what's your opinion of this situation?

[RollingsFarms]

I was just curious as to what your opinion of this situation would be...not that it will change the outcome of it or anything, but I wanted to see if the majority of you thought I was right or wrong.

I have a friend, who loves to borrow things and then "forget" to return them. When I say forget to return them, I mean they end up staying at his house until I go get them, and then he gets all huffy and mad for some reason. I know I know, don't lend anything out, but that's for another topic. About a year ago he asked if he could "borrow" my .243 rifle for his girlfriend to hunt with a couple of times. I figured sure why not, I KNOW he will bring this back after she uses it a couple of times. Who knows, maybe he might even go buy her one, he just wanted her to shoot mine to see if that's what she liked or not. Anyways, he kept the gun at his house for about a year, a little over a year acctually. I asked him about it cassually a few times, hoping he'd just say "oh yeah here it is, thanks for letting me use it". Well he's also one of these people that wants to buy everything from you and "says he's gonna get you the money next week", well I never have fallen for that one because I know him paying me holds about as much water as a jug with a hole in it. He swears though he wants to buy the gun, and will pay me $200 for it "next week". I didn't stay on him about paying me, I just figured it was too much of a bother to go chasing after him about money and I knew where the gun was anyways. Well I got to thinking, you know, he loves to use that line of "I'll buy it from you" and probably just says that so he can keep whatever it is for free. Well recently a guy called me about a truck I am selling and as we were talking he mentioned that he wished he could find a .243 for around $200. I asked him a few questions and mentioned my rifle and he wanted it. Well I call my friend and tell him about the guy wanting to buy it and here he goes getting all huffy and mad about it, saying how I promised him the rifle and that I did him wrong, and that he'd pay me the money for it. So I said ok, I tell you what, I'm coming to get the rifle today and if the guy doesn't showup with the money tomorrow, you bring me two $100 bills and you can have it. Well we will just see what happens but I can bet you everything I own that my friend won't be showing up with any money in his hand. I just wanted to know if anyone thinks I "screwed over my friend" as he claims, or if my argument is correct.....it's my gun, I lent it to you to use for a few hunts, a year later it still hasn't been returned and if you wanted it so bad you had plenty of time to come up with $200 to buy it with. Another guy has it, so he gets it. does anyone think that a year is plenty of time to come up with $200 for something?

 

[Inspector507]

I just wanted to know if anyone thinks I "screwed over my friend" as he claims, or if my argument is correct.....it's my gun, I lent it to you to use for a few hunts, a year later it still hasn't been returned and if you wanted it so bad you had plenty of time to come up with $200 to buy it with. Another guy has it, so he gets it. does anyone think that a year is plenty of time to come up with $200 for something?

I think like you think. A year is enough time to come up with the cash or it needs to be returned.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I think like you think. A year is enough time to come up with the cash or it needs to be returned.

I thought my thinking was logical but wanted to get other opinions. He claims I did him wrong because I promised to sell it to him, well yeah I said I'd sell it to him but he never paid me a dime for it. This guy has the money, he wants it, he's coming to look at it next week. My riend has a YEAR to come up with the money....heck, he just told me again a month ago that he was going to give me the money for it but never did. he keeps on saying that but never has so much as offered to give me a deposit, make payments, or anything. I think it was just a line to keep the gun longer for nothing. why he gets all mad about things like this is beyond me.

 

[Wombat125]

I think you've been more than obliging. Outside of family, there are very few people I would loan guns to; and certainly not for a year.

Having said that I know it's probably a little more complicated that that. I've had friends like this. They are nice people and fun to be around. It's just frustrating that they're always trying to pull one over on you. Then they get all pouty when you call them on it.

I was also thinking that unless it's a beater, $200 for a .243 seems like an awfully good deal.

 

[SimS]

RF;

I'm trying to figure out why you continue to call this guy "friend". Friends don't get mad when they should be apologetic about "over-borrowing" something. Friends ask you how much you want for something and then hand you the cash. I know good friends are hard to find and keep but this fellow sounds like too much work to be my friend. Good luck on this one.

SimS

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Rolling Farms,
IMHO he aint your friend !!!

 

[Skyco]

Sounds like he is more of a mooch than a friend. After getting the gun back I don't think I'd ever loan him anything else. Who needs friends like him

 

[RollingsFarms]

I think you've been more than obliging. Outside of family, there are very few people I would loan guns to; and certainly not for a year.

Having said that I know it's probably a little more complicated that that. I've had friends like this. They are nice people and fun to be around. It's just frustrating that they're always trying to pull one over on you. Then they get all pouty when you call them on it.

I was also thinking that unless it's a beater, $200 for a .243 seems like an awfully good deal.

It's an ok gun, it's worth $200, maybe a little more. it's a Savage, no scope or anything. I just don't understand why he is the way he is about MY stuff. he always uses the line of "oh I'll bring it back to you...or I'll buy it from you" and it's all talk and no action. then when I go ask for MY stuff back he makes ME out to be the bad person. I've never borrwed anything of his and if I did, i surely would give it back to him in the time i promised and in the same or better condition then when i borrowed it.

the kicker is he even had his girlfriend and his mother acting like i had screwed him out of a gun and that i was doing him wrong. i kept thinking to myself "you people have got to be kidding me!!" it's ok though, i won't hear from him for a few weeks until he gets over it and then everytime i see him he'll drop hints about me screwing him out of the gun.

 

[bigshovel]

I have fired customers and and so called friends, glad I did in all cases. Just not worth the one way respect.

Brad

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The guy doesn't sound like a true friend so even if he does get mad about it and stops talking I don't think you will be losing much. We have great friends and then we have casual friends (the ones who are friends when it suits them). We know the difference and treat everyone with respect but we will sell things to our true friends without hesitation because we know if anything happens we will make right and keep our friendship.

In fact, one of our great friends bought a gun from us for a couple hundred dollars. He doesn't have the money to pay but he is always calling me to help out with my farm. This guy works a lot to begin with and is a lot like me so he offered to help me unload 650 bales of hay Saturday morning, showed up at 7am with his one son and we worked 4.5 hours unloading the wagons on our pace. He and his son did most of the hard work as I can't work like I use to and shouldn't even be doing hay (I am paying for it still). When we were done I offered to pay him and he told me to keep what ever I would pay him towards the gun. His son got paid though.

True friends will work with you and not get upset if you don't want to sell something to them. Best of luck to you and don't lose any sleep over this.