If you lend somebody something, it should come back in the same condition?

[MerryChristmasEverybody]

I leant an expensive suitcase to a friend when they went on holiday for 4 weeks. Had it back at Christmas and it's still got all the stickers on that the airport put on, plus string on each zip. Pulling the stickers off has left a sticky mess under neath. I haven't said anything to friend as it's not the end of the world, but I'm not happy that they didn't clean it up before giving it to me. After all, it was given to them to save them having to buy a new one.

AIBU to think they should have cleaned it up?

Yes, some people don't care.
Don't fall out over it but don't lend them anything else, it just makes you angry in the end and they are non the wiser.

Stickers on suitcases wouldnt bother me, on the grounds that it makes the suitcase more identifiable next time I use it. Don't think I could get worked up about a string on a zip either. However, given the rough handling at airports, expecting a suitcase to come back in a pristine condition is IMHO very wishful thinking.

I would have taken them off op agree.

However if its a sticky mess it's easily cleaned so not permanently damaged so its not like they have battered or broken it but its a bit thoughtless and careless.

It's a bit annoying, but really not worth getting your knickers in a twist over. Just a couple of bits of string and a sticky patch none of which should take too long too sort out.

Olive oil on cotton wool should get the sticky mess off.

Generally I agree that objects lent should come back in the same condition, but I don't think you can really apply that to suitcases. You know that they will be handled by people other than the person you are lending to, and by people who don't give a shit.

I think you got off lightly. When I flew with my brand new Antler suitcase to Zurich a few years ago, it ended up with two massive rips on it. I was flying business and it was marked "priority" but it was the last one out. I can only assume it got stuck somewhere. I really look after my possessions, but there is nothing I could have done about that.

It's a bit if string and some stickers. Hardly vandalised and trashed.

If you're really concerned about the condition your suitcase was in on return you shouldn't loan it (or any other case) to anyone. Cases take a huge battering on flights, you're lucky it didn't come back with missing wheels, dents, scratches.

Sounds like this was pretty minor. Take the strings off, remove the stickiness and don't loan it again. I have a now quite old hard plastic suitcase, I've never taken the stickers off, I quite like it looking well-travelled but I accepted from its first use that it wasn't going to stay pristine.

I would be furious over permanent damage but I think YABU to be bothered about stickers and string.

YANBU
I think that fact that it is a suitcase though and only string and stickers makes it less of an issue. I would have definitely returned it without the string and stickers.
After many years of surprises like this I now only lend things to people if I'm not that bothered about getting them back.

I wouldn't be bothered about any of it. Lending a suitcase means that potentially you may never even see it again in the case of some airlines.

But If I was the friend i would have cleaned it up and used some of that sticky stuff remover.

Yes bitter experience only lend things that you're not that fussed about, not expensive, and easily replaceable.

Stickers and string on a suitcase wouldn't bother me, it's not as though your friend has damaged the case! I think you're being a bit petty, let it go

When I clicked on this I was expecting some major damage to have been done! I think YABU, all it is some string that you can quite easily cut off and some stickers. It's not as if the suitcase is now unusable.

meh

Yanbu to think they should have given it a bit of a clean up.
I've leant books to my dsis before and they always come back dog-eared and scuffed up. She doesn't look after them like I do. Drives me mad, so I don't let her borrow them any more.

Think yourself lucky you get things back. My two adult SSs treat our house like a Dept store but without tills, Whenever they need or want anything we are always their first port of call before they shock horror go to the shops and buy something for themselves, if we havent got it. Suitcases,basic tools,car parts - you name it.

l would faint love to get something,anything back with a few bits of string or sticky patches on it !

inconsiderate spongers. Say no, next time, you lent it to someone else.

I agree with you. I lent a beach umbrella to a friend and it came back with the centre bit you push up broken, so it was totally unusable.
I lent a carry cot to my cousin, her dog savaged the outside, so I was unable to sell it.

I don't lend things now :) If I truly don't want them back, I just give them, I just don't want the hassle anymore.

I think they could have taken the strings off yes but it's a suitcase, you can't lend one out and expect it back pristine they get bashed about loads.

My old Aunt Nellie always used to say 'Neither a lender nor borrower be'. She was a bit of an old battleaxe though and l used to think that was one of her typical prudish mean spirited sayings,

Now l think 'you know what - you were right Auntie Nellie'.

I think it was a bit inconsiderate to return it without cleaning it up but it's pretty minor in the scheme of things.

But to be honest I never lend anything unless I am prepared for it to be damaged without it being the end of the world. It is sods law that lent items get lost or damaged.

I'm with sudaname's Aunt Nellie. You shouldn't lend anything that you're even the slightest bit precious about.

To be honest, I never lend anything I'm not prepared to never see again, never mind get it back in same condition it went.

You got your suitcase back with only normal wear and tear, yabu. Look at it this way, if you had taken the trip, same issues would have arisen, so what are you on about?

I thought this thread was going to be about an item of clothing or an electrical piece of equipment.

A suitcase with stickers and a piece of string on it isn't a big IMO. Unless it was one of these stickers I wouldn't really care. It's a suitcase. It's meant to be used roughly.