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!!!!!

OP abandoned this thread on page 2 having decided to give the money back so not sure what the subsequent 5 or 6 pages of “just drop it off, just drop it off” are about 😂

This is the only way to go, OP.

I was curious to see how long it would go on for, just in case it became a “cancel the cheque” moment 😅😂.

Just give the money back and they can sort out their own gift next time. It’s not your job and it sounds like they aren’t local. Or just buy Amazon gift cards and email it across

Well, in a meta sort of moment I'll have to come clean and admit that I didn't RTFT before replying.

I mean I meant to, then I hid my reply behind the sofa and discovered it by surprise.

Not sure why the lazy arsed person asked you to get the Christmas gift if they were going there themselves?

Shit no! Don’t do this, you had some
good advice, buy the gift and take it around as planned. Just tell the person you have it but have delivered, sorry for confusion, was waiting for person to get home from trip.

In future don’t agree to be someone’s Father Christmas and elf.

Just get the gift and deliver it.

Don't tell any more lies. You could have, in the first place, said you didn't have time and would sort it/you knew they were going away and would arrange for when they got back.

Do not implicate any cleaners, or anyone else.

Oh the neighbours cat took it
Unless it was a fresh side of salmon you cannot blame NDN cat .

The cat will judge you for fibbing , they have scruples y'know

' I gave it to DP to post and he forgot. Soz about that, here's the gift'.

Our cat WOULD do that !

I thought you said in your opening post that you'd never fib again?
How's that going for you?

And yes, it does sound pathetic. You f*cked up and got found out.
Own it, apologise for your actions and do better in future.
And knock it off with the stupid lies.

Just reading your replies you come across as if you stole it (not to me but most likely the person who asked you). In all honesty I would just come clean and say ‘so sorry I took stuff along and just come across it in the boot, sorry I must have missed it amongst all the other stuff, not to worry I will pop it in now …is home’

I think you have to say that you thought you'd done it but must have forgotten in the Christmas rush, and you've just now found it. They probably won't believe you though.

It's the new version of Cancel The Cheque!

Listen they KNOW you didn't drop it around. So don't get in any deeper. Just say "it's there now" after you drop it off and don't engage anymore.

It's perfectly possible to be fully aware that people lie ( and Mumsnet is full of liars) and to decide not to tolerate it in your daily life and from the people around you.

I don't understand why the person couldn't have just ordered their own gift to be delivered to the person's house.

Do they not realise this is a service most shops offer?

Don't make up convoluted stories! Get that gift pronto, now!
Deliver it, now!
My old Mum used to say, "least said, soonest mended."

THIS ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻

Come clean and stop lying!

Honestly it would have been better to say, "Look, I told a little white lie because I hadn't had time to do it yet. I was fully planning on dropping it off before she got back from her holiday. Here's your £40 back and do your own bloody Christmas shopping in future!"

@mumspiration1997 the truth of what’s happened really isn’t so bad, why can’t you just fess up instead of concocting a silly lie or pretending you have no idea?
Situations like the one you’ve ended up in are rarely improved by lying further. Just tell them what happened! You’ll feel better, I promise

Honestly I'd just transfer the money back.

Because no one was home and no one would be home for a month. Where exactly is the delivery company meant to put it?

In that situation, you ask someone with a key to go round and put it in their house. Why is that so confusing?

It also sounds like a gift of wine from the supermarket. Ordering and getting wine delivered requires someone with ID at the property.

Anyone with a brain would order the gift for delivery either before the person went on holiday or after they got back, rather than ask a family member to go out and buy a present and hand deliver it to an empty house.