Would you charge a friend for a defrosted freezer?

[christmastreewithhairyfairy]

A friend looked after our pets (paid) while we were on holiday. We came home to find the freezer fully defrosted, she owned up to opening it and it clearly didn't close properly. Not sure exactly how much was lost but probably over £100. She's offering to pay but given she is a friend and it was an accident I'm leaning towards saying no. If it was a professional I'd probably think differently. I'm curious to know what others would do.
YABU = take the money
YANBU = let it go

Depends on the food. If it was mostly vegetables etc I'd let it go. Expensive meat, fish etc. I might ask for a contribution.

I'd just ask that she looks after the pets for nothing next time!

OP has also clarified there is a fault with the freezer and she doesn’t think it’s her friends fault now. And various other posters have clarified whether they would gift/not gift/pay/not pay. The verdict is everyone does it differently

I put about a present when I overlooked she’d been paid (though it’s unclear if it’s what a full pet sitter would charge or just a token amount -is this the next door neighbor or soneone who needs to travel across town)

Do you have any friends? Just out of interest 🤣

No, I wouldn’t charge a friend.

People think I'm a pushover. I don't think I am because I weigh up lots of different things when I'm making a decision. Two of them being social harmony and how I'm going to feel about the decision. It would make you feel stressed to take the £100 and potentially spoil the friendship. I'd rather pay £100 to keep a calm mind and a friend.

Also sometimes the door can be difficult to close if they freezer has a build up of ice so I'd be more likely to blame myself.

You may find your insurance doesn't cover you for people in your home whilst you're away.

It was a slip, human error. I can’t fathom charging a friend in that situation. Friendship is way more important than stuff

It was an accident, these things happen. There’s absolutely no way I’d even consider charging a friend for it, that would be so petty.

But they are looking after it for payment

I was curious to know if I was being a pushover because I have been told I tend that way. I definitely have some friends who would take the money or demand it even

You need new friends as well as a new fridge-freezer.

As it was Frrozen goods, Let it Go 😉😉

Then let it go. It was an accident. Do you want to lose a friend for 100 quid?

Just read your update. Bet you are glad that you didnt ask her for the money 🤣 I did doubt that you would ask anyway.

By the way you seem to have some mean friends if some recommended that you demanded the money. Accidents happen and,even if she charged, your cats were well looked after and good friends who pet sit are not that thick on the ground

Absolutely not take any money from a friend!

Accident that she admitted to, why would you charge, she was doing you a favour.

You have to pay a friend to feed cats? Thats no friend

Quite few pet sitters do it to supplement their incomes and others do it for a living and they can still be friends.

What do you mean?

Do you mean that by tipping well they will cancel someone else’s booking to accommodate you? I doubt they are doing that and wouldn’t be happy if I knew somebody was doing this.

House / pet sitters will book people in on a first come first serve basis. They’re not going to cancel already booked clients to accommodate you. Nor would you want them to, as you wouldn’t like it if the shoe was on the other foot and you were ditched for a higher tipper.

By tipping and being generally a great client eg I also give money for food each day, they prioritise me. They keep high demand weeks free for me eg school Half Terms and whichever weeks of longer holidays I may need. I am not the only one who does this, speaking to my sitter they say they have about 5 favourite clients that they prioritise and hold weeks for etc. We also have a lovely house. If you think this doesn't happen you are naive.

No I wouldn’t accept the money

Exactly.All this fuss over £100!
It was an accident.Op are you really considering asking your friend for money! Of course by doing that, it’s going to affect the relationship!

I’d let it go.
But in future use something like Trusted Housesitters. There’s an annual fee (around £150) but the actual pet sitting is free and it’s insured. I’ve used them twice, a friend has loads of times and another does some sitting!

No, I would never.