Who pays? Trailer dilemma

RollOnSpring

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Long story short: took a friend to a competition as she had no transport but qualified for a trailblazer and couldn't get there. I took the day off work but enjoyed going to watch anyway so that's by the by. Was a 90 min journey each way and she paid fuel money but nothing else towards trailer costs as I didn't request this and she didn't offer.

When at the venue, we got back to trailer and it had a flat tyre which definitely wasn't like that when we set off. It's cost me £45 for a new tyre (which is more than she paid in fuel) and she hasn't offered to pay at any point. I keep dropping very massive hints about it but she hasn't offered. Should I ask her to pay for it? I really don't have the money - hence me not competing - and feel like I wish I hadn't bothered now :(
 

OWLIE185

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It would be nice if she offered you some extra money but you did offer to take her and if she paid you petrol money then at least she has contributed something to your outing.
 

Damnation

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It's not my outing. I didn't take a horse, only she did.

But a flat could have happened at any time. If her horse had beaten the crap out of the inside of the trailer and damaged it I could understand you wanting her to pay but a flat tyre is noones fault and could well have happened with your horse in the box.

I personally would take it on the chin.
 

RunToEarth

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She paid for the diesel. The replacement tyre could last your trailer several thousand miles, why should she pay for that?
 

Tiddlypom

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How old was the tyre? Could it have failed due to age?

Just saw that she paid you less than £45 for 3 hours of travel, that was a bargain. I would have offered to pay for the tyre, had it been me, but it wasn't something damaged by the horse, so it's not really a clear cut situation.

Sadly I no longer offer lifts, because of being taken advantage of.
 

ihatework

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Technically, she shouldn't 'have' to pay.
It might be a nice gesture to do so though, or at least contribute, in the grand scheme of things it's not a lot of money and it would have cost her more to hire a 3.5T for the day.
 

RollOnSpring

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How old was the tyre? Could it have failed due to age?

Just saw that she paid you less than £45 for 3 hours of travel, that was a bargain. I would have offered to pay for the tyre, had it been me, but it wasn't something damaged by the horse, so it's not really a clear cut situation.

Sadly I no longer offer lifts, because of being taken advantage of.

The tyre was approx 18 months old. There was a huge thorn in it that seemed to have caused the damage. Probably picked up on the country road en route.

Starting to know what you mean about not offering, not that she took advantage but more because now I'm all cross and out of pocket that was potentially avoidable had I not taken her when she asked.
 

ameeyal

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I took me and a friend out the other week in the trailer and i had a blow out on my trailer tyre, it never accurred to me to ask my friend to contribute, its just one of those things. Chalk it up as these things can happen.
 

BSL

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Out of interest, for those who hire trailers, who would be responsible for the cost of replacing a tyre, whilst out on hire.?
 

FfionWinnie

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Tricky one. If you were driving even trickier (ie if you hired a vehicle with driver it would be different to hiring just the vehicle). Morally if I were her I would pay but...

If it's going to finish off the friendship then I would say in clear terms that the tyre was damaged on the way to the venue therefore would she mind paying for it (or half or whatever).

If this were my good friend I know she would definitely offer to pay and I would definitely refuse the money.
 

PorkChop

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Thats a shame, and tbh I would have at least offered to pay for the tyre if I was the person having a lift - this is exactly why I don't offer this sort of thing, as often it is not appreciated.
 

Cheshire Chestnut

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Out of interest, for those who hire trailers, who would be responsible for the cost of replacing a tyre, whilst out on hire.?


Well round my neck of the woods, the large company I've rented a trailer from in the past would expect you to. A fellow livery here is currently renting one and has just had to pay for a replacement tyre from a similar experience to you OP. I would ask your friend for the money as it's damn right rude for her not to offer. I know she's paid for fuel but she would have had to have paid for fuel anyway even if she hired a 3.5t so technically she's had a lift for free. So £45 if a bargain.
 

Equine_Dream

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I really don't see why your friend should have to pay I'm afraid. What if you'd run in to engine trouble on the way? Would you have expected her to pay then? The fact you were taking your friend to the show isn't really relevant. It could have happened anytime.
 

wench

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For a tyre, I'd be expecting to pay for it myself. How do you know the thorn wasn't in the tyre already before you set off?
 

paddi22

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If you think of it in a different situation - you give a friend a lift in your car to do shopping, car gets a flat. I wouldnt expect friend to pay
But if your friend dropped a tin of beans on bonnet and dinted car then i'd expect them to cover the damage.
 

Equine_Dream

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The tyre was approx 18 months old. There was a huge thorn in it that seemed to have caused the damage. Probably picked up on the country road en route.

Starting to know what you mean about not offering, not that she took advantage but more because now I'm all cross and out of pocket that was potentially avoidable had I not taken her when she asked.

But that could have happened anytime on any road. It's not like she decided to stab your tyre with said thorn. It was just an accident. No one is at fault but as it's your trailer then I'm afraid it's your responsibility to maintain it.
 

rachk89

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Sorry but i agree with the others. It could have happened at any time and it wasn't her fault. It's just one of those things that happens.
 

Micropony

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If I were in her shoes I think I would have offered to contribute to a new tyre but fully expected your response to be "no, very kind of you to offer but don't be silly!".

In your shoes I might be a little silently irritated but would expect to pay for it myself.

As others have said, it wasn't damage caused by her horse, or deliberately, or through carelessness on her part. If money's tight I can totally understand how this is a pain for you, but I don't think she's morally responsible for replacing it.
 

BSL

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I think friend should offer to pay. Trailer wouldnt have been in use otherwise. If your horse was in it, yes down to you. I will only ever lend my trailer in a real medical emergency. If someone needs transport for a fun event, let them go to a hire company they'll then see the real cost of things. "You bend it, you mend it"
 

Dry Rot

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Would this push you into the realms of a hire company though rather than just a friend doing a favour?

...which would invalidate the insurance as I'll bet the policy excludes commercial hiring.

Old saying, "No good turn goes unpunished".

I've a total ban on hiring, leasing, loaning, or giving lifts in my trailer. Too many bad experiences. But if I did have a lapse, helped out with a lift, and got a puncture, that's my fault for being an idiot.
 

ROG

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Would this push you into the realms of a hire company though rather than just a friend doing a favour?

No - a private agreement can be made in writing which will stand up in small claims court if it ever got that far

It would be deemed unreasonable to include certain things by a court
 

Maesfen

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I'm in the moral camp that had she not asked, you would not have made that journey and I would be honour bound to have least have offered half towards the tyre.
Yes, it could have gone at any time but you were doing her a huge favour and her only paying for the diesel made it a very cheap day out for her; she didn't give you anything for wear and tear on your vehicle. Did she at least buy you a bacon butty and some tea for doing this favour for her?
 

Mongoose11

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Owner of the trailer should pay! Can't believe this is being questioned. If I was giving my mate a lift in my car and it broke down I wouldn't expect her to pay for repairs :)

Just bad luck and has nothing to do with your friend.
 

Tiddlypom

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Owner of the trailer should pay! Can't believe this is being questioned.

Just bad luck and has nothing to do with your friend.
Apart from the small matter that the trailer wouldn't have been on the road, and therefore wouldn't have picked up the thorn, if the OP hadn't given her friend a lift.

This thread utterly reinforces why I no longer give lifts, lend stuff etc...
 

Clodagh

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I'm in the moral camp that had she not asked, you would not have made that journey and I would be honour bound to have least have offered half towards the tyre.
Yes, it could have gone at any time but you were doing her a huge favour and her only paying for the diesel made it a very cheap day out for her; she didn't give you anything for wear and tear on your vehicle. Did she at least buy you a bacon butty and some tea for doing this favour for her?

This. And as Dry Rot says - never do nothing for nothing! I never gave anyone a lift in my hunting days - my trailer, my car, my time of arrival and my time of leaving. Selfish? Perhaps but that is life.
 
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