DEAR HARRIETTE: I stayed at my friend’s family-owned bed and breakfast a while ago, and they still haven’t refunded my security deposit. I called the front desk formally to ask about it, and they said to contact my bank. My bank said I need to contact the hotel. I’m getting the runaround. Should I confront my friend about this now? -- Friend’s Business
DEAR FRIEND’S BUSINESS: Now is absolutely the time to call your friend. If you had a nice time, you can lead with that. But from there, get right into it. Explain exactly what happened and the difficulty you have been having in simply getting your security deposit refunded. Typically, this would occur at checkout, certainly not days after your departure. Ask your friend to refund you the amount immediately.
If the situation is not resolved within a day or two, you should let them know you will have to call the Better Business Bureau to report them. This is business. Here’s a link to get you started if you determine you need to file a complaint: bbb.org/file-a-complaint.