Why I don't like loaning things out...

[danemodsandy]

I Almost Never Lend

Because getting stuff back in anything like the condition in which it was borrowed is, in my experience, highly unlikely.

That does not prevent people appropriating your stuff, unfortunately. Once when I was away, my brother "helped himself" to a lawn mower I'd restored, no permission from me whatsoever. He had trouble with the self-propelled mechanism (probably because his so-called "lawn" was all lumps and bumps) and took it off the machine. I got the mower back in pieces, and some hardware (lock washers, bolts, etc.) were missing. He'd left it outdoors for good measure. I junked the mower, because it was just too much hassle to replace everything and restore it all over again.

We not only had an argument over that, we came to blows. Straight boy lost, too.

After that, mowers were bike-locked to lally columns in the garage, and the word went out - Don't. Ask.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I posted about a year ago about my experience in lending a neighbor a Ice chest cooler.  I have yet to see it again. 

 

[thor]

Bosch hand drills

Many years ago I purchased in Germany two Bosch hand drills, a very small green one for light loads (very comfortable to handle) and a much larger blue one for heavier loads (very uncomfortable to handle). Many years later of heavy (personal) use both drills were just like new, still stored in their carton boxes, not a scratch, although in the meanwhile I had moved twice. Yes, I'm a handyman and I'm very careful with my tools when I use them.

A couple of years later a friend of mine moved to an old house and asked me for both of my drills, plus my drill and accesories toolbox, which was quite complete with all kind of bit sets of any type you could imagine. At the time I asked myself, why not, he's a good guy. Why not? I'll tell you why not! Because I recovered both drills and the toolbox almost two years later, they both seemed to have been to war, the toolbox was almost empty, no drill set was complete, all drills were dull if not broken.

I was so upset I went directly to a hardware store and bought two new drills and replaced all bit sets. I went home and wrapped the old drills and bit sets with shiny gift paper, and several months later I gave them as a present to my friend on his birthday. All the other guests laughed their arses off when he opened the mysterious boxes! He was not a bit amused. I guess he got the message...

 

[ken]

Emilio:

Good one.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

I've had this too

Even worse than when you get it back broke is when, YOU DON'T GET IT BACK AT ALL! I loaned a guy a wrench some time ago and when I asked for it back he said "It got broke and I threw it out. But I'll buy you a new one." I never saw the new one or the F---ing money! Needless to say 2 years later I threw HIM out as a friend! I could have overlooked the wrench but the deceitful behavior afterwards is what did it in.
WK78

 

[tolivac]

Remember loaning a my Kirby G4 to a neighbor years ago so she could use the shampooer on her carpet----BAD MOVE on my part--She is a nice,pretty lady,with a couple kids--But my poor Kirby--Broken fan--candy residue in the fancase,gummed up carpet shampooer attachemnt.She used cleaner from the dollar store instead of the Kirby shampoo I provided with the machine--NEVER AGAIN no matter how nice or pretty they are.Her husband apologized and paid for the repairs.Was able to actually get the fan replaced under warrantee-had to pay to have fancase cleaned-I helpted the person at the vac place do it.We were so shocked at all of the residue in the fancase-and candy at that.WEIRD!!!Didn't ask the neighbor about that-Guess I don't really want to know?She and her husband broke up and both moved away-they abandoned their cat which another neighbor adopted.The cat wouldn't leave the house yard for a few days-he just stayed there-home empty.Then a neighbor adopted him.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I told a friend about this discussion and she said her family calls one of her sisters The Bermuda Triangle because anything she borrows disappears.

 

[mich]

Our Neighbor..

God Help Her, she was an idiot when it came to anything, at all, to do with housekeeping, asked to borrow, our Bissell "Big Green" Cleaning Machine (That's not some mumbo jumbo, that's the actual name..) Anyhow, she borrowed it and apparently screwed up her faucet, trying to force the water hose on before a dinner party. When she failed, she tossed it into her "Junk Closet" leaving water & shit in it, and since we we're gone for the week, left it there, and threw in more stuff afterwards...

 

I remember asking her about it, countless times, and she said, "it's in back of my closet. I just don't have the time, to clean it out..." Anyhow, Almost Four Years Later, she finally got around to cleaning her dreaded closet. And, Guess What?

 

All that dirty water, and other shit, in it, had transformed into the nastiest, odor, and mildew I've ever seen. I pretty much put the canister outside, and let it sun out, covered to death in Clorox. But in the end, I gave up. It was just beyond being saved from such abuse from a incompetent housekeeper. 

 

To this day, I'm still mad about it.. But, I've learned a good lesson. Never, Ever, let anyone borrow anything. If you do, don't ever expect to get it back, not in the same state at least. 

[this post was last edited: 3/21/2014-09:17]

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I had a hard enough time loaning pencils and/or pens out to my fellow-classmates in school!

Luckily my mom gave me a few for doing--or GIVING!!!!

I borrowed a number of screwdrivers from my dad's & quickly brought 'em back in a few days (none worked) but I wonder (and luckily he DOESN'T!) when I'm gonna return his metal stepladder that's in my shed...!

(I think he's got a ladder, or two, though wooden ones, hopefully much taller...)

-- Dave