A New Zealand woman took her ex-boyfriend to a disputes tribunal, claiming he breached a "verbal contract" by failing to drive her to the airport and watch her dogs as promised. This caused her to miss a flight to a concert and incur additional costs like travel, shuttle, kennel fees, and ferry tickets. She sought compensation of up to NZ$30,000 (£14,526).
The tribunal dismissed her claim, stating there was no legally binding relationship as the promises were part of the normal give-and-take in an intimate relationship and lacked the intention to create legally binding consequences. The boyfriend declined to attend the hearing and did not respond to follow-up communication attempts.
Legal experts stated that the woman's case lacked the key component of "consideration" and would not likely hold up in a U.S. court either.
An etiquette expert called the situation a "crime against etiquette" while acknowledging that etiquette does not require one to take a partner to the airport, but ghosting is unacceptable.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Guardian, The Washington Post, BBC News, Sky News, NZ Herald, Business Insider, The Straits Times.