Lost phone

[abbey44]

Help! I was out walking our dogs the other day with a friend, it got a bit chilly and he very considerately gave me his jacket to wear. I didn't know his phone was in the pocket. When I'd warmed up, I offered the jacket back to him, he said to hang on to it, so I put it over my arm and we kept on walking. A bit later he asked if the phone was still there, and unfortunately it wasn't - the pocket didn't have a zip so it must have fallen out. We retraced our steps and looked everywhere, but didn't find it (we were on a beach and the tide was coming in, so...)

Anyway, I offered to pay for it as I felt it was my fault (although had I known such an expensive phone was in there, I'd have made sure it was kept safe), but it turns out it was a brand new phone that cost over £800. I don't think his house contents insurance covers it, so I feel morally bound to cough up, but....£800... Tell me to just get a grip and chalk it up to experience - do I have any alternative?

If the situation were reversed, and you'd loaned your jacket to a chilly friend, would you expect the friend to pay up?
I do think that it's generally a nice gesture to offer to pay, but not £800 for an item he should have either taken of, or had insured.

You didn't know the phone was there so can't see how you're responsible for losing it. He should be able to claim on his house contents insurance.

Check your own house insurance. I don't think you should pay. He loaned the jacket and was aware the phone was in it. You offered the jacket back and he declined so not your fault although unfortunate.

I agree with BlueAnemone.

You were never tasked with looking after the phone as you never knew it was there. It's really bad luck it happened but not actually your fault. £800 is too much to pay in those circumstances.

Thanks for the responses - food for thought there. Guess it brings home the necessity for a good insurance policy - my phone's covered on my contents policy and my credit card, but doesn't cover me for losing someone else's. I don't know why his policy doesn't cover his phone.

Was the phone genuinely there? Are you sure he's not trying to rip you off? Strange that he didn't mention the phone in the first instance & strange you didn't feel the weight of the phone in the pocket! I think it's all very suspect & certainly wouldn't be giving him any money.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it was there when I had the coat on, when I think about it. I just didn't register it at the time and certainly didn't feel when it must have slipped out of the pocket. He's not the type to rip someone off like that, friend or not. He's still waiting to hear whether his contents policy will cover it, so fingers crossed...

Fingers crossed indeed.

Hope it is covered on his insurance. If not, as I say it's very unfortunate (and an insurance mistake he won't make again) but I hope you'd be able to rethink that feeling of being 'morally bound' to pay for it.

It wouldn't be reasonable of him to ask you to pay for it, and it would be reasonable of you to politely refuse (or come to a compromise).

You were loaning the coat not the blooming phone! If you had accidentally ripped the coat while borrowing it, yes, it would be good to offer to replace. But the phone? No.