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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Who is right Dh or me regarding paying?

95 replies

Lipz · 02/05/2020 13:14

A couple of weeks before lock down we hired 2 gym equipment pieces for 4 weeks.

When the date came round for collection the company contacted me asking if I would hold onto the items till things settled as they were not allowed to travel to collect them, not allowed to enter house, non essential company. I told them I wouldn't be able to afford to keep them indefinitely, they said there would be no charge.

I think I should give something towards having them here, as I'm still using them, however I wouldn't be able to pay the full amount, but was thinking half of what it would have cost to hire.

Dh thinks pay nothing, he said they said no payment, if they wanted payment they should have arranged something, he said I'm only using them because they are here, I wouldn't have hired them for this long. He said the items would be sitting in their shop because they can't hire out anything.

Am I being unreasonable to want to pay something?

OP posts:

timeisnotaline · 02/05/2020 15:22

Hiring gym equipment out has been very popular, not sure why people think there’s no business there. Irrespective of that, if we weren’t too affected financially ourselves, I’d pay at least part if I could to help them out.

JustOneSquareofDarkChocolate · 02/05/2020 15:32

I would pay what I could afford to help the company out.

rwalker · 02/05/2020 15:35

I'm with you If you are in the position to pay something I would .Many business will be on there arse now.
Certainly wouldn't pay anything like the full amount but token payment.
It depends what type of person you are.
someone who like to profit from others misfortune or someone that likes to help people when they can.

Duckingell · 02/05/2020 15:44

I think I would pay them a little something extra.

IF the money wasn't causing my own family hardship and IF it was a small family run company.

My example is I recently had a couple of guys round to clean out the gutters. Quoted for it - but due to the size and shape of our house, with extra extensions and weird layout there are is a lot more guttering than a standard detached house. They were nice guys and worked hard so I offered them extra as it took a lot more time than I would expect anyone to earn doing such a mucky job.

It's nice to be nice.

Original poster

Lipz · 02/05/2020 15:49

Thanks again for the replies and advice.

I had a chat with dh and he agreed we would pay a small token, but no where near the amount I was thinking. I get the general view here is not to pay but I'm feeling guilty using it and not paying anything at all.

The reason we hired 2 items is because we wanted to buy an exercise piece but were not sure which one, so by hiring 2 pieces that we couldn't decide between buying, we could try them both for 4 weeks and see which suited us best.

On his website it says family run business, I'm not sure if it's 100 people in a gym type environment or a man working from his kitchen. So I'm not sure how big his company is.

He couldn't come to collect it as he got notice that he could not trade during the lock down. This meant no un necessary travelling, handling of the items, entering people's homes. 2 guys had to build the 2 items in my home, it would mean they would have to come in to dismantle them, they are very heavy so we could not budge them ourselves.

I do love a freebie like most but I just feel guilty for some reason. He may not accept anything, we'll see. We're in further lock down here in Ireland till May 18th so I've got them for another 2 weeks.

Thanks again really appreciate the different views and alot of good points made.

OP posts:

HollowTalk · 02/05/2020 15:54

Do you actually want them in your house? If you could afford would you have paid for them anyway?

lyralalala · 02/05/2020 16:06

It might have been wise to mention being in Ireland in your OP.

Most people commenting on the fact they could have collected are doing so because in the UK they could have.

Dieu · 02/05/2020 16:22

I don't think I'd pay. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement at that time

minisoksmakehardwork · 02/05/2020 16:24

THey've said not to pay so don't worry about it and carry on as you are - it does sound like the equipment still being in your living room might be a little inconvenient. However, as and when they contact you to collect them, if you have continued to use them then maybe a donation towards the extra use would be a nice thing, but by no means expected.

They can't collect them and they can't get them out to anyone else so they aren't losing money by you having them.

mummmy2017 · 02/05/2020 16:28

I think if you pay, your sort of setting yourself up to pay the full amount as your using it.
What about instead a nice tip for the people who take it down, and also if you want to make a donation to a charity once lockdown is finished

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 02/05/2020 17:08

It nice you pay some token amount OP. Good on you

OldEvilOwl · 02/05/2020 18:20

Your DH is right. They have said don't pay so why try and pay?

Rose789 · 02/05/2020 18:55

I wouldn’t pay if they told you not to and you can’t afford to. But I would leave a positive review on their website and post on social media about how great the company is so they get some free advertising.

20Newnames · 02/05/2020 19:05

@OchonAgusOchonO

Mn is a strange place. You are annihilated if you're not continuing to pay your cleaner who is not providing a service but you're an idiot if you pay for other services.

My thoughts exactly!

Original poster

Lipz · 02/05/2020 19:13

Sorry I didn't realise not mentioning Ireland was an issue. I assumed the rules for things like this were similar? . I didn't realise people were allowed in homes in the UK. Apologies for that. I will naturally accept anyone's change of opinion.

I wouldn't have taken the equipment for longer, the 4 weeks was the time frame we needed to test it.

I like the idea of saying the money is a tip rather than saying I'm paying some money, the 2 guys that came here were definitely brothers.

I will leave a very good review on their page.

OP posts:

Itsjustmee · 02/05/2020 20:55

😂 Mercedes left us with our lease car that was due to go back the week after Lockdown
Said we can carry on driving it as long as we give it back within 48hrs when requested
Mercedes even insured it for us till they collect it

makingmammaries · 03/05/2020 07:18

I think a glowing online review might be worth more to the company than a token to payment of which half will go to the taxman.

Maybelatte · 03/05/2020 08:10

I wouldn’t pay, they clearly said there would be no charge so why waste money you don’t have to?

My DH once paid a plumber who came out to fix something he had bodged in the first place. Said plumber told us he would come back if we had any issues during the first six months free of charge. We had an issue within days so he came back and DH bloody gave him some money, I was fuming!

Whatisthisfuckery · 03/05/2020 08:18

In situations like yours OP I find it helpful to consider what would happen if the boot was on the other foot, then act accordingly.

OchonAgusOchonO · 03/05/2020 11:07

@Maybelatte - My DH once paid a plumber who came out to fix something he had bodged in the first place.

That's a totally different situation.

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