paypal accounts for her and answered all incoming questions from ebayers for ten days.
The Mac sold for an amazing £1,150. I only earn £10k a year so, as you can imagine, I was thrilled at having earned (after ebay/pp fees) about £330 for about 3 or 4 hours work. She seemed a bit miffed, obviously didn't expect it to sell for that much over the £800.
She then said, in a friendly, humorous manner, that for £330 I really ought to also guide her through the process of buying a new PC, set it up for her, and show her how to use it (in ways it differed from the Mac). I agreed. I then helped her create a spec to have a PC built for her and accompanied her to the PC shop and ordered it, because she finds the jargon terminology confusing.
When I hadn't heard from her for about a week I phoned and asked hadn't the shop built it yet? Yes, she said, they did it in a day, that she'd collected it, a new male friend had set it up. So I said, well, what about my £330? And she said, "But the arrangement was, I'd only pay you that if you helped me set up and show me how to use the new one, and you didn't". So I protested that I was ready and willing and waiting, and it had been HER choice not to call me. She then explained that this new friend of hers is a computer engineer who had offered to help her (for free) and so knew a darn sight more about PCs than me, so who could blame her. No, she wasn't going to give me a penny.
I was so darned furious with her that I auctioned on Ebay about 50 vintage magazines that she had lent me to read. She didn't seem to think these mags all that precious, it was just, "oh give them back sometime, no rush" kind of thing. They went for £100 (less fees).
Because I felt so conned by her, I have blanked her ever since.
That was a few years ago. Then suddenly today she has contacted me out of the blue, demanding I return the magazines, which she says are extremely rare and valuable.
What should I do?
0
Comments
-
I'd tell her the truth. She has no comeback because she had a verbal agreement with you. If she takes you to the SC court then counter sue.0
-
tell her you sold them and she still owes you £2300
-
What if she denies ever offering me the profit from the sale? Those were just words, with no witnesses, whereas the magazines were actual real items.
Thanks for the responses so far. Anyone else got any ideas or thoughts?0 -
What if she denies ever offering me the profit from the sale? Those were just words, with no witnesses, whereas the magazines were actual real items.
Thanks for the responses so far. Anyone else got any ideas or thoughts?
It's a verbal contract and it's binding. I know you may have no proof but neither has she.0 -
Tell her you lent the mags on and never got them back. If a few years have passed it would not be that unreasonable of you to have done that under the circumstances. Or just give her the money, might be easier.0
-
Tell her the truth , it will teach her for wasting your time and going back on an agreement .0
-
What if she denies ever offering me the profit from the sale? Those were just words, with no witnesses, whereas the magazines were actual real items.
Were there any witnesses to her giving you the magazines?
obviously any made up ones will be matched with made up witnesses for her offering you the money for the computer and also for you giving her the magazines back.0 -
scheming_gypsy wrote: »Were there any witnesses to her giving you the magazines?
obviously any made up ones will be matched with made up witnesses for her offering you the money for the computer and also for you giving her the magazines back.
Nope, there was only ever just the two of us, me visiting her house.0 -
Tell her you gave her them back about two months after she lent them to you - don't admit to having still had them or sold them on ebay as she sounds like a right old baggage and then tell her to jog on and not get back in touch with you again:)0
-
tell her that the mags are long gone to the local tip!! cheeky mere..Life is like a box of chocolates........
too much all at once and you start to feel just a little sick...._ _pale_
SW start weight 13st 3lb
SW currant weight 12st 8lb
SW weight lost 0st 9lbs0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 355K Banking & Borrowing
- 254.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 455.7K Spending & Discounts
- 247.8K Work, Benefits & Business
- 604.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 178.7K Life & Family
- 262.5K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards