Neighbour keeps borrowing my hoover

i_wanna_save_money!

I had a neighbour a few years ago who asked to borrow my hoover, and she hoovered up all the ash and cigarette ends out of her ashtray :eek: and every time I used it after that all I could smell was stale fags ( we don't smoke inside ). The next time she asked to use it I said it was broken. It really did smell disgusting and I think I ended up getting a new one.

Acc72

You don't want to upset your neighbours feelings, but she doesn't seem concerned about hurting yours ....

What would happen if your neighbour broke your hoover - would she buy you a new one ?

If it is your proerty, she is even less likely to take of it than if it was hers.


As you want to be polite, I go with the other suggestions - the next 5 times she asks, just say that you were about to use it. If she doesn't get the hint you will have to tell her that you don't want to lend it to her.

that's_another_fine_mess!

We had something similar with our lawn mower. The lady over the road kept borrowing it and it was a struggle to get it back when we needed it. She was apparently going to buy herself one but never saw any that were suitable (cost not an issue- she had a brand new car etc). Eventually (after 2 years of hassle and her keeping it for weeks on end) we decided to say that we were selling it, would she like to buy it for £50 (cost us about £200) and we'd buy another one. She kept stalling so I advertised it. At this point she said no, it was too heavy for her to use and she wanted a new one, not second hand. To add insult to injury, when I went to get it from our shed, she'd helped herself again and said she needed to use it again before we sold it- would my partner be able to cut the grass while she was away. We've never lent her anything since.

keelykat

Hi, honesty really is the best policy with things like this. She has taken advantage of the situation. I think it is plain rude to send it back not emptied and to keep asking.

I would never do this to a neighbour, by now i'd have got myself a new one. Then again, i'd ask a family member if i use theirs instead of a neighbours as i hate asking them for things.

keely.

POSSETTE

use the dead fuse one i liked that idea! then ask her for half the cost of a new hoover as she broke it!

Snaggles

I would just let her borrow it but politely say 'Could you pop it back over as soon as you've used it, because I'm going to vac the bedrooms in a bit'.

At best she will get bored of having to carry it back to your house and will just go and buy one herself. At worst she will carry on as before but at least she will bring it back, which is an improvement at least!

ailuro2

With friends like this, who needs family to take the !!!!?:p

Just take the fuse out- if she comes back and says tell her you forgot to buy a new fuse, you keep meaning to......

littlemissmoney

Don't answer the door to her Easy.

Mics_chick

If you really can't be honest with her then say that it's broken and you're waiting for someone to come and fix it and keeping saying it if she asks more than once. If she says she heard you hoovering say you've borrowed 1 from a family member but you have to take it straight back afterwards.

Say that it might be too expensive for you to repair so if it is you're thinking of getting a cheap vacuum cleaner from Tesco or Asda (see links below both only £15 now !!!) so it would be best if she went and got herself one of them now... If she can't afford it that's not your problem - sorry if this sounds harsh but I think she has used YOU enough.

http://http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-4605.aspx
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4060709.htm

Steel_2

I say when she comes knocking, pick up the hoover and start hoovering frantically. Every single time. Works for me and Jehovah's Witnesses

She'll get the message. If you don't do something to let her know you're onto her, she'll be round borrowing other stuff because she thinks you're a soft touch.

On the topic of borrowing from neighbours, our neighbours won't let us go and buy a petrol mower. We borrowed theirs when we first moved to our house as our electric one couldn't hack the state of the garden and ever since then they've insisted we borrow theirs and not buy one. They've even given us a spare key to their shed so we can go in during the day and get it while they're at work. They lend out their stuff to everyone, nothing is too much trouble, and get miffed if people go and buy their own.

Very nice of them, but the guilt has been killing me for two years now. I feel like an utter mooch. I caught myself planning how to go out and buy our own petrol mower and hide it so they won't see it, but as the wife is in during the day the subterfuge wouldn't last long.