To think this is top level CFery??

[HashtagTeamRaven]

Back in May, a colleague asked to borrow £100 as she needed to buy a new phone. We were both living abroad and the phone was quite important as it was her only contact with her family. It was really sprung on me tbh and I'm a complete doormat so I lent it to her, she swore she'd pay it back the following week on Pay Day.
Her pay was subsequently delayed and before she was paid, I moved back home.
We're in contact on FB and she has been telling me for months she'd pay it but has been having various issues organising it with the bank.

Today she has messaged me saying she can't figure out how to pay but as she is getting married in April, she'd like to take it as a gift.

It's £100!!
I'd possibly give that for my best friend or sister, but couldn't justify that for someone I barely know.

AIBU in thinking this is shockingly cheeky??

She's making me feel terribly guilty. She's on low pay and is claiming she's too shy to ask our old boss to help her sort the payment.

Regardless of the difficulty OP please pursue your money. Thats too much to just let go

Say you need the money now and have already had to wait a long time.

Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of!

it does sound like the banking situation for her is very odd.
^

Aye, it always is.

That is beyond cf, you need to get the money back...if she won't pay shame her by posting the screenshots of her text messages, and post underneath it that it's the thanks you get for lending money to a friend,

*posting screenshots of text messages on social media

She's taking the PISS.... she knows exactly how to send money to you ... and her wording is playing on your kindness...

Call her Bluff.. tell her you'll contact her Family... for the money...

Total cf- tell her to pay it back or send you YOUR phone back as you paid for it. She could buy you an amazon gift card if cash is too hard

Ugh what a CF!

“No that is a large amount of money for me and I cannot afford to just give it to you. Please figure out a way to repay me or shall I speak to our old boss about this? Perhaps they can take it out of your wages and repay me that way?”

This! xxx1000 but without the 'Please figure out a way' and going straight to 'shall I speak to our old boss' part. And learn to stop being such a wet lettuce. Take some assertiveness courses unless you want people to wipe their feet on you for the rest of your life. She's chancing it. Get over such ridiculous guilt.

OMG - No kick up a fuss! Don't let her get away with this!!!

You could set up a Paypal.me account and send her a link - she can send you money that way without you being charged for sending an invoice and without her needing to set up a Paypal account. I feel she's not really looking for a way to resolve this though! Definitely a CF!

This is really cheeky. I also think you wil never see this money

If she is on a low wage she should have chosen a cheaper phone. £100 is far to much money as a gift to a colleague - although there may be a culture thing going on here, whereby that is the usual amount to spend on a wedding gift.
Regardless though - if she doesn't have PayPal tell her to set it up. Or else she needs to get it resolved with the bank in terms of a transfer or for them to provide a cheque. Do you know anyone else that she could give the cash to and they can transfer it to your account.

YANBU she is one CF!
Get her told that you are not in the position to gift someone £100 least of all an aquantence you have seen in such a long time. I would tell her to post you a travellers cheque or something if the bank transfer is so difficult (which I highly doubt) plenty of people use PayPal to transfer money by putting in card details. She doesn't need an account

People saying write it off and forget about it - fuck no!!

She's completely beyond cheeky and taking the piss out of you op. How bloody rude.

“No that is a large amount of money for me and I cannot afford to just give it to you. Please figure out a way to repay me or shall I speak to our old boss about this? Perhaps they can take it out of your wages and repay me that way?”

^Perfect response. Do this OP. Don’t let it go

Write it off?

No. This is the real world.

You could suggest Western Union or whatever method she uses to send money back home.

I wouldn't tell a boss in Saudi about money owed to me by a foreign worker they employ. Especially not a Filipina - they have so few legal protections that they're at very high risk of exploitation and assault.

I would investigate a method that works for payment and ask her to set up a payment plan.

The 'wedding preset' thing is a red herring - she's frantic because she doesn't have the money or can't work out how to send it to you without involving boss, and is trying what she can. This is desperation, not cheeky fuckery.

she has hoped from the start that you would right this off, why should you she doesn't know your financial circumstances. Bet this isn't the first time she has tried this trick.

@Somerville absolutely spot on

She obviously has no intention of paying you back so id guilt trip her right back.

Is there no one else who could collect it there for you and then transfer it?