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AIBU?

Free Bike?

66 replies

SpringtimeSummertime · 05/04/2021 15:43

My neighbour came over yesterday - He had been sorting out their garage and said:

‘X (his DS) has got a new bike and we wondered if Y (my DS who is younger) would like his old one?’

Those EXACT words.

I said ‘That’s kind of you to think of him, Thank you, I’ll ask him!’

Nothing more was said.

DS said yes and I suggested he went over, collected it and said thank you himself.

DS went over and came back telling me that as the man handed the bike over he said ‘How does £50 sound?’
DS was shocked and said he didn’t have £50. The neighbour said: ‘Don’t worry, your Mum can drop it off later.’

Thankfully, DH was smart enough to leave the bike there even though they kept saying ‘no take it’. He said that I’d call over later.

I haven’t been over.

AIBU to think WTF? What is wrong with people? Am I going mad? When did ‘We wondered if Y would like his old one?’ become ‘We wondered if Y would like to buy his old one for £50’?

I now have to go over there at some point and tell him to (fuck off) that we have ‘changed our minds’.

WWYD?

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makingmammaries · 05/04/2021 17:10

Your DS acted very sensibly and you’re right not to go over. You need to put him straight sooner or later, though, so he can get rid of it.

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jessyjo2 · 05/04/2021 17:10

Think im going againt the flow but I would never assume that someone was giving me a bike for nothing unless they specially said so. Maybe neighbour could have made it clearer and you shouldn't have assumed it was free.

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TooYoungToNotice · 05/04/2021 17:12

Oh rookiemere that's awful! The same cost for second hand bedding as new! Unfortunately there's so many stories just like this on the various mumsnet CF threads. It's no wonder it makes people wary.

I think CFs know to target younger people as they are easier to embarrass into handing over cash unfortunately. Once you get old and cranky, your CF tolerance drops significantly and your ability to say no rises.

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InFiveMins · 05/04/2021 17:13

He is extremely cheeky OP. I would have assumed the bike was free, anyone would think the same. Imagine if he had said this to a young child excited at the thought of a 'new' bike. Not on at all.

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SnarkyBag · 05/04/2021 17:16

Well at least you have a sensible son!

I wouldn’t go over either. If he catches you in the street and asks just say “ds felt £50 would be better spent towards a new bike. I wouldn’t have sent him over if I’d known how much you wanted for it as I know he would t want to spend that on a second hand bike. Hope you find someone to take it off your hands”

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tuttifuckinfruity · 05/04/2021 17:19

That's awful that he put your son in that position.

Well done to your son.

Partly I feel just leave it, but partly I feel that lets him off the hook too easily. I would be tempted to let him know he hasn't intimidated/ embarrassed you by going over and saying "he's getting a new bike for his birthday, so we're just going to leave it. Try FB marketplace."

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tuttifuckinfruity · 05/04/2021 17:19

@SnarkyBag

Well at least you have a sensible son!

I wouldn’t go over either. If he catches you in the street and asks just say “ds felt £50 would be better spent towards a new bike. I wouldn’t have sent him over if I’d known how much you wanted for it as I know he would t want to spend that on a second hand bike. Hope you find someone to take it off your hands”

This is a good response.

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SpringtimeSummertime · 05/04/2021 17:26

Toocold: I think you’re more cheeky for assuming it was free

Is that you Gareth?

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SpringtimeSummertime · 05/04/2021 17:27

Disclaimer: He's not really called Gareth but it's the closest I could get!

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CecilyP · 05/04/2021 17:28

*I’ve decided not to go over and ‘explain’.^
If he wants to talk to me he knows where I am.

That’s wise. He should take the hint. If the CF asks you could just tell him you’re planning a bigger bike soon so DS wouldn’t get much use out of this one.

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toocold54 · 05/04/2021 17:31

Is that you Gareth?

If you genuinely thought he was trying to trick you then I’d have to go over there and say something.

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RuggeryBuggery · 05/04/2021 17:50

I find this sort of thing very awkward
Our cleaner went through a phase of offering stuff her daughter had finished with an initially I offered to pay a bit then she kept on offering more and more stuff so I declined repeatedly and she got the message

Recently she asked about stuff again but didn’t mention money, and said things like ‘she’s finished with it, it’s yours’
So I said ok well we could probably make use of it... but I wasn’t that bothered. Basically happy to take it off her hands but not up for buying it.
So she have the stuff but I’m left wondering if there was an awkward pause and if I was expected to offer some £? But then I think if I did she would just keep asking about stuff again 🤦‍♀️

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honeylulu · 05/04/2021 18:01

Ugh. This has happened to me with baby clothes. I had my youngest late in life and lots of our friends passed on baby/ little girl clothes which we gratefully received. It was a LOT though.

A parent at a club my elder child did kept coming over to sit with me and talking about all the lovely clothes she'd saved from when her daughter was younger. I nodded, smiled, agreed that they sounded lovely but that we had plenty already. But these are SO LOVELY and had been perfectly looked after and if I saw them I wouldn't be able to resist. On and on she went to the extent that I felt I would really offend her by turning down her lovely gift. OK she said I'll bring them along next week. Almost as a parting shot she said she wanted £100 for them.

I had the feeling she had been waiting for a suitable mug victim. She knew what I did for a living and that I'd be good for the money. Went home, stewed a bit, then texted her to say that yet another friend had dropped over another load of (free) clothes and I just didn't have room for any more. She stopped sitting with me after that. Cheeky fucker.

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DonttouchthatLarry · 05/04/2021 18:05

Maybe he did mean to give it to you for free, mentioned it to his wife and she said 'don't just give it to them, ask them for £50 for it' like my tight arse husband would do

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SpringtimeSummertime · 05/04/2021 18:27

@DonttouchthatLarry

Maybe he did mean to give it to you for free, mentioned it to his wife and she said 'don't just give it to them, ask them for £50 for it' like my tight arse husband would do

This is a plausible explanation... Maybe poor Gareth got his ear bitten off.

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SpringtimeSummertime · 05/04/2021 18:28

...for being too generous.

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