friend owes me $410.00 and disappeared!!!

[rachuy21]

My friend (who's now obviously not my friend anymore) from New Jersey had me book her and pay the tickets and accomodation thru expedia.com. She was gona go to California and promised that she would pay me as soon as she arrives in California. Well, something came up and she had to cancel the trip, I tried calling expedia, the hotel, the plane company to cancel the reservation but to no avail before it was stated that it is non-refundable. Now I am stuck with the $410.00 ++ this was still on November. She promised she would pay me by March, but when I tried emailing her she never responded. The last time we talked, she said she got fired from the place she was working at. And worse, her cellphone is now out of service and I have no idea exactly where she lives!!!! The only contact I have left now is her email address which isn't really much of a help. She gave me one address, but I'm not sure who lives there, she moves often. if its her sister or her friend. Can I collect the money and demand payment from her sister? How will I be able to get my money back?! is there any hope??? we have no proper documentation of the whole transaction just the email confirmation from expedia and her email that she would pay me.

 

[NYClex]

This is very tricky. At least you have the email where she agrees to pay, that will bolster your claim that you had a contract.

Without being able to serve her it will be very difficult to use the courts to get the money back.

To be able to sue her in small claims court in most states you need to know her whereabouts so she can be served with the summons. Then you have to sue her in a court that has jurisdiction over her, which means that if she lives at the other end of the nation you probably will have to go there. So there are quite a lot of costs involved.

Then, even if you win that suit there is the problem of collecting. If she has no job and no assets the only thing you will have gained is more costs.

So the best thing for you to do now is to try to find out where she lives. And then go from there. But you have to keep your costs in mind, like the saying goes: don't throw good money after bad money.

It doesn't sound fair, but that is the reality.

 

[rachuy21]

yeah, i already figured that out also months ago, I was just hoping there's hope somewhere. But as of the moment, the best thing I can do is to accept the fact that my money is gone huhuhuhu!!!