I borrowed money from this dude who is no longer my friend. Nothing huge and under $500. Of course he ignored me until it was the day to collect his money but life happens and my dog is sick. It's either take my dog to the doctor or pay him back. The obvious choice is take care of my dog but this guy is a real piece and I think he'll think it was just an excuse not to pay. How do you handle these so-called friends who act like debt collectors?
Oh yeah I am certainly paying him back but maybe not right now because my dog is sick. The worst part about this guy is he just wants the money to play poker.
Take a picture of the vet bill with your phone and send it to him. How's he gonna argue with that? Obviously take the dog to the vet. Keeping your family member healthy is more important than debt. And why not pay the money back as you can afford it? $50 or $100 here and there. Wouldn't take that long to pay it off. But if he absolutely refuses to work with you, is harassing you, and in general, just being a dick, tell him to take you to court.
Yeah I am working towards this. Problem with gamblers is they never plan for the unexpected. I'm sure he spent every last dollar until it was time for me to repay and now he's struggling.
bro... you borrowed the fucking money, keep your word. it's not his fault your dog's sick, and he's not your friend anymore so you don't get the convenience of a time extension.
Well I guess that depends on how you define a gambler. I call myself a gambler; single deck blackjack only. I thoroughly enjoy it. It'd definitely a hobby to me. But the thing is, I don't gamble away all my money. Bills and responsibilities come first. I have a credit card I keep in good standing, and a bit of money in a savings account. What's left over, I might go play a couple nights a week while I can afford it. Otherwise, well I have other hobbies too lol. And I do win as often as I lose (the beauty of that game if you know how to play). What you're describing I would call an addict, not just a gambler. In which case I would calmly explain to him that you're doing the best that you can, but his addiction is not your responsibility.
But then again, he made the deal when he was still friends with the man. As is only natural with a friend borrowing money, certain allowances are expected to be made under the "shit happens" category. I don't see why the situation should change just because the friendship dissolved. If it were a paper contract, and not just verbal it wouldn't work that way.
Don't fuck around with peoples money man. If you borrowed the money, then pay him back. If you have to, borrow money else were for your dog. In the future, don't borrow money unless you absolutely NEED to.
Theoretically, a verbal and a paper contract work in the same way. Here's the thing: the guy should be nice and cut you some slack, but it's your fault for not having the funds ready to pay him back. You can't really be pissed at the guy; who cares if he's using the money to gamble? Even if he was going to use it to feed starving children, you would be in the same position, so I'm not sure why his poker playing matters. Looks like it's time to liquidate some assets.
Talk to him first. Creditors, whether they are your parents/friends/lovers/ex-friends/lovers/credit card companies/banks/whatever, like to know what's going on. Often they will give you some leeway. Ask him if it would be alright if you stretched it a bit longer and explain the circumstances (be specific about what is wrong with your pup, don't just feed him a "my dog is sick" line). Hopefully, he will be understanding. If he is not, give him his money, then take your dog to the vet. Your debt will now be a new debt with the veterinarian's office, who will eventually send you to collections.
If you aren't going to pay him back right away, give him a specific date when you will have the money for him. Show him you're serious about paying him back, not just blowing him off with, "Hey man, I gotta spend the money for my sick dog, I'll get it to you later." You could give him your ipod or xbox or something for collateral, if he's really being a hardass. I hope you are able to take away a valuable lesson from it all.