Ruined car seat

[Luluznewz]

Hello, I have a delemia I thought maybe you guys could weigh in on.

This weekend I was going to LA and didnt need my car so I loaned it to my roommate who needed it. She dropped me off at my friends house before I left. In that time he drove my car. They asked if they could smoke in it, and I said it was alright as long as the windows were down.

I do not smoke in my car, but other people do so rarely that it doesn't bother me. It doesnt leave a smell anyway. Obviously I'll never do that again. When the car was returned to me today there was a burn in the front seat.

My roommate INSISTS she didnt do it. She said she noticed it after my other friend drove while smoking, but didnt say anything. I was there while the other friend drove and didnt see him drop the cigarette, but I guess its possible that he did and I didnt notice. He is insisting he didnt either.

I dont know what do to. Someone isn't telling me the truth, and now I have to pay to get my seat re-done. Obviously no more smoking and no more loaning out the car, but it really hurts my feeling one of them wont admit to it and take responsibility. I'm REALLY REALLY close with the guy, we have been friends for ever. And the girl is my roommate, and I really like her as well.

 

[Momto3boys]

Does it really need to be replaced? I'm just asking cause a burn hole in my seat wouldn't really bother me and I don't even smoke...

But if it needs or be replaced I would just talk to both of them and since nobody knows who did it maybe you guys could divide it 3 ways....just a thought.

 

[Suz]

To me, they are not very good friends if they are acting like 8 yr olds saying "I didn't do it. I don't know who did it". It's one thing if they honestly do not know who did it. But even then, I would at least expect them to helpchip in to get the seat repaired. You borrowed your car to them and they took on the responsibility of the care of the car while in their posession!

If I borrowed someone's car and someone put a bad door ding in it or something while it was in my posession, I would most definitely offer to help pay for it to be fixed. Sure, someone else did it, but that doesn't make me any less responsible for it. That is the right thing to do.

My two cents worth......

Good luck!

 

[Brandy456]

Maybe they are both embarrassed, and think you'll be very upset if they admit.
Just sit with your roommate and tell her you wont be upset, and you're just curious, and it's fine if it really was her.
Then finish off with telling her she doesn't have to be afraid to tell you these things, because everyone makes mistakes.
I'm sure from a cigarette burn the seat doesn't need to be redone, and if it's just you wanting it to be redone, then it has nothing to do with these two because it's not completely burnt beyond use.
Mistakes happen, just thank god this wasn't something bigger, like they crashed it while drunk, or left a week old egg sandwich in there.

 

[jcottonl02]

To be honest I see no problem you wanting the seat to be in the condition you gave it in. Whether it's a stain, a cigarette burn or whatever, it is YOUR car and is no longer in good condition.

To be honest, if I made a hole in something of someone's or stained it etc. I would offer immediately to replace it, because the thing is no longer in the condition it was when it was given to me.

Unfortunately it sounds like your two friends are acting childish. One of them is lying. Ash cannot make a hole in a seat. One of them dropped the cigarette. Just a shame they won't admit it and offer even to pay a little towards the repair.

Such a shame, but sounds like you can't really trust one of them anymore, and it's awful you don't know which.

Jen

 

[Momto3boys]

I don't think anybody is lying...I seriously think whoever did it doesn't realize they did it.

My Dad has a few cigarette burns in his seats and he doesn't remember putting him there but since he smokes and is the only one usually in his car he knows he obviously did it.

 

[Brandy456]

Momto3boys wrote:

I don't think anybody is lying...I seriously think whoever did it doesn't realize they did it.

My Dad has a few cigarette burns in his seats and he doesn't remember putting him there but since he smokes and is the only one usually in his car he knows he obviously did it.

This,
Someone burnt my moms new silk blouse which was 75$ by mistake when giving her a hug bye. It was a mistake, no need to start world war 3.
I'm sure one cigarette mark wouldn't totally ruin a seat that you'd need to pay hundreds to change. But I do think you should tell them no more smoking in there, because you don't want it to get worse.

 

[Momto3boys]

Yup, I agree!! No more smoking in the car

 

[nermal71]

Look up a company called Creative Colors International....they have franchises all over the US. They repair that kind of stuff and they are much much cheaper than having to totally replace it. My hubby worked for one of their franchises years ago and their techs are good enough you won't be able to tell where it was when they get done.

And honestly the person who did it probably didn't even realize it. Maybe you can either get your friends to pay for it or even just split the cost with you. I know it sucks but is it worth losing the friendship over?

 

[Luluznewz]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm not planning on giving up either friendship, I know it was an accident. Even if the person knows they did it and isn't coming clean I have no way on knowing who, and even if I did I think I could get over it.

I suppose its just really disappointing that my nice new car has a big cigarette burn on the front driver seat. Its really obvious and I think gives a bad impression of me and how I treat my things.

I think you guys are right that it was a mistake and they may not have even noticed it happened. I suppose if that's the case the best thing to do would just to fix it myself and take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. i.e no smoking in the car, and no loaning the car. It sucks I have to be like that though.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Well they couldn't have done it and not know it. So, the lesson here is you'll have lots of acquaintances in life but very few friends. A friend wouldn't have pulled the "Not Me" game. I used to let people use my tools til one broke and expensive one and another person lost one--of course they both denied it. Used to be a saying, "neither a lender or borrower be" and for some reason B Franklin comes to mind.

 

[jcottonl02]

A big obvious burn? I really don't think someone could do that without realising. Unless they put their cigarette holding hand down to the seat for a period of more than a few seconds...but I don't see why someone would do that in a car?

Of course it's not worth losing a friendship over. I don't think any mature person would do that. BUT I wouldn't let either of them borrow my car again. Unfortunately for the person who didn't do it, this isn't great for them, but it's your car, which you obvously take good care of. And if someone could put a very noticeable burn in it (not even just a tiny hole) then what else could they accidentally do to it?

Whether it's replacing the seat, or doing whatever, they should at least contribute a reasonable amount. I'm afraid I feel very strongly about respecting others things. And if something happens, offer to repair it. That's just how I am. I treat people's things how I treat my own.

My best friend broke my favourite handbag I let her borrow, whilst drunk. She immediately told me and offered to buy me a new one. Because she offered, I said, of course not it was an accident, even though I loved the bag. If she hadn't offered, I may have asked her to replace it.

Jen

 

[Brandy456]

jcottonl02 wrote:

Of course it's not worth losing a friendship over. I don't think any mature person would do that.

Jen

An addicent? :?

If you think about it, maybe it's a good thing you don't know who exactly, because you may be resentful.
More maddening I think, is why did your friend let someone else drive your car, when you left it with HER. If you do decide to fix it somehow (or buy a seat cover) ask her to pay a portion (just don't go overboard, since it's not super necessary, and she may resent you in the end) even if she didn't do it, she let someone else drive (unless you told them they could drive.. and if you did, ignore what I just said) haha

 

[jcottonl02]

Brandy456 wrote:

jcottonl02 wrote:

Of course it's not worth losing a friendship over. I don't think any mature person would do that.

Jen

An addicent? :?

Noooooo lol ending a friendship over a cigarette burn in a car!

Jen

 

[Flash Gordon]

thats why i dont loan my vehicle to anybody...they can buy their own car and burn their own seats...i have all kinds of friends that are in the business of repairing that kind of thing..im in the car industry..but your in CA,, im in AZ..i prob cuda had it fixed for you for free...cigarettes are gross...

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I think it's best not to loan the car out anyway.
You shouldn't have to. Firstly, only you are insured for the car, so what would happen if they wrecked it or hit someone? You could be viable for soooo many things, not to mention they'd get in trouble for driving a car that they weren't insured for.

This is probably a blessing in disguise. Get the seat fixed, and don't allow anyone else to borrow it. If they don't have a car, and need transportation, then it's up to them to figure it out - they should act like mature adults, and either rent a car, or take the bus... if they can't confess to a cigarette burn in your car, then they surely shouldn't be driving it, because they could make up excuses for larger problems that could happen while driving it...i.e a crash.

Emily

 

[irishbunny]

If it were me, they'd be both paying. They both drove it and both are being spuds and won't admit it. It was them driving it when it happened, even if they really don't know which one it was that actually did it. It should be at least split three ways. I certainly wouldn't be paying for it if it were my car. What kind of friends are they anyway if they won't.

 

[Nela]

If you can truly call them good friends and it's the first time something of the sort happens, then I would try to move on and just be a bit more guarded in the future. What bothers me more is the dishonesty. If you cannot trust a friend to be honest with the little things, then I doubt you could trust them to be honest with anything big. I guess in the end, you need to ask yourself if it's anyway possible they didn't notice or if they are truly lying to your face.

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

I'd just get seat covers..... they'd protect your seats in the long run, and if they were good friends they'd help pay. It's not like they're THAT expensive anyway.


And like the others said, they probably honeslty don't know who did it. My aunt was always ALWAYS ignorant where the end of her cigerate was going lol.