A friend of friend threw away my £300 worth suitcase last year

Elena068

A friend of friend threw away my £300 worth suitcase last year. Should and can I chase her for compensation now?

I'm an university student. In 2015, I took a year abroad and left my stuff at my friend's house. She rented that house with another four girls. In Oct 2016, I returned back to university. At around the same time, my friend and the other three girls moved out, only one girl who continued to rent that house. My friend took all of her and my stuff to her new house, but forgot one of my suitcases. We later found out the girl who still stayed at the house had donated my luggage to a charity van. She claimed because even though 4 people inc my friend had moved out, there were still a lot of things left in her house, which got her angry. She said she had asked the other 3 girls, but forgot to ask my friend. And as a result, she threw away the suitcase. Inside the suitcase had many new stuff and invaluable sentiments of mine, total value were about £300. I didn't escalate this for a compensation. Now think about it, I feel I was so stupid, but I was totally a mess at that time. I had lots of things to worry about and catch up after a year off. My friend kept crying, blaming that was her fault of forgetting the suitcase, which was awkward. I did try to ask around charity shops in my city. The girl said she gave it to a BHS van, but my local BHS said they didn't receive my suitcase, which got my suspicious whether or not I knew the truth.

With other more important things to do, I had to put this issue aside and time flies before I realised. Now the end of academic year is coming, I'm thinking about my suitcase again. I feel really angry towards that girl who never said a single word of sorry to me, everything was through my friend.

Do you think I should and can chase her for compensation?

Robin9

Put it down to experience and move on with your life.

FBaby

Of course. She'll counteract with storage fees.

Aced2016

You left all your stuff to be the responsibility of others. I appreciate its not nice whats happened, but you should have made arrangements for your own belongingings.

You should just put it down to experience. And going forward make arrangements for your belongings, either put it in storage or move your stuff to your parents etc. I really think you'd struggle trying to claim compensation for a suitcase, that you left and others then left behind. You'll have to pay out legal or court fees i would assume ? I really only see you out of pocket further on this one.

Diary

Your friend couldn't be bothered to look after your stuff by taking it with her. Why should the girl who donated it to you say sorry? You left it there instead of taking this highly sentimental valued at 300 pounds suit case with you.

Go after your friend not the one who mistakenly threw it away. Get over yourself and move on.

chesky

Don't go after either.
Friends can be in short supply and everybody messes up at some time.

Jobs like looking after stuff are what parents are made for.

pinkshoes

Forget it and move on.

If it was that important you could have hired a storage locker.

pollypenny

Bit of a cheek to leave your stuff and expect it to be looked after by someone else, especially in rented, shared accommodation.

Marvel1

I blame your friend for forgetting it and should you seek compo from her, not the one who is living there now.

DigForVictory

Things that are dear to you should stay close to you rather than be farmed to friends.
Says she who wrote off a collection of vintage bike parts as after I moved, the friend (who'd also moved) had given them away. That the friendship crumbled later wasn't inevitable, but that didn't help.

Life is too short to chase things. Cherish people instead. Best revenge is a life well lived & living to an old age with all the good memories.

Spendless

I take it you mean BHF (British Heart Foundation) rather than BHS(British Home Stores)?

The first is a charity, the second a shop no longer in existance. Just in case you asked the wrong place.

For the rest, I agree with the others. Nothing you can do, move on.