Is she being a CF or do I need to pay for the full journey?

[straighttalker99]

Yesterday, I wrote a thread about going away with a work 'friend' and had a bit of a bad time. I decided to leave early, and paid for a £90 train fare home. When she drove us to the work event, it ended up being a 6 hour trip. When we arrived, I offered her £40 which I thought would be more than enough for my share. She rejected and said I just fill up on the way back. That's fine I thought.

She text me yesterday very bluntly with the figure of £51.25 with her bank details.I told her surely it would be half of that as I only travelled with her one way up. Her logic is that because we agreed I would fill up on the way back, I should fill up, even though she didn't take me home.

I'm more than happy to pay the £40 for her taking me to the work event, as I believe that covered well over half of our journey, (even with the roadworks) but should I pay the amount she has quoted, even though she didn't take me home?

Ask her for the receipt for your tax return.

If she is self employed won’t she will be claiming legitimate travel expenses?

Sounds like you aren’t going to be in this situation with her again so just note the £11 as a cost of doing business alongside arses. I haven’t read the previous thread but it appears it was your decision to leave early (although I suspect understandable) so I can sort of see her point - though yes I would probably not have pushed back on the amount like she did, that doesn’t really make her wrong, just a bit hard faced

Is it actually the full cost of fuel though or your half? Because if I ‘filled up’ my car on a return journey, especially with 6 hours of driving, it would be a full tank. And a full tank costs me about £100. For Dh (bigger vehicle), it’s closer to £150. £51 seems like a good deal for such a long journey when she would have certainly gone through more than 50 quid in fuel.

This is good advice.

Im all for calling CFs out but for the sake of £11 in a work setting, I’d let it go. But then file the event away and don’t agree to do anything in the future with her.

What a miserable time you had, OP, thank goodness it's over.
I agree that it was right to pay half of the journey costs since that was what you initially arranged, and £11 more than you expected to pay isn't much after all. Hopefully you won't have to spend too much time with this former friend in future.

I wouldn't quibble over £11.25. Your were happy to give her £40. I'd give her £51.25 and be dine with it. Then I'd never bother with her again.

You should probably pay half of the cost of the round trip as that was what you agreed before making the journey.

How far was it? Is the £51 half the cost of the journey? Or is she just charging you for a full tank even if she didn’t use a full tank? I would offer her the 45p HMRC mileage rate for a 1 way trip if that is less than £51 unless provides the receipt or an invoice from her so you can claim it back.

OP HAS PAID THE FULL £51.25. ALL IS RESOLVED.

Surely if it’s a work event, even if you are self employed the petrol will be a work expense?

If you're both self-employed, I bet she's claiming the whole mileage for herself. (I believe it's 45p per mile.) In which case she's being unreasonable to ask you for anything!

You planned to travel both ways with her so you should pay half of the fuel for both ways. Despite how annoying she was she shouldn’t have to pay more because you left early. You are happy to pay £40 so it’s only £11 extra and really not making a big fuss over with a work colleague.

It's so annoying when someone doesn't want to cough up what they owe and agreed to pay after changing plans at the last minute with no consideration for how it may affect them or others and then huffs about how the person is well off and money minded but that you'll pay anyway like they are being such a good person who is above all that silly tight nonsense.

When in reality you've been flighty and very "pull the ladder up, Jack, I'm alright".

And you've cost yourself or your company extra into the bargain.

What makes you say that? It's not in any of OP's posts.

OP’s post of 11.18am says ‘I've paid her’.

I'm afraid that I would not pay. She got half her fuel paid to an event she would have to attend anyway. Even if she didn't actuaaly have to sttend, she made the decision to go. I would say that you appreciated the lift there but as you paid your own train fare home, you hope she understands that the fuel for the journey home was her responsibility. Use AI for some wording ideas. If you haven't done so already, send her the £40 for the journey there.

Surely if her friend was being hard work towards Op, the friend has brought this all on herself.

you are a reasonable person…..don’t be so reasonable to her in the future, I personally wouldn’t like to be business partners with this person….if the shit hit the fan she would quite likely throw you under the bus quite quickly

This.

Live and learn Op
Well done for leaving, she sounds unbearable and well done for paying her, your conscience is clear.

Seems high anyway (£90+) for half a trip. Are you seriously telling me the petrol for the round trip was £180?

Tax deductible doesn't mean you get that full amount of money back from hmrc.

Yeah this isn't right, pay for half there fine, but half back as well, no, you didn't go back with her and you've already paid £90 for a train fair.

Pay half of one way
Then she can get to fuck
Cheeky bitch

Seriously OP,
You're coming on here asking whether you should have paid an extra £11.50 , as that's what he petrol you said you'd pay for costed, versus the £40 you initially offered.!?

I mean the solution is obvious, but "Get a life" comes to mind, sorry.