To feel a bit tricked and lied to?

[UnreasonablenessAbounds]

A while back an online friend asked me for some business advice. She said that it was a completely different kind of products etc to what I am in (of her own accord, I didn't query it or anything), that there would never be branching into the same kind of thing.

I willingly gave the advice, which I probably would have still done were it the same type of things, as I am like that

Just a little while after she set up, suddenly things the same type of products as mine pop up (not the same brands, but still...)

I gave the advice willingly, I most probably would still have given the advice anyway, but I feel like a friend has tricked me into helping set up a business rival.

So, from a friend perspective not a business one... AIBU to feel hurt?

I'd say No YANBU as she told you that she lied about the type of products she was selling. She should have been honest with you.

Sorry - that should say YANBU becuase she lied ...

Online friend - you mean like us? People you chat to on a forum? Was she really a friend? It can be anyone on the other end of a computer you know!

Yes, she misled you in order to get advice then set herself up in competition. I don't see how there's any other interpretation of your op, tbh. You say you'd have helped her anyway, but she obv felt that she had to fool you into helping, iyswim!

Is she actually in direct competition with you? Same location, same customers etc? Or is it just the same line of work?

And to answer your Q, no, I don't think you are BU. She set out to deceive you to gain an advantage. Friends don't actually do that.

no, i think you've every right to feel a bit hurt, I would be too, though whether or not I'd ay anything would be another matter entirely.

I'm assuming that the advice you'd passed on was learned by you over a period of time and has allowed her to set up without some of the problems you have faced?

ay = say (dodgy ss's)

Yes, Hecate - not just on forum though, lots of supportive emails when going through personal stuff etc. A lot of you have become proper friends, but I think I may be too easily trusting

It is very much an online industry, so location isn't an issue, but we are on the same sites for businessy things etc because I pointed in the direction of the places I knew were best, gave all the help setting it up (so yes, avoiding many of my errors)

I think I need to stop being as trusting, I tend to be very open and just believe that everyone is the same as me.

No, they're not. Sounds like she saw an opportunity and took it. Very cold and businesslike but hard on you personally. I take it the friendship has been flushed down the loo?

Yup - very much flushed

Right, going to stop wallowing on it and get some of my own work done rather than worrying about what other people are doing!

Thanks for listening I hate the AIBU section, but it was good to get it all off my chest

Just concentrate on being better at it than her!