What do you think about a friend like this?

[Angel_325]

A friend of mine was living in Japan and when she was coming back I asked her to buy a DVD for me because I could not get it in the US. She bought it on one of her shopping trips about 5 months ago. She came back over 4 months ago but was busy and could not give me the DVD. So I've been waiting for over 4 months! finally, I can get the DVD next week. When she bought the DVD she only paid around $50 for it due the a better exchange rate back then. Now the exchange rate is much worse and the conversion would make the DVD around $63. As a thank you for getting the DVD for me, i am also giving her one of my older DVDs that I no longer watch but she wants. I'm giving it to her for free as a thank you. But she wants me to pay the current exchange rate, not the older exchange rate because she had to ship the DVD back but said she wasn't going to charge me for shipping (around $7) since I'm giving her my DVD. The current exchange rate would make the DVD $13 more expensive and would not only cover the cost of the DVD but also the shipping that she "doesn't want" to charge me for. Now normaly this would not be a big deal for me, but I can't help feel that she is being greedy trying to get more money and wanting me to give her the DVD. Plus she is asking me to give her another DVD free of charge beause she really wants it as a thank you for spending time to get the DVD for me. So she wants 2 DVDs free of charge!What do you guys think? Is she a good friend?

 

She said that if I had to go to Japan I would have to pay for the plane ticket, hotel, and transportation to get the DVD, so I should not have a problem paying the higher exchange rate, even though she paid less for it and made me wait 5 months to get the DVD that was supposed to be a present for another friend. I couldn't give it to that friend. I feel like she is trying to take advantage. She is making it sound like she did me a huge favor. But the DVD I'm giving her is expensive and very rare.

[FarthestEdge]

I think you need to decide if you value this friend more than $13.00

[alli]

I think you need to decide if you value this friend more than $13.00

 

I see your point, but is it really the $13 that bugs you or the fact that you feel like your friend is trying to take advantage of this? I think it's the latter. I would probably also feel put-off if someone wanted to charge me more than they actually paid.

 

I would tell her I'll pay the cost that she paid for the DVDs & giving her the other 1 or 2 DVDs as a thank you for her effort.

 

If she makes this a big deal, you're going to have to decide if $13 is worth saving the friendship or if you would rather not be friends with someone who tries to earn money & free DVDs off of a favor to you. Will you have to ship the 2 DVDs to her? Tell her you won't charge her. Makes it kinda fair.

[hmdreamer7]

Sounds like she's pushing for more. Give her what you both originally agreed to, $50 and 1 DVD.

 

Wait a minute, why did she ship the DVD back?

[25thfloor]

what a freak. you purchased at a certain price...the lower one. she's full of crap. i would not keep her as a friend...give her the original price plus the shipping.

[shikashika]

You are both being petty to be arguing over something like this!

[hmdreamer7]

It's been over 4 months, right? Can you buy in the US now? If you can, go get it and tell her you don't need it anymore and she can just return it!

 

I'm just kidding. But financial issues in any kind of relationship, whether friends or SO, can create a lot of bad vibes between two people, no matter how big or small the issue. I still say stick to what you both originally agreed on, and let her know that you feel like you're being pushed around by her requests for more money/DVDs.

 

Then again, if that DVD is available in the US now...

[Angel_325]

You are both being petty to be arguing over something like this!

 

Yes, I agree. It is petty. But I feel strongly because I think she is trying to take advantage of me telling me that she had to go out of her way to get the DVD and that she is being nice to not charge me for shipping, but she is by chargin the higher exchange rate. And I had to wait almost 5 months to get the DVD from her. It was supposed to be a present for another friend, but I could not give it to her. I don't care about the money, it's the principle of the matter that counts. The way she puts it is as if it was so difficult for her to get the DVD (it wasn't beause she told me when she got it that she found it right away) and all she asking in return is the current exchange rate and the 2 dvds free of charge. Isn't that taking advantage? I know she did me a favor, but what she is doing is not right i think.

[Merrick]

I don't think its petty at all. Its one friend doing a favor for another and it sounds like she's el-cheapo!! The fact that she'd even ask you for the higher exchange rate speaks volumes of her personality...its just not right!!

[alli]

The higher exchange rate & wanting 2 dvds for free. Like she had so much trouble, she just picked them up from a store or something. And the whole idea was so you could get them as soon as possible, 4 months later they were still in her possession. She should have spent $7 four months ago & shipped them to you/

[Jelina]

Giver her the money she wants and don't give her the old dvd, and when she asks why tell her. Sounds childish, but hey, her charging you more when she bought it for less sounds pretty childish to me too.

[25thfloor]

I don't think its petty at all. Its one friend doing a favor for another and it sounds like she's el-cheapo!! The fact that she'd even ask you for the higher exchange rate speaks volumes of her personality...its just not right!!

 

 

i don't think it's petty either. it's actually a message being sent from the OP's friend. this is obviously a sign of bigger things brewing below the surface.