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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

234 replies

CarrieBradshawsCloset · 17/04/2014 00:36

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?

OP posts:
ILoveWooly · 17/04/2014 16:26

Have you returned them yet OP?

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 17/04/2014 16:36

What a meanie! Just say "Sorry, none of the clothing was suitable after all" and in future, don't do any more favours for them, at all, ever, without a charge. It's hurtful though - I think most of us know someone who behaves in such a way. There will always be takers in life, unfortunately, not nice to be on the receiving end of it.

The 5p and chip episodes must be absolute records of meanness, though, surely? Who would not feed a child when all the other children are eating? Despicable.

TheLastNameLeft · 17/04/2014 16:40

lists lucky you, I would love to have neighbours like that, although the ones I do have are ok and do feed the cats when I'm away I am lucky'ish except for demon child next door who keeps upsetting my dd

OP, Hope you have taken them back with suitable "excuse" not to have them. I am still totally gobsmacked they ate in front of your child and WTF about the 5p! Easter Shock

Dubjackeen · 17/04/2014 16:42

Back they go, and no more freebies, in future. Hon, indeed!

Bunbaker · 17/04/2014 16:44

I'm dying to know what the OP did.

roadwalker · 17/04/2014 16:56

me too

LongTimeLurking · 17/04/2014 17:08

People like this take the piss. You have done free work for them as has your DH and now she thinks she can treat you like a doormat.

Take them back and offer no further free services or favours for them.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 17/04/2014 17:12

Come on Carrie, did you dump her bag back on her doorstep < nosey nelly here>

Aeroflotgirl · 17/04/2014 17:23

Your am she could have called op to check, not buy her kids chips and leave op out

BomChickaMeowMeow · 17/04/2014 17:26

^This thread illustrates something very wrong with how many women and girls are socialised - to find excuses to allow other people to save face, to apologise for someone else's bad behaviour, to avoid a direct expression of their response to someone else's bad behaviour.

I appreciate the OP may not want a direct confrontation with a neighbour, but pretending to be broke, or to have just been given clothes by someone else, will just perpetuate the neighbour's sponging and meanness.

Some posters have suggested appropriately polite but firm texts saying you hadn't realised she was charging, and are not planning to buy your daughter play clothes at the moment, so are putting them back on her step, thanks. Send one of those.^

You say all that, Burren and then suggest...sending a text. Hmm

I think people (men as well) do a lot of things because they don't want a verbal/physical confrontation. Texts can be the worst thing as they can be misconstrued and do not convey emotion well.

In whatever way she does it to smooth neighbourly relations (without being bosom buddies), as long as the OP returns the clothes and doesn't pay, she is in no way "being a doormat".

CarrieBradshawsCloset · 17/04/2014 17:41

Well, I popped round to hers this morning with the clothes and said something along the lines of "I'm bringing these back to you because we really have no use for them at the moment. DD doesn't need anymore clothes and I didn't realise that you wanted to be paid for them. Why don't you do a boot sale on Sunday if you want to get some cash for them?"

She was ok about it, and moaned a bit because she can't be bothered to do a boot sale (yeah, hence why you tried to palm it off onto me, love), but end result is I didn't pay for the clothes, and I'll definitely be thinking twice in future before doing anything at all for her. DH says he's not going to do them any favours again either.

OP posts:
squoosh · 17/04/2014 17:45

Good resolution OP!

Aeroflotgirl · 17/04/2014 17:47

Good on you op, she is a cheeky freeloader

VampyreofTimeandMemory · 17/04/2014 17:49

bit late to this thread but I would be stunned if any friend of mine wanted paying for a bag of clothes that she wasn't even going to use ever again.

MrsGeorgeMichael · 17/04/2014 17:49

good for you Carrie!

expatinscotland · 17/04/2014 17:50

Of course she doesn't want to do a boot sale. First of all she will have to pay an entrance free and secondly she will get about £2 for the bag.

Cheeky mare!

Bet you London to a brick the so-called friendship will drop right off once the freebies are reigned in.

I would have cooled it after the 5p and chips episode.

bluebeanie · 17/04/2014 17:52

I'm with redfocus. Just say thanks but no thanks. If you say you're skint she might make an amazingly generous offer of say £40...(!) Cheeky woman

FrigginRexManningDay · 17/04/2014 18:04

Stop the free eyebrows and nails and start charging her and see what happens.

SauvignonBlanche · 17/04/2014 18:08

Well done OP!

expatinscotland · 17/04/2014 18:13

And yes, well done for not cowtowing to her pisstaking.

yegodsandlittlefishes · 17/04/2014 18:16

DH onside as well? Result! Grin

AdeleNazeem · 17/04/2014 18:18

well done Carrie.

now does anyone want to give me £20 for this pile of old potato peelings I've got, I can't be bothered to take them down to the food waste bin.....?!

Easter Grin
candycoatedwaterdrops · 17/04/2014 18:21

Well done! Easter Grin How do you feel?

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 17/04/2014 18:23

Adele

Only if you give me £30 for this pile of scrap paper.

2sugarsmeans3 · 17/04/2014 18:25

Fantastic! Easter Grin