Hi Lance,

I would also be very upset at first, but because the damage was somewhat contained and fixable, I would try to calm down and get my blood pressure under control, which would certainly be out of the recommended range.
I would get an invoice from your friend, write a letter laying out the events and ask them one more time to pay for the damage with a set date to respond. I would also tell them that I will forward my experience to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) unless I am reimbursed.

If they pay, fine, if not, I'd forward it to the BBB.

Small claims court is an alternative, but you need the letter etc. anyway to make your case there, too.

For a few hundred dollars, my time and blood pressure is probably more important and I would let it go. Being right and getting right are two different things and sometimes the cost of getting right is not worth the effort.

Good luck

Reinhard Kreutzer