Should I offer to replace a borrowed drill that stopped working while I had it?
NeighboursI returned my neighbour's drill with two shelves finished and a confession: “It stopped turning halfway through the last hole.”
He tried it, frowned and sent me a link to a £95 replacement that evening. I had borrowed his drill because mine couldn't manage the wall. Before lending it, he said, “It's getting on a bit, but it should do.” I didn't ask what getting on a bit meant.
I followed the instructions he gave me and stopped when it stopped. I don't know whether I damaged it, whether something worn finally failed, or whether a repair would make sense. He hasn't accused me of being careless. He just said, “I need a working drill.”
I offered to pay for an assessment before buying a new one. He thinks that will waste time and money on an old tool. His next job is this weekend, and my shelves are sitting there successfully attached to the wall, which makes my argument feel convenient.
Would offering part of the replacement cost be fair, or should borrowing it mean replacing it regardless of its age? I want to own the inconvenience without pretending we know what broke.
