AIBU or is my friend being unreasonable?

[Sweetchocolatecandy]

My friend’s husband’s car wouldn’t start last week so she asked to borrow my jump leads. I totally forgot about after we spoke so she texted me through the week reminding me to look for them. I searched the house high and low and couldn’t find them so I rang around family members as I felt really bad (as I promised I would lend them to my friend). Anyway my mum lent me hers so I took them up to my friend’s house last Tuesday after work (under the impression it was a matter of urgency). Anyway I texted my friend yesterday asking if her husbands car was now ok and she replied back saying she hasn’t got around to using the leads yet and didn’t provide any sort of timescale as to when they are going to be used or returned (knowing fine well that they are not mine!)

AIBU to think this is a bit cheeky on the part of my friend or am I just being impatient? I wouldn’t be as bothered if they were mine but they are my mum’s.

Just message and say okay pass them back by tomorrow morning please so I can get them back to my mum.

Yeah that's rude. I'd tell her your Mum needs them back on X date so she needs to give them back by then. And then in the future I wouldn't go to as much trouble to help her as she clearly isn't very grateful!

I dont think anyones being unreasonable. Shes forgotten/not gotten around to using them, and you want them back. Just ask. No need for a drama about it

Yeah mssg back that you need it back for your mum on X day, go and pick it up too because she seems the type that will never return it

I don’t think you are being impatient, the point of jump leads is to have them “just in case” which your mother is currently been deprived of. I would just say that she wants them back.

I want to ask but she’s actually a really nice person and so is her husband so I don’t want to cause any bad feeling, but on the other hand if I had borrowed something of someone I didn’t know I’d make sure I returned the said item ASAP. My husband just thinks I’m being impatient!

Then wait a few days then mssg her that your picking it up as your mums asking for it.

I've known very nice people to thieve jump leads, they forget to return it and then mysteriously can't find it anymore. My dh for that reason would never lend his jump leads to anyone anymore

If it wasn't urgent, they surely had time to sort out the battery issues and then they wouldn't have needed the jump leads?

I'd give it a couple of days then say you need to give them back to your mum and ask for them back

I'd say something like 'my mum will be using her car this week, if you're using the jump leads please could you do it today, I'll need to give them back to her tomorrow. So she has them incase she needs. Let me know what time you'll be returning them please so I'm in'.

And your friend is a CF. When I needed jump leads I went and bought some from Halfords. My DH ordered his online next day delivery (Amazon I think). If they didn't need then urgently, as in the same afternoon!, they could have bought their own.

just ask her for them?

how is that difficult

"hey friend, have you finished with the jump leads? need to give them back to my dm?"

Just say "I will need the jump leads I loaned you back by Friday. You can drop them back to the house any time after 5pm every evening this week. Thanks again and see you soon."
I'd imagine they loaned them on to someone else and not had a need for them themselves and are waiting for this other 3rd or 4th party to return with them but they are too embarrassed to say anything.

If they say that they can't, point them in the direction of getting their own jump lead set and they can be delivered within 24hrs.