Flatmate says I owe her £600

[Digestivesandcheese]

I was meeting my flatmate (who is also a good friend) in London recently and agreed to bring her weekend bag with me on the train (She was meeting her DM earlier in the day for a trip to the Theatre) I had a rucksack containing my things for the weekend.
I got off the train in London and realised I had stupidly left her bag on the train. I got back on the train but the bag was gone! It hasn't turned up in lost property. I have chased up several times.
My friend says I owe her £600 for the bag and contents. I agree it was my fault but can I claim compensation from the rail company as the bag hasn't turned up? If not, I will have to borrow money to pay my friend for her things

I know this kind of person through and through. She uses you by getting you to sort her bag out and then demands insane compensation. Had a very similar situation in my twenties and I coughed up as I was such a people pleaser. More fool me. Much older and wiser now She's a selfish user and not a good friend. Don; be fooled. Tell her to shove it.

It could have been stolen while you were still seated. Was the weekend bag a recognisable designer brand?
I think it was risky of your friend to leave expensive bag/stuff with you to bring over as a favour on public transport.
She should have bought it with herself and kept it safe in a locker at a bus or train station.

OP you sound like a lovely person – and for what it's worth I think you're doing the right thing. That's really good that you are able to borrow the money from your mum interest free and just pay back at £5 a week. Like you said, sort out the finances and then just forget about it as much as you can!x

If you had borrowed her bag/ stuff and left it on the train then you’d be fully liable. But if I was your friend I’d recognise you were doing me a favour and go half on replacing items.

Hi @Digestivesandcheese . Things like this are just so annoying. I guess one of those unexpected costs. Is there not a way you could split it in some way youre both happy seeing as it was an accident? I get that it was also a mistake but its not like you intended for this to happen. £300 each? or £400 for you to cover and £200 for her?

If you were my friend I'd probably just say to forget about it. Especially if I knew it would take you 2 years to pay your mum back £5/week. But my financial circs may be different to your friend. Does she understand how much of a struggle it is for you? Is there a way you could pay back other than financially?

DH had a suitcase taken on a train trip from luggage rack section - he couldn't see it when train got busy. It did turn up in lost property - items missing - and we had to travel to the lost property office to pick up - DH got off in midlands where we live lost property office was at end of line in south - so we had to pay for train tickets to get to it.

It was an expensive mistake.

I can see why everyone upset here - maybe haggle her down for amount as £600 seems excessive especially as you were doing a favour and I assume you had no idea any of it was that expensive.

I honestly don't understand these replies! If you lose or ruins something that belongs to someone else, it's surely just accepted good manners to replace it? Even if it's an accident? I know I certainly would – and I would think a lot less of a "friend" who didn't offer. I think OP sounds lovely and is doing the right thing. I definitely wouldn't want to be friends with any of the posters saying they would end the friendship and not replace anything!

If you got back on the train after 2 minutes and the bag was gone, that is a straight up theft. Not a left behind, lost property scenario.

So get it straight in your head: there was a crime, someone stole a bag to the value of £600 and yet you are going to pay.

There is home insurance that would insure you against this stuff. If she's has stuff that is pretty high end, she needs that insurance.

Did you tell her you left the bag, or that it was stolen?
Because I think it's different.

I think you're doing the right thing OP. Whilst it was an honest mistake, mistakes do need to be paid for in certain scenarios. This is one of them I feel.

Yes you were doing your friend a favour but even with having the money returned she may not be able to buy those exact items again, especially clothes. So she is losing out too.

I'm glad you can still be friends.

The thing is, with the OP's update that she got back on the train after 2 mins and it was gone, it was not a case of leaving it behind. It was a case of it being stolen. The OP is paying for a crime that someone has committed.

Agree with this. In all probability the bag would have been stolen from the luggage rack no matter who was 'in charge' of it. These things happen. It may not have (probably didn't) even happen at the last stop.

Not read all the thread, so apologies if already been suggested - she should claim on her insurance, as it usually covers goods outside of the home and even an annual travel insurance would cover UK trips / luggage. She would need to itemise the items and verify their value, but insurance should cover the loss, perhaps with a small excess payable.

It isn’t actually, unless you specifically have new for old cover.

They will pay out at average current value. If you want brand new, you make up the difference. It’s the same as if you paid ten grand for a car but it’s market value was £4k when you write it off, they’ll pay you the 4k.

Agree with this. In all probability the bag would have been stolen from the luggage rack no matter who was 'in charge' of it.

I wonder if that why she forgot it as it wasn't there to be seen - or moved from her side/view.

When it happened to DH bag wasn't even taken off the train moved when people got on told likely taken to another carriage or toilets valuables taken and bag dumped further down the train - transport police were aware we were told after there was a gang doing this - but that was it no extra warning on train or anything to be done for us.

How would you feel if someone lost £600 worth of your stuff, refused to replace it and told you to shove it?

Would you genuinely think that was okay?

This is a good point because if it's true it negates the whole "negligence" accusation and could well have happened if the friend had been carrying her bag

<Some batshit quote that hasn't appeared>

What? You're suggesting that this person gave OP her bag, hoped she would lose it and then demand the OP give her money?

Do you think the world is flat, too?

OP, you lost the bag. You are responsible for replacing the contents of it like for like. Check your insurance though as you might be able to claim through them.

I'm actually aghast that there are some people that seem to believe that the friend should have either only travel with cheap stuff or notified OP that her items were expensive, like that somehow absolves her of some responsibility? Do you not take as good care of stuff if it's not deemed expensive enough?!

Yes it was a mistake, and expensive mistake, and I would expect OP's flatmate to come to some sort of agreement for some of the items. If £500 of the total was the cost of my Dyson hairdryer then I would be ok with a cheaper replacement for example, but if the £600 includes clothing or shoes (and please, that's hardly anything in terms of clothing - even Primark will charge £50+ for a coat nowadays) then OP should replace like for like where possible.

Where was the bag Op?

Honestly if it was taken that quickly then it suggests that someone knew it was your bag & saw you get off without it.

I hate it if I'm travelling with a suitcase, put it on the rack & have to sit out of sight of it.

Seems unfair she is asking for the full cost. The flatmate couldn't be arsed to carry her own bag around for the day, so OP did her a favour.

If the flatmate has such expensive tastes she should look after her own belongings or have them insured. 50-50 seems more fair on the liability.

How did OP not leave the bag behind? Even if someone picked it up, they wouldn't have been able to if OP had taken it off the train with her!

Keep trying with the rail company to see if it has turned up. If someone saw an unattended bag, they might have given it in to lost property.
If nothing after a few days then you would have to pay for it.

I'm actually aghast that there are some people that seem to believe that the friend should have either only travel with cheap stuff or notified OP that her items were expensive, like that somehow absolves her of some responsibility?

If OP had known how much the bag and context cost she'd have been aware of the liability she was putting on herself - and could have declined - and perhaps been more aware the bag could have been targeted.

If DH had known there were gangs targeting bags on his train he'd have forgone the seat and stood next to it reducing risk of it being taken.

When we ship things with bag moving companies - they want basic information including value and often offer extra insurance - even post office asks questions about value.

So I do think getting someone to transport £600 of easily transportable items with no warning about cost is poor behavior though I do think OP if she just forgot it- rather than had it stolen -would have some liability.

Your “friend” sounds a bit of a knob tbh. Genuine mistake/accident/theft when you were doing her a favour. I would be mortified to think a mate would have to borrow money off their mum and repay over two years! I’d appreciate a contribution to replace the contents but I’d accept the bulk of the cost and the responsibility.

£600 is 12 items at around £50 each. I honestly don't know why people are saying that this is such a high amount?