NWR:Replacing a ruined item

Sharpschruter22 · April 2014

My best friend was at a mutual friend's party smoking a hookah in a large group. She pulled the tube a little too hard and a coal fell onto the area rug below, burning a small area.

The owner bought the rug at a store for $35 and after shopping for a replacement, says the one she wants that is similar is $85 and insists my best friend pay the $85.

Should my best friend be responsible for the original cost of the area rug or the price to replace it with a rug that is similar, but not the same?

MobKaz · April 2014

The hostess should know that a hookah will have inherent risks. It does not sound like the guest did anything deliberate. This was simply an accident. As the guest, I would apologize and consider offering to pay for the rug. As the hostess, I would NEVER make any demand that the guest pay for this accident.

No more than $35 should exchange hands.

Artemischief · April 2014

An accident is not the time to upgrade your belongings at someone else's expense. $35 if she must.

RebeccaFlower · April 2014

Serious? The mutual friend sounds like as asshole. $35 is being generous for something that was an accident.

kmmssg · April 2014

I don't think I could ever demand someone replace something like that but a thought or two comes to mind in the whole thing.

Did she pay 35 dollars on a really killer sale for an 85 dollar rug OR did she really buy a 35 dollar rug and wants to upgrade to an 85 dollar rug?

Several years ago we bought a used car that was 3 years old. We have a really good friend whose business does over a quarter of a million dollars in sales with a well known, well established dealership. Our friend called the dealership and asked them to hook us up with a good deal. We bought the Envoy for 4 grand under Blue Book value. Before I could even make the first payment I totaled it during an ice storm. The insurance company wanted to know how much we paid for it and they were going to give us that amount. We couldn't come close to replacing it for that and fought it. They paid us the Blue Book value after much "negotiation." We were given exactly what it would cost to replace exactly what we lost.

That is why I asked if it is really a 35 dollar rug or an 85 dollar rug.

emmyg65 · April 2014

It would have been polite of your friend to offer some money to cover a new rug, but it was rude of the host to demand it. You take on some risks when you host a party in your home. Damaged property is one of them. Your friend should offer the $35 and no more (even the $35 is unnecessary, but it's a nice gesture).

larrygaga · April 2014

whyyy does she smoke hookah on the carpet

smalfrie19 · April 2014

Thats BS! Hosting people just runs the inherent risk of damage...a few months ago I had several ladies over for brunch, one of them brought her two year old who ended up knocking over OJ onto my carpet. She apologized profusely and wanted to clean. I told her no..not to worry about it. But maybe I am just a super nice person.

lc07 · April 2014

smalfrie19 said:

Thats BS! Hosting people just runs the inherent risk of damage...a few months ago I had several ladies over for brunch, one of them brought her two year old who ended up knocking over OJ onto my carpet. She apologized profusely and wanted to clean. I told her no..not to worry about it. But maybe I am just a super nice person.

I agree. Something breaks? Oh well. Move on with life. Who cares. I would never nickel and dime my friends over something broken or damaged at a party. I take on that risk when throwing a party. And this is from the girl who uses expensive crystal on any old day just because life is short and it's fun to use nice things regularly. If something breaks it's not the end of the world. Good times with friends is more important.

jenajjthr · April 2014

My step sister and husband loaned us their used riding lawn mower. They paid $50 for it. After one pass thru it broke. They wanted us to buy them a brand new riding lawn mower. I was willing to give them the $50 they were out or split the cost of fixing it if it wasn't too bad, but no way was I spending hundreds of dollars on a new mower. To be nice offer the $35, but if she rejects it, it's her loss.

HaileyDancingbear · April 2014

As someone who owns a hookah, I would say it is MY responsibility to make sure that my property is safe- so if I don't want holes in the rug, I am the one who should be taking precautions to protect it (Such as using my huge drawing board as a surface to have the hookah on top of) because as anyone who owns one would know, you are handling hot coals and messy shisha- so you don't use it right on top of a rug you love, duh!!!!

It is SO EASY to tip a hookah over too just by tugging on it. If the thing tipping would be the end of the world, you DON'T bring it out for a bunch of people to smoke, or you bring it outside.

RebeccaB88 · April 2014

I think the $35 is a generous and unnecessary offer. I would not ask a friend for what she's being asked for, but if I'd done that, I would have offered the $35. I'm thinking this person is not that good of a friend. If she doesn't want to take the offer, fine, but the friendship would probably cool off and fade away.

SP29 · April 2014

I would only pay the $35 to cover the cost of the rug.

TheGrimReaper · April 2014

Give her $35 and never go to her house again.

tesskerr · April 2014

I ask guests to chip in $5 a head at my parties to help with the carpet cleaning bill.

Just kidding. When you have a party, stuff breaks and carpets get dirty. Shit happens. Don't want the hassle, don't have a party!

I once had a party and has bright red jelly shots. A few hundred of them haha! Our carpet the next day... Ruined. That's 100% my fault. Not the 10+ guests who left the shots on the carpet to melt, spill and stain.

Lizzieyounce · April 2014

Judge Judy would toss the case if it came to her court room. It's an accident, not an on purpose, as she would say.

Sharpschruter22 · April 2014

I'm glad you all agree with me. She ended up giving the $85, which was the cost to replace it. It clearly would have been a friendship ender if she didn't so she gave in. She didn't want to lose this friend over something so trivial and the mutual friend holds grudges for eternity. This happened a few years ago when we were in college. The friendship has cooled due to life and living far away, but she is still glad the mutual friend is her friend.

banana468 · April 2014

I would have let the mutual friend end the friendship. My mutual friends don't try to extort money from me.

sofakingmad · April 2014

When you have a party or a get together or even just people over to your home, you accept the responsibility that something might break or spilled or whatever.

You do not ask for someone to replace it.

This is ridiculous.

sarawifenow · April 2014

tesskerr said:

I ask guests to chip in $5 a head at my parties to help with the carpet cleaning bill. Just kidding. When you have a party, stuff breaks and carpets get dirty. Shit happens. Don't want the hassle, don't have a party! I once had a party and has bright red jelly shots. A few hundred of them haha! Our carpet the next day... Ruined. That's 100% my fault. Not the 10+ guests who left the shots on the carpet to melt, spill and stain.

You really had me going for a second with that one! Lol!

Seriously, OP. The hostess is being ridiculous. Your friend should give her $35 and be done with it.

MrsMack10612 · April 2014

I have a question re: a similar episode.

My husband is a home brewer and we are members of a local club. We have hosted club meetings at our house before, but haven't recently because of this incident.

My H bought & restored an antique beer engine (this is for hand pulling cask beers). Because of the age, uniqueness and occasionally finicky mechanism, he put a sign on it that said "See H before using), all of our other taps are help yourself.

What would be the "rule" regarding repair/replace costs in this instance?

FTR, we let it go, never confronted the offender and H has gone about fixing it himself. I'm just curious if my fellow Knotties have a different spin on this since we posted a note about usage.

sofakingmad · April 2014

MrsMack10612 said:

I have a question re: a similar episode.

My husband is a home brewer and we are members of a local club. We have hosted club meetings at our house before, but haven't recently because of this incident.

My H bought & restored an antique beer engine (this is for hand pulling cask beers). Because of the age, uniqueness and occasionally finicky mechanism, he put a sign on it that said "See H before using), all of our other taps are help yourself.

What would be the "rule" regarding repair/replace costs in this instance?

FTR, we let it go, never confronted the offender and H has gone about fixing it himself. I'm just curious if my fellow Knotties have a different spin on this since we posted a note about usage.

Did someone break it? It's not clear in your post.

I think that if you have something that is that valuable, you put it away and don't let anyone see it or use it. I don't think you can reprimand someone for not following directions.

MrsMack10612 · April 2014

DragonBlood13 said:

MrsMack10612 said:

I have a question re: a similar episode.

My husband is a home brewer and we are members of a local club. We have hosted club meetings at our house before, but haven't recently because of this incident.

My H bought & restored an antique beer engine (this is for hand pulling cask beers). Because of the age, uniqueness and occasionally finicky mechanism, he put a sign on it that said "See H before using), all of our other taps are help yourself.

What would be the "rule" regarding repair/replace costs in this instance?

FTR, we let it go, never confronted the offender and H has gone about fixing it himself. I'm just curious if my fellow Knotties have a different spin on this since we posted a note about usage.

Did someone break it? It's not clear in your post.

I think that if you have something that is that valuable, you put it away and don't let anyone see it or use it. I don't think you can reprimand someone for not following directions.

Yes, someone broke it. Sorry about that.

I agree about putting things away. But with this there a couple things at play - basically it's a kegerator of sorts, it can't just be put away; plus it was a beer based event so we would want serve the beer in it.

ETA: As I said, we let it go and never mentioned it to the one who broke it. I was just curious on the opinions.

Sharpschruter22 · April 2014

You did the right thing Mrs. Mack.

I agree the hostess was ridiculous, especially to demand (she didn't ask) that she give more than she paid for it. It still irks me and I wanted your opinions. Now I feel justified for being irked since not even one person sided with the hostess. Thank you all for your time.

NWR:Replacing a ruined item

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