MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Fernando pay for Lewis' service?

Former_MSE_Natasha

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:

Should Fernando pay for Lewis' service?

Lewis gives his colleague Fernando a lift to work most days of the year, as otherwise Fernando would have to get an hour-long bus journey instead of the 20 minute car ride. Lewis rarely uses his car outside work, and come MOT time, there are a number of maintenance costs; new tyres, new brake pads and an oil change, totaling £300. As Fernando is in the car during most of its use, Lewis thinks he should shoulder half of the cost, but Fernando thinks as it's Lewis’s car, it’s his cost.

Should Fernando pay for Lewis' service?
Click reply to have your say

Previous MMDs:

Should Walter's mum pay for Dennis the menace's temper tantrum?
Should flood ridden Rhett & Scarlett get free catering?

PS From Martin - a couple of comments below have noted that 'a Money Saving Expert' should've thought of this... there's no MSE in the above; think of the names - think cars... and you may see

libra10

As a goodwill gesture Fernando should definitely offer to contribute towards Lewis's car maintenance. He should work out how much the bus journeys would have cost and pay at least half of the money he has saved.

Otherwise Martin should stop offering lifts to Fernando and let him catch the bus!

kiddy_guy

If Fernando pays petrol money then no. If not then he should make a contribution as otherwise he'd have to pay for the bus irrespective...

I don't think I'd put myself in the position where I wasn't offering petrol money in the first place...He could offer the money retrospectively as petrol money on the basis that he does so on an ongoing basis - therefore if he needs 1000's of pounds of work in the future, he won't be liable...

Lakeuk

Lewis should pay the full amount on this occasion as it would have to be paid anyway if Lewis drove by him self, but going forward his should ask Fernando to pay half the petrol costs plus extra to contrubute to generally maintainance.

gemmaj

I agree Fernando should offer a small amount of money, but Lewis would be driving to work anyway so driving Fernando hasn't actually cost him extra. Also he presumably made the offer out of the kindness of his heart - he can't suddenly decide he wants money for something he has already done for free!

If it really bothered Lewis, he could agree to start charging in the future and see what price they can agree on. Then Fernando will have to choose, car or bus.

tallgirld

Fernando shouldnt contribute nothing!!! If Lewis has a problem with that then he should stop giving the man a lift!! Furthermore if I was Fernando I would buy an Oyster Card and get the bus.

Middlestitch

Lewis should pay up this time but make sure he has an amicable(!) agreement with his passenger re future costs - half the petrol or whatever he would have paid in bus fares seems reasonable.

SomaJ

I think that Lewis needs to leave the car at home and catch the bus in.

When asked why he is catching the bus, Lewis can reply: "I am saving money and the world by lowering my carbon footprint"

(and be a Money Saving Expert, one would have thought about this already?)

martint123

I think Lewis should have the occasional car "breakdown" and not be able to give the freeloader a lift. It might encourage a contribution towards running expenses.

Mics_chick

If Fernando is paying petrol money then he shouldn't have to pay anything else coz that wasn't part of their agreement and it's unfair of Lewis to spring it on Fernando IMHO now - especially as he would be driving to work anyway. If he wants money to cover this then he should ask Fernando for more money on a weekly basis.

If Fernando is not paying petrol money then I still think it's unfair of Lewis to ask when he's seemingly been happy to do it for free (meaning he hasn't asked for any contribution before now). If he wants Fernando to contribute from now on then he should work out a fair amount he wants Fernando to pay bearing in mind that Fernando can decide to say "Stick your car I'm going back to using the bus" so he will get nothing anyway and still have to pay all his car running cost by himself...

If I was Fernando in this situation then I would say I can't afford to pay £150 in one go but I can give you some petrol money every week and then agree with Lewis how much he's happy with to accept. Even if Fernando is giving Lewis what it would cost him in bus fares or even slightly more he is "gaining" 1hr 20mins a day that would otherwise be spent on the bus.

anntics

The maintenance costs for the car should be paid for by Lewis, it is his car and he would have to pay these costs whether he gave Fernando a lift or not.

However, Fernando should contribute a reasonable amount to the petrol on a regular basis as a thankyou to Lewis, as it saves him a long and presumably less convenient bus journey.