Money Moral Dilemma: Is it OK to ask for my champers back?

marich

Really - I bet there is some poor person whose job it is to fill in the 'dilemma' if one doesn't actually get posted in. When we all get around to picking the holes in it the lameness of their creation is displayed for all .

Perhaps their colleagues throw paper balls at them or perhaps the job gets passed around and their various contributions laughed at before posting - who knows ?

It must be a thankless task , so why don't MSE proudly announce that week that the whole country is at ease and nobody has any dilemmas ? That would be good news and perhaps encourage the weekly 'Dilemma Junkies' to post in their own creations .

How about some real dilemmas like :
1. Do I pay my rent or pay the electricity ?
2. Do I report my neighbour or keep on suffering ?
3. Do I go to uni or stay out of debt ?
4. Do I declare I'm working when the job won't last long ?

DigForVictory

No dilemma - it's theirs.
A good friend (who bought occasional drinkers a nice champagne) would tell them that amusing discovery of the day, that bottle might be worth X if they still had it. Then leave the matter.
Real friendship is worth a lot more than money.

tain

Depends on the mates really. All of my friends would be totally understanding if I told the straight up what had happened, and would be more than happy if I replaced the champers with another high value bottle. Or they'd probably tell me to not be stupid, they wouldn't have drunk it anyway so it's mine to have.

But if you're not friends like that, then suggest selling the bottle and splitting the profits. Half of something is better than all of nothing.

happyinflorida

I'd say yes, perfectly ok to ask for it back - I would be honest as to why you want it back and I think true friends would be happy to give it back - but nowadays it might be wise to say nothing about it's worth! Up to you but I wouldn't feel bad asking for it back and I'd give them a bottle of fruity sparkling water in exchange, Aldi do a nice elderflower for 39p

Sooler

Yes of course, it's yours and they have no interest in it. Why would they want to keep it? As suggested swap it for a bottle of something they'd get far more use out of.

TeamPlum

What a silly quandary.

Have the writers run out of ideas?

batvink

This may be difficult to get your head around, but the value of the champagne is exactly what you paid for it. It is not £1000.

If the champagne is sold to somebody else for £1000, then the value becomes £1000 to the buyer.

The reason why this is important is because the thought process is completely counter-intuitive and irrational. Would you have bought the champagne for £1000? I'm guessing not, so it does not have this value right now. And you bought it to drink, share or give as a gift, not to sell. This is the value you placed on it when purchased.

If you can rationalise this in your head, then you'll sleep better at night, value what you have, and be a better friend.

And before anyone says it, yes I know I am talking to an imaginary person with an imaginary dilemma. But let's not burst the bubble

alittlemadam

you took the bottle to a dinner party regardless of whether you drank it at the party or not it would be very rude to ask for it back. how do you know that they haven't drunk it or even passed it on to family and friends as gifts, you don't.


you could always talk to them and offer to pay for it back at half its value then you are both quids in


if you knocked on my door and asked for it back I would be appalled

pollypenny

Suggest you drink it together the next time you visit.

I've had experience of guests bringing stuff then taking it back if it's not been drunk/eaten on that particular occasion, in spite of them enjoying plentiful food and drink on offer anyway.

On one occasion a French lad, who'd stayed here on numerous occasions when he and DS were at uni together, came to a party and presented me with a bottle if champagne and pate made by his grandmother. They weren't opened as we had more than enough find and drink out. I was astounded to see him leave with both.

elizabethhull

So you keep a bottle of champagne for 'several years', probably not storing it as a valuable acquisition, you palm it off on some friends rather than buy something new when you already know they are not big drinkers, and now you expect it back ? What an appalling suggestion. You GAVE them the champagne. It's current potential value (and really you only have an idea what someone else might pay for it) is irrelevant. At the moment, its value is precisely what it was when you gave it.

Why didn't you take chocolates and a bottle of Asti Spumante ?