To want my glasses back?

[FlexibleFi]

More of a WWYD than an AIBU.

I went to a wedding June. I and three other friends from university days (14 years since we graduated) were invited and booked an AirBnB for a long weekend. We don't see a lot of each other but we have a WA group and message every few weeks. It was a lovely opportunity to catch up.

After years of being really hard up, I had a significant job change this year and for the first time splashed out on a few special things — including a rather fancy pair of designer glasses instead of Specsavers basics. The glasses are for reading and computer work, I don't need them for ordinary things. They're quite a mild prescription. All three friends at the AirBnB tried my posh spex on. One, I'll call her Rachel, commented that we must have the same prescription because she could read perfectly with them. She joshed me for spending so much money on them. A couple of times over the weekend, when I'd left them sitting by my phone or book, she'd borrow them to read something without asking.

We had a great busy and boozy weekend and when I got home I couldn't find my glasses anywhere, so I messaged the group to ask if anyone had picked them up accidentally. All said no. I messaged the AirBnB owner to ask if they'd been left there. No. Searched the car, searched everywhere. No sign of them. I'm not someone who often loses things.

Then this Sunday Joanne, one of the others in the wedding group sent a screenshot from FB of Rachel reading a menu in a restaurant while wearing a pair of glasses that look just like mine. Joanne commented 'Well now we know where Fi's glasses went, LOL' on FB. By the time I managed to get onto FB (ancient account I rarely check) the image had gone — but I had the screenshot.

I messaged Rachel, sent her the screenshot and said it looked as if she'd found my glasses, could she post them back to me please. She's replied saying they're her glasses: she liked them so much that she's bought a pair exactly like mine. I don't believe it and neither does Joanne. Rachel's recently split from her long-term partner and she talked a lot while we were away of how difficult she's finding things financially at the moment.

They were £300. I could claim on travel insurance (I have annual travel insurance) or on my household contents, but then I'll have to pay more for premiums for the next few years.

Joanne has said she'll get involved if necessary but I don't want to ruin memories of a lovely weekend. I can't immediately afford to replace the spex with the same (I have a holiday booked and that will eat up my budget for the next month or two) so I'll have to order a pair of cheap prescription readers on the internet. WWYD?

I would be absolutely FURIOUS!! How does this prize bitch sleep at night when she is just a common thief? I hope you can somehow arrange for her to see this post and maybe, just maybe, she might feel guilty enough to give them back. (Who am I kidding?) It is pretty obvious she has got them. I wouldn’t worry about the friendship situation if you want to tackle her about it. Knowing what you know now, you can never be friends with her again and you have to face that. But she must NOT be allowed to get away with it!

Silly?? What a thing to say. You must have more money than sense if you can just casually tell someone to move on after they have had property worth £300 stolen from them! Not a bit of sympathy, just the equivalent of a shoulder shrug. I wonder how you would feel if it happened to you! It might be easy for you to stand the loss of £300 but I can assure you, for most of us, it isn’t! You are not much better than the thief in my opinion if you can think in this way!

When normal people have a consciense like a small sieve, people like these have a consciense like a bloody fishing net.

One of the posts earlier struck me. The dynamics of the group.

I do take on board the post a couple above about moving on
... and do see the other perspective. What happens if she denies it, says why the fuck should I have to prove I've bought new glasses?

How will that affect the group, will some side with Fi, or will others think she's taking it too far?

I personally have said I'd take the screenshot and report it to the police and let the cards fall where they may, I would want the right thing done, if Rachel prodeces a receipt I would eat my weight in humble pie, but that's very unlikely. How it would affect the group? Well if they thought poorly of me for wanting my 300 glasses back then they aren't good friends anyway and can get to fuck.

But I'm finding it very interesting that some folk are saying chalk it up to experience you don't want to be thought of as a viscious cow"

Whatever, I hope we get to hear she's got them back !

@PreciousMahoney I'm the same. I wouldn't want to be friends with people who would go along with the theft. She's definitely stolen them.

Oh and Lobelia, where I live the police won't be on the floor laughing, if I said I think I know who stole them and produced the screenshot, they would follow it up.

I doubt the police would be interested but I also think that the group will be blown apart by this regardless of the outcome. Trust has gone. And without trust you have nothing.

Ooo hope you get them back. 🤞🏼

Things are in play and I have my fingers crossed that I'll have my glasses back before long. I'd go into more detail, but because of the trolling I hope people who've been kind enough to offer advice and support will understand that I'm not going to engage. I'll let you know when I know for sure whether I'm getting them back or not.

Good for you OP. I hope when you do get them back this episode hasn’t spoiled them for you.

If someone opened your purse and took £300 cash, that would be okay would it? Of course it bloody wouldn't. Apart from the cost they are prescription glasses. They have to be made to the prescription, They're not £3 readers from the supermarket. The OP said she only bought them after she got a better paid job. She's not rolling in money with extra to burn. They are to make working easier and therefore an investment in her career and future. She can't afford to replace them so has had to get a cheaper pair. How is this fair?

How many times does someone have to save up for something? She saved up in the first place and is now £300 out of pocket with no glasses to show for it. What amount of money would you consider being upset about? £500, £1000, £5000.

I found £5 in the car park of the hotel where I am staying, I didn't pocket it, I handed it in. No idea whose it is, I just know it isn't mine. I said if it isn't claimed then I would like to send it to a charity I support, they gave it back to me the next day and I sent off a donation.

After the wedding she rang everyone, including Rachel, who denied all knowledge and didn't even say that she liked them so much she got an identical pair. All the info we have makes it highly likely that Rachel has them. She tried them on at the wedding weekend and commented that the prescription suited her eyes. I agree that all the evidence is circumstantial, but what there is, all points in one direction.

Too invested in this thread! Keep checking back to see if you have been reunited with your spex!
Photos required when you are!

Need to borrow a step ladder to get off your high horse there dear?

🧙

Double post soz xx

Turn up at her door, confront her, tell her yours are marked with uv pen and you're calling the police here and now to straighten the matter out. As she has a receipt she will have no problem proving they are hers...

What trolls? What happened to acting your age? Why do people always resort to name calling?

Bringing a tragic and sad situation (Caroline) into a thread about stolen glasses is low.

I wish there was an ignore feature on here for the post you quoted.

Good luck OP!

.

🍿😺

You’ll need to report it to police to get a criminal ref number for your insurance.

Unless you are going to lie to the insurance and say that you lost it?

What a difficult situation! I hope you get them back.
i know a person like this… jealous of anyone who has nice stuff from working hard and planning wisely. Because she can’t get organised enough to plan her career or save any money.
she’ll organise the kitty or group present fund (to avoid having to put any money in - she just pretends she puts in), then she’ll steal £20 out of it for fags. Or buy something inferior and claim it was more expensive.
she won’t get public transport because she’s so fat she finds the walk at the tube station too long but she manages to convince people to order and pay for the Uber they didn’t want in the first place.
Always gives the sob story at restaurants and people feel sorry forher and then they don’t ask her for her share of the bill.
Always steals something from anyone with a posh house (neom candle from the bathroom, spirits from the drinks cabinet)

me too. Talk about low. Don’t have a clue what that was about.

So anyway, back to the glasses….