I've got myself in a pickle for telling a lie

[mumspiration1997]

Ahh I've really got myself into a pickle.

A family member asked me the week before Christmas would I drop a gift into someone.

It would have taken me an hour and I genuinely was putting it off until I had time I even thought ill pop it in after Xmas (the recipient was on holidays so did not see the immediate rush)

I was transferred the £40 to buy the gift.

However when my family member asked me did I sent it in I said yes I did (and as I said fully intended to before the recipient returned home) and now someone (another family member) has checked for it while checking on the house and its not obviously there . I already said I dropped it off otherwise I could say ah it's still in my car.

Now they have just text saying.

"Hi tried to contact you. Either the gift wasn't there or it has been stolen I'd like to investigate this further. I'm down £40"

I'm so embarrassed! I didn't steal the money. Should I just say "I don't know what's happened I'm transferring you the money back" or fabricate some story about "Oh the neighbours cat took it"

I am NOT saying I didn't leave it in at this stage, I feel belittled enough.

Help!!!! I'll never fib again...but I'll also never take on anyone else's chores again!!!!!

Jeez! Just get the gift and do one of the apologies above. Don’t be so feeble. You lied so make it right. I had sympathy with you to start but now you’re just being annoying.

So, you’ll continue to lie and, to make yourself feel better, somehow blame the other person for choosing to have asked you?

Lovely.

Transferring the money back and saying you don't know what's happened makes no sense.

You've lied and that's not ok just because you're 'too soft to say no'. It doesn't sound like that arduous a task.

Tbh if I was the person who had asked the favour I'd assume you had planned on keeping the cash but were called out so returned it. It would really colour my view of you. I suppose that doesn't matter as long as you just don't want to be asked again but I'd hate to be considered untrustworthy.

Just be honest:

My god.

If they have a cleaner, that’s how is going to get the blame for stealing it. Someone could lose their job because you’re “too soft to say no” but won’t actually bother doing it.

So you want to lie and then compound it by letting everyone down too? Get a grip!

Just say "sorry, I'm a total tool. It's been in my garage and I'll drop it round tomorrow"

Don't blame the poor cleaner!!

I think you should take it round tomorrow and say whoops I left it at mine, I could have sworn I brought it when I watered your plants.

Text the person who sent you the £40. “I’m not impressed that you’re saying I stole from you. You should know I’d never do that. That’s the last favour from me”

That is a very good point. This could really explode. Stop telling lies OP!

Absolutely do NOT do this! So the giver will think you are down £40? They will likely say that you shouldn’t be out of pocket when you’ve done them a favour, so then they’ll give it back to you and you’ll feel even worse! And they’ll start trying to investigate who has nicked it. You will end up in even more of a pickle!

I mean, you didn’t just lie - you kept the money and didn’t even buy the item let alone deliver it. Now you’re going to tell the person you ‘don’t know’ what happened? Another lie!

I agree with many previous posters here - confess what happened.
Do not tell more lies.

Like @Quinlan wrote, what if they accuse someone of stealing the item?

Tell the truth and shame the Devil - Don't lie..People don't trust people who lie, and you will be respected far more if you fess up.

Just tell the truth as you've told it in your first post. Apologise profusely and buy your friend some flowers. Also buy the gift and take it round.

OMG don't do this!!! It makes no sense and definitely makes you look like you were just going to keep the money. Just tell the truth - at this point it's by far the least bad option. It's a bit silly but not unforgivable.

I hate it when friends or family ask me to do their running around for them, like I have more time in my life than they do. It’s wasn’t your responsibility to buy the gift and then deliver it, it was their job to do that, buying someone a gift is a personal thing, and the recipient assumes they have put thought and time into it, and not just passed the job onto someone else.
Don’t feel guilty for lying, just drop the gift in and say, oh yes, I left it behind the - - -, I guess you didn’t see it.
I hope they appreciate you, but next time I would politely say ‘Sorry, I simply don’t have the time, maybe you can ask Rudolf or sort it yourself’

Just come clean! Be honest. Handing the money back makes you look far worse.

Don't lie. One way or another you will make this worse.

Just tell the truth.

'It's my mess.
I should have said when you asked me to do it that I couldn't as I was really pushed for time. However, I didn't and said I would do it. As I knew would happen, I didn't get it done before Christmas. I thought that, as they were away, I'd do it before they got back.
I then stupidly said it was all done when you asked me because I didn't want you to feel I'd let you down. I intended to take the gift tomorrow to welcome them back.
What would you like me to do? I can take the gift tomorrow, as I planned, or if you'd prefer, I can return you the money and you can get them something yourself.
Sorry to have created this confusion. Lesson learned and I certainly won't say yes to things I can't do on time again.'

Be honest. Say you forgot over Christmas, it is in hand now, including buying it etc, then drop it off.

Stop bloody lying more! It's getting worse and snowballing! What's your name, Pinocchio?! You will have a nest at the end of your nose soon... "I've got no strings to hold me down..." 😅

Giving back the money makes you look like you have been caught out stealing from them (which you kind of have). Just say you did drop it round but couldn’t see anywhere safe to leave it, so you put it back in your car boot and completely forgot about it, and then just take it round and go on with your life..

I think the suggestion from @Fetburzswefg above is spot on as it is truthful and therefore straightforward.

You have to come clean. It’s by far the best way, even though it feels awkward and embarrassing. Just say something like ‘I’m really sorry about this but in the pre-Christmas rush I didn’t have time to sort drop the present round. I told you I had done it so that you wouldn’t worry, and I intended to sort it before X returns from holiday. I will drop the gift off tomorrow if you like, or I totally understand if you would just prefer me to return the money. Again I’m really sorry about this.’

I wouldn’t do that, you said you dropped it to the house so they will probably still investigate / query the recipient about it and where it has gone and someone like the cleaner could get the blame
Go to the house tomorrow early and put it in the garage or somewhere where you think the relative hadn’t checked

This is such a silly way to deal with it, that potentially opens you up to much worse problems.

I understand being busy and telling a white lie. But there's no excuse for continuing to lie.

It's also in my opinion quite cowardly to justify your poor behaviour by moaning about having been asked to do the favour. If you didn't want to do it, you should have said no.

You made an honest mistake. And they shouldn't be so grabby.

Except for the minor detail that she wasn't accused of stealing. And the additional minor detail that, as of today, she essentially has stolen the money (she took money but hasn't used it to actually buy the present).

I wonder why the second family member has taken it upon themselves to go round there and look for it and report back to the first family member. That's quite an odd thing to do.