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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my friend has taken me for a mug?

601 replies

PenAndPaperback · 02/02/2021 19:02

Back in December, I made an online listing for my 2018 MacBook on Facebook marketplace and received a ton of 'lowball' offers or people asking me to drive an hour plus to deliver it to their place. A friend of mine messaged me, telling me that her current laptop had broken down and that she's having trouble finding work because of that (she's a freelancer).

She asked if I could 'sell' it to her first and that she'd pay it back in instalments after paying off her kids' stuff etc, before telling me that she would get back to me because she had to calculate everything. She eventually came up with a payment plan that lasted almost 2 years and I told her that I'd just give it to her as I didn't need the money and that if I were to bring it in for 'trade-in' I was told that I'd get basically nothing for it anyway.

So I dropped it off in her mailbox, and I thought that that was that. Fast forward to last week, she was sending me screenshots on her computer, and it was on a Windows laptop! I asked her in a semi-joking way, oh, did the MacBook spoil and she said that no, she's just using her old laptop and that she's using the one I sent her for 'storage'. If I had known she didn't really need it I definitely wouldn't have given it to her!

I'm not going to ask for it back, of course. But AIBU to be a bit miffed off by all this?

OP posts:
CleverCatty · 03/02/2021 11:18

Is there anything you can actually do now to either recover the MacBook or the monies off her for her having sold this?

Is Small Claims Court an option?

To be fair - you did effectively gift this to her - but she's been a complete bitch selling this on for a substantial profit.

ineedtogooutlater · 03/02/2021 11:20

Op as well as seeing sold listings on eBay you can also see sold listings on marketplace. She's obviously sold it.

JohnMiddleNameRedactedSwanson · 03/02/2021 11:26

Do you have a record of the serial number?

LemonSwan · 03/02/2021 11:27

OP I know you are probably quite angry as everyone has said they cannot break over night. I promise you they can.

I am not sure I actually believe her as wonky screen and green lines is not what happens with flexgate.

But it is absolutely possible it broke and the repair is worth more than the laptop. I have a late 2017 pro in my cupboard which I refuse to recycle because theres nothing wrong with it except Apple made the cable from the body to the screen too short and one day it just goes poof. 2016s are on recall. Everything up to the 2019 may be affected.

If you were affected you should have seen signs before such as little 'stage lights' along the bottom of the screen near the bar of icons. It is very subtle but gets increasingly stronger before one day the whole screen just goes black.

I just thought I should mention as this is all potentially friendship ruining. If you can rack your brains and try to remember.

truthisalie · 03/02/2021 11:27

Check your local CEX or send them a message with a serial number and your friends details.

MoreJammyDodgersPlease · 03/02/2021 11:29

I did have a MacBook that was absolutely fine while I had it, but died within a month of being passed on to a colleague, so it is possible that she dropped it or something. I've also successfully used broken screen laptops with external displays. But then why lie about it in the first place?

truthisalie · 03/02/2021 11:29

LemonSwan, the friend is making up the lies on the go but if she was genuinely concerned about their friendship she would have responded sooner.

TidyDancer · 03/02/2021 11:36

Well she's very clearly lying isn't she? What an awful person she is. Definitely ask for proof of what she's done. Obviously she won't be able to provide it, but hopefully you can push her far enough to get the truth out of her. And do what others have suggested and do some online research to see if you can spot any evidence of a sale taking place.

LemonSwan · 03/02/2021 11:36

I agree its probably more likely she sold it - for a pittance to one of those second hand electrics shops as honestly they are not worth a third of what they should be. But its not impossible it broke and she was just embarrassed.

Only OP knows her friend and her laptop.

AliceinBunniland · 03/02/2021 11:39

OP, I am livid for you.

I don't think you can do anything, unfortunately, as you did give it to her. You were being a good friend and so it's a shame you have been treated this way.

She is obviously not a friend to you and she has taken advantage of you. If she really thought the laptop was broken (a) how did she suddenly have money to fix it and (b) the right thing would have been to contact you before giving it away given that you had given it to her for free.

I think this ends the friendship. Was she a close friend? You gave a laptop to her so you must have thought she was?

Dasher789 · 03/02/2021 11:41

if you do contact the IT and it turns out the laptop was broken (seems highly unlikely), the friend should have at least contacted you and asked if you want it back as it could have still fetched something on ebay for spares and repairs.

misskatamari · 03/02/2021 11:42

Omg I would be FUMING! Even if that total pile of bollocks was true, you would message the person who GAVE you an expensive laptop FOR FREE before getting rid of it.

I don't know how you move on from this. I hope she's not a close friend, as I know it must be really upsetting to have someone you trusted behave this way. What a cheeky fucker!!

Original poster
PenAndPaperback · 03/02/2021 11:49

I did ask her for the repair shop details under the guise that 'they might have tried to scam you' but she said that she'd 'get back to me' and that she was really very busy now and don't have the time to dig up receipts. Also according to her she received nothing from Apple as it was under the recycling program not the trade-in program... Hmm

OP posts:
bonjourem · 03/02/2021 11:50

I don't believe any of her lies. What an awful thing to do to a friend.

Does she have form for this kind of thing or is it out of character?

LagneyandCasey · 03/02/2021 11:51

@PenAndPaperback

I did ask her for the repair shop details under the guise that 'they might have tried to scam you' but she said that she'd 'get back to me' and that she was really very busy now and don't have the time to dig up receipts. Also according to her she received nothing from Apple as it was under the recycling program not the trade-in program... Hmm
She's digging that hole deeper and deeper, op.
geojellyfish · 03/02/2021 11:51

And her explanation for no email confirmation of the Apple recycling?

Bluntness100 · 03/02/2021 11:51

@PenAndPaperback

I did ask her for the repair shop details under the guise that 'they might have tried to scam you' but she said that she'd 'get back to me' and that she was really very busy now and don't have the time to dig up receipts. Also according to her she received nothing from Apple as it was under the recycling program not the trade-in program... Hmm
Yeah she scammed you and sold it. That’s so shameful.

I get people get desperate, but robbing your friends ans using their goodwill against them to do it is really really bad.

Derbee · 03/02/2021 11:53

OP, learn a lesson from this. You shouldn’t have just given it to her because she wanted it. But you did. When you give something away, it no longer belongs to you. It’s not up to you what she does with something that you have given her.

It’s fucking rude, dodgy, and ungrateful, but you had already given up the laptop/any value from selling it. So you are no worse off really, you’ve just given that fucker £80 essentially.

Cut off the friendship. And don’t put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of again.

XjustagirlX · 03/02/2021 11:53

I would say ok I don’t need the actual receipt just let me know which shop you took it to and what day and I’ll phone them up.

Then I would say he should never of given it to Apple as she knew you initially were going to sell it. Therefore she owes you £x.

You will never get the money but the friendship is over anyway.

amihavinganervousbreakdown · 03/02/2021 11:54

I think I would have to tell her that you are going to contact apple as they will be able to verify this with the serial number.
The fact she is so very busy is unfortunately suspect and I think everyone is right, she has sold it.
She doesn't need the receipt to tell you the repair shop name and address. I think you should tell her you've got the serial number and will just contact them as they will have booked it in with that number, they always do. She will have to be honest then and the least you deserve is an apology - and the money she took when she sold it.

Blahblahblah12345 · 03/02/2021 11:55

She has sold it. She is a shitty friend

cbt944 · 03/02/2021 11:57

Ask her how much she got for it, and then demand your cut - 90% or whatever. She's a lying liar, and shameless.

XjustagirlX · 03/02/2021 11:59

Very good point about the Apple serial number. I would say you will contact Apple.

Original poster
PenAndPaperback · 03/02/2021 12:00

I don't have a record of the serial number because I am a dumb arse. I've checked eBay and Facebook marketplace and don't see anything there. I do know that Apple had logic board issues but I've checked my serial number on the Apple website back then and mine wasn't one of the ones so it can't be that. Surely if it were genuinely spoilt she would've sent a message my way and asked? Especially since she claimed it happened less than a month after I sent it to her.

OP posts:
TatianaBis · 03/02/2021 12:00

She’s not a friend. She’s not even an honest person.