Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay my friend for a smashed bottle of wine?

Amara3434

Absolutely not! She didnt pack it properly. She should give the money back . She an adult when she agreed to buy something for somebody. If it was expensive or precious and she did not pack accordingly or didnt evaluate the risks for carrying it in checked in luggage- it was her own adults decision.
She should claim on travel insurance and repay for the wine she never delivered .
Why everybody puts the blame on a person who asked and paid but not on the one who didnt deliver? If i buy something from a company and they deliver it smashed how is it not same? Just because of “friendship” I jave to absorb somebody’s inability to pack or risks of putting it in a checked in suitcase ? The friend could have politely declined if she she considered the risks and did not want to be responsible at end of it!

Amara3434

For travel insurance it doesnt work like that

Freycle

Everyone seems to be making a lot of assumptions about the friend here. Did they pack it carefully? Did they take much time out of their holiday to buy it? Were they sensible enough to get insurance? Could the OP get the same wine for a similar price online? We don't know any of that. All we know is that the friend bought the expensive bottle before being paid by the OP. That was certainly kind of them, but if they were then careless in some way which lead to it being broken, then it is easy to see the dilemma here.



Nethertheless, I would suggest offering to pay for the bottle since there is really no way of knowing who is at fault. If you can afford an expensive bottle of wine, then you can afford to lose it and I imagine that your friendship is worth more than that.

Tirrick

You asked for the wine - they went out of their way to get it. Can not assume it was badly packed - if it was and they feel it is their fault hopefully they will refuse your offer of payment. Maybe split the difference? But be the bigger person and make the offer.

Pollycat

Freycle wrote: »

Everyone seems to be making a lot of assumptions about the friend here. Did they pack it carefully? Did they take much time out of their holiday to buy it? Were they sensible enough to get insurance? Could the OP get the same wine for a similar price online? We don't know any of that. All we know is that the friend bought the expensive bottle before being paid by the OP. That was certainly kind of them, but if they were then careless in some way which lead to it being broken, then it is easy to see the dilemma here.



Nethertheless, I would suggest offering to pay for the bottle since there is really no way of knowing who is at fault. If you can afford an expensive bottle of wine, then you can afford to lose it and I imagine that your friendship is worth more than that.

There is no option but to make assumptions about everybody in these Money Moral dilemmas.
Less than 50 words describing the 'dilemma' and no comeback from the author of the 'dilemma' (in almost all of them) means posters have no choice but to make assumptions.

martin321

It would be nice if you split the cost, but I don't think you have any obligation to pay for it. You asked your friend to bring you back a bottle of wine, and they didn't.



I post vinyl LPs to locations all over the world. If an LP arrives damaged at its destination, I give a refund.


If it wasn't possible for your friend to securely pack an expensive bottle of wine, they could have politely explained that, and refused your request.

crmism

Was the wine so important and life-changing that you had to get a friend to buy it for you?

Pay up!

Nourse79

My first thought entirely.

Candyflossnan

Yes IMO you should pay! Your friend has already paid for it to do you a favour. The fact that its broken is a shame and must be disappointing for you but I hate to think what a mess the said suitcase is in or its contents!! I am very lucky, I pack very, very well and have never had anything break, including on several trips to Australia. Also, whenever I've asked people to bring me anything back I always give them the approximate money before they go, squaring up when they get back - I don't want them to be forking out of their holiday money.

jaxsmar

Yes. She went out of her way to purchase for you.
(Unless you don't believe them?) Are you thinking it was an excuse not to fetch it back?
Your friendship is worth more than a bottle of wine surely.