To not want to pay £50 for a load of old tat that's been foisted on me?

[CarrieBradshawsCloset]

We get on well with our next door neighbours. We often get together for wine/a takeaway, and the DCs get on well too. We do them quite a lot of favours, such as looking after their pets when they go on holiday, and DH is an electrician so has done a few electrical jobs for them for free. I am a beauty therapist and sometimes wax the woman's eyebrows or paint her nails if she's having a night out, and I never charge her. It's never occurred to me to charge her in all honesty.

She has a DD who is two years older than my DD, and has been saying for a while that she has a big bag of clothes for my DD. My DD has enough clothes and she doesn't need anymore (not bragging, just giving background info), however I said, out of politeness more than anything "thank you, that would be nice".

So anyway, I got back from town today to find a big bag full of clothes on the doorstep. Nothing special, just Tesco, Primark, Asda stuff, that kind of thing, and not in brilliant condition, but useable as play wear. I sent my neighbour a text to say thank you and she sent me a text back saying "£50 will be fine for them all, there's at least £100 worth of stuff there so it's a bargain. Can I have it ASAP please Hon?"

I am genuinely gobsmacked! Firstly that she expects payment in the first place. Secondly because she's essentially foisted the items on me, I didn't ask for them, and thirdly because it's not like it's in good condition, it's old, faded supermarket clothes that are pretty cheap to buy new anyway.

WIBU to pop them next door in the morning and say that we're a bit skint at the moment and I didn't realise she wanted money for them, so she'd probably be better off selling them at a boot sale?

Wow they sound GHASTLY!!

I they est you stock up on a set phrase ready for when they ask you for free work, something like

"We're going to have to charge for that I'm afraid, DH and I worked out we were doing half of our work for free. We need to stop gratuities so we can help build up our business."

"But it's a Sunday surely you don't have work on today so you could just spend 5 mins..."

"No I'm sorry, if everyone we knew did that we would get poor and exhausted very quick. We need our breaks at the weekend."

I wouldn't say I was skint, I'd just take them round and say "thanks for thinking of DD but having had a look through the clothes I don't think there is anything we could use so you should probably give them to someone else or drop them at the charity shop"

*I suggest you stock...

Please don't pay her 50 quid and please don't do any more favours. She's taking the puss.

Yes. What WeAreEternal said.

I am now all cross for you. Do NOT say you are skint. Just say you have gone through DDs wardrobe and she has more clothes than she needs already, so they aren't required.

The chips thing is nasty.

Drop it back and say that there is nothing DD likes and there is no room in her wardrobe.

"sorry I didn't realise you expected paying, I really don't need all this stuff so if you need the cash, try eBay this from the doctrinrofsnatch
excellent response in mho

Checking into the thread because I want to hear what your neighbour says when you return the bag of old tat

Oh and just text, and put the bag on the doorstep. Because if you are anything like me a conversation would result in apologising accidentally or something.

Oh my goodness. Please don't wrap your answer in cotton wool, she needs to hear your message loud and clear.

"I don't need the clothes, I've put them on your front step."

You should have been transaprent from the start and told her no we have so many clothes. Return them to her and tell her you don't need them as dd has enough clothes thank you. Suggest she give them to charity if she dies not want them, she sounds cheeky

Wow! Some people are just so lacking in self awareness aren't they?

Good luck OP - hope your neighbour isn't rude to you...and, just in case it wasn't clear from EVERY SINGLE REPLY (a first for AIBU surely?!!) YAdNBU!

Return it, return it all!!!!

She sounds mean 5p . No tell her straight, you don't need the clothes, mabey sell them at a car boot or charity them

I'm particular about clothes, but I would never turn down the offer of hand-me-downs just because I think it's pretty rude. So I don't think the OP is at fault for that. How was she supposed to know her neighbor is a head case?

aghast and agog at the chips thing.

The cheeky mare!!
Definitely give her them back and say "on second thoughts id rather spend £50 on some new things for DD"

And I would've pulled her about the chips what a terrible thing to do to a child!

The neighbour was extremely rude asking for money, op should take them back there and tell rude neighbour she does not need them!

Yy saski - my friend gave me a bag of maternity clothes and said "just pick through and give away any you don't want" - not my style but happy to have a few extra bits and bobs - this is the "norm" with hand me downs, surely??

The flipside - another friend asked me if I wanted a travel cot but mentioned upfront that she already had it on eBay and so would £25 be ok? That was also fine.

"oh sorry i thought you were giving them to DD? I don't need to buy her any more clothes right now"

I hate stinginess, but I do have some very good friends who are hung up about money but have other qualities.
And as they are neighbours I wouldn't be rude and, if they are friends, at least now you know their limitations and you can decide if you can work around their stinginess or not.

And now you know how she paid her mortgage off early, don't you? .