People should learn to respect personal belongings.

In this story, a woman returned from a work trip and discovered her friend had ruined his valuable Yixing teapot.

When she asked her to replace it, her friend got mad and insisted on getting over it.

Yikes! Let’s take a closer look.

AITA my friend ruined my yixing teapot and I want her to replace it or give me 500 dollars.

When I went to China, I bought myself a Yixing teapot.

This is a clay unglazed pot that gets “seasoned” the more you make tea in it.

It is kind of like a cast iron pan.

Since it is unglazed, you cannot wash it with soap or any rough sponges.

You clean it by using hot water. Then, you let it air dry. Nothing else.

This woman left for a work trip.

This is where the issue starts. I left for a work trip.

My friend watched my cat, and I paid her.

I told her she could use anything in the kitchen.

My Yixing teapot is not in the kitchen.

Neither are any of my fancy loose-leaf teas for it.

I have a normal kettle in the kitchen for guests to use.

She found out that her friend used and washed her Yixing teapot.

I came back and found the Yixing teapot in my sink.

It smelled like soap. It also had multiple scratches on the inside.

I called her up. She told me she used it because she loved the tea I make with it.

She then washed it with a rough wire sponge and used soap.

She said she did not know where my sponges were.

She also did not want to put it in the dishwasher.

She told her friend to replace the teapot.

I tried to fix it, but I couldn’t.

Anything I put in it comes out with the taste of soap.

The scratches are also getting bigger with every boil I try. It is ruined.

I called her up and asked her to replace it since she ruined it.

She told me to just clean it. I told her I have tried.

She eventually agreed.

When her friend learned how much it was, she got mad and refused to pay.

I sent her the teapot from the same store I bought mine from that was most similar.

It is actually cheaper than the one I bought in China. It is about 500 dollars.

She called me angry after I sent her the link and refused to pay it.

She claimed I should have told her not to use it.

Now, she’s wondering if she should just let it go.

I pointed out that it was behind glass.

I said I did not think I needed to tell her that.

I asked her to pay again. She is still angry.

Should I just cut my losses?

Let’s read the responses of other people.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This one agrees with OP.

You don’t do that, says this person.

Here’s another honest opinion.

Finally, short and simple.

Some lessons are expensive… especially when someone treats a delicate teapot like a dirty frying pan.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.