Real life MMD:Should I pay for the £700 watch my friend forgot?

lolarosa90

If she lost it at college she might not be able to claim back on home insurance. But it's not your fault entirely, maybe just a little bit but it's her fault for bringing the watch to class anyway. Explain that you were trying to do her a favour and that you feel unappreciated (turn on the water works at this point for full effect) and try to come to an agreement where you pay as little as possible and try to make it up to her? Movie night at yours? In the mean time try and search the watch, like put up flyers and ask around, whilst NOT stating how much it is!!

Good luck!

nhampson

If you had left it where it was and it had gone she would have had to pay for it.

You picked it up to prevent it being stolen but the watch is still her responsibility. How you managed to lose it you didn't say but it sounds like you let her know you picked it up.

My view, if you borrowed it and lost it on the way to returning it then your liability. As you lost it returning it then its hers.

If it has a high monetary and sentimental value SHE shouldn't have taken it there in the first place and SHE should have picked it up from you immediately.

I suspect you will lose a friend but you shouldn't pay

LittleMsStitch

I don't think that you should pay. After all, she was silly enough to forget it after class in the first place. Perhaps paying the excess for the insurance claim would be a gesture of goodwill.

However, she should be thanking you for actually making the effort to get it back to her in the first place. Yes, perhaps you should have just handed it in to the admin office and let them deal with it, but you were doing what you thought was right. If you had just left it in the classroom, anyone could have taken it and then she would have had to claim on her insurance anyway!

Another point: why did she wear a £700 sentimental value watch to a class where she knew that jewellery was not allowed to be worn! Surely common sense should have told her to leave it at home and not wear it to a class where she would have to leave it unattended.

happyinflorida

No way should you pay for it! She left it and it would most probably have got nicked by a cleaner or other student - she was the careless one first. Are you sure you've lost it? Double check - go over where you've been, ask around, offer a reward for it's safe return. If it doesn't turn up, tell your friend to claim on their insurance - I would pay the excess, if there is any, as you lost it - or go halves. Next time you see anything - leave it!

Giselle27

No, you shouldn't have to replace the watch. It is your classmate's fault that it got lost. Even if you hadn't picked it up, it would probably have been stolen. Don't let her bully you over this, it is not your problem.

purplepiggy69

I think this so-called 'friend' is not much of a friend at all for expecting you to pay for it - they are taking the fact they lost something sentimental out on you. If the watch wasn't of sentimental value they would more than likely be completely happy with a contribution to excess payment, and the fact the watch means so much to them is not your problem. If it really meant that much they would have been much more careful with it!! Had you left the watch where it was it could well have 'wandered' anyway, and your losing it was at least an honest mistake unlike if it had been stolen. Personally, I would revoke the offer of paying half of the excess and say good riddance to bad rubbish!

bargainbin

No of course you shouldn't have to fully reimburse her. That's what insurance is for! I presume she has got it insured and she actually owned it? She may have borrowed it from a relative. I agree with everyone who queried her wearing such a valuable item to college. She is lucky an honest person picked it up as it could have easily been pocketed by someone less scrupulous. Also you "could" have kept quiet about it and she would have been forced to claim it as a lost item. You have acted impeccibly through all this. It is unfortunate the watch was lost but after you've checked everywhere you could always ask the police if a watch was handed in. You never know some people are like you honest and kind.

andyt8

If you did not have the intention of permanently depriving her of the watch - which I don't think you did from what you say - then it is not stealing. However, you must be very very careless having found this watch to loose it before you get to the next class to return it to her. Or is this a contrived question.. Pay the excess at the most and point out what she would have thought of you as a friend if you just left it there and someone else picked it up with the intention of stealing it.

Greenfly_3

Lot of good advice here. Some not so good.

1. Report matter to college & police. Contact Lost Property Office.
2. Friend to file insurance claim.
3. If claim is valid......pay half of excess. Sentimentality is her problem, not yours.
4. If claim is not valid, due to excessive valuation, no proof of ownership or lying for instance, pay nothing but offer her a low value replacement watch from the local market or Argos.
5. Lose friend.

reluctantworkingmum

A really nasty thought has occurred to me - will there be a problem claiming on her insurance if it was actually you who lost it? - will she have to report it as theft? and does she even have an insurance that covers her for taking it off her wrist and walking away from it?