Dear Annie: The case of the missing quarters

Dear Annie: I get my car detailed at a business near the beach in Los Angeles. When I took my car there, I meant to move the spare change that I kept for parking meters and laundry out of the car, but I did not. I forgot.

When I got my car back, there were about $8 in quarters missing, but dimes, nickels and pennies were left behind. I emailed the owner the next day.

The owner called me and apologized and refunded the full price of my car detail. I told him the full refund was not necessary and that I wanted to let him know what had happened. Because I had used the word “steal” in my email, he took offense to that.

I replied on the phone that the money was gone after I got my car back.

He said he wished me well and I replied, “Are you saying you don’t want to do business with me anymore?”

Now I feel bad in a situation where I did nothing wrong and was trying to alert him to a problem with his workers at his business.

What do I do now, or what should I have done earlier, in this situation? -- Suffering While Trying to Help

Dear Suffering: I’m not exactly sure why you declined his refund for your car detailing. It sounds like the owner of the business just wanted the facts of what had happened -- and not your opinion about how the employees should be dealt with. The next time you have your car detailed, I would recommend thanking the owner for the way he handled the missing quarters and then letting it go.

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“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].