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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to take this back to the shop or ask the child's parents to pay?

52 replies

oneofthosedays · 31/12/2011 16:08

DD got a whiplash scooter for her birthday 2 weeks ago, she has let a neighbours child have a go on it today, he did a 'bunny hop', whatever that is, and the steering stalk/handle has snapped off the main scooter. Scooter now broken and unuseable. DD is devastated and DH and I are angry with both DD and the child for doing this. DH took the scooter round, child is in tears, father apologetic but no offer to replace was made by them, DH left it at that and came away. Now I've calmed down I'm thinking it probably shouldn't have snapped in the first place being a stunt scooter and all, the website shows loads of little tricks.

So the dilemma is should I take it back to the shop and present it as faulty or should we ask the childs parent directly if they will pay to replace (scooter cost £60 so not exactly cheap) or just accept it and DD will have to do without (cannot afford to replace and cost too low to claim on home ins)? I feel a bit awful asking the parents knowing how upset the child was about this.

OP posts:
sassyminder · 31/12/2011 17:57

Get a refund and buy a Micro Scooter.

Miette · 31/12/2011 18:22

Argos will be fine about refunding. You could set the other family's mind at rest by telling them you will take it back and try and get a refund and not to worry.

TartyMcFalalalalalalalalarty · 31/12/2011 18:31

YANBU to take it back, which is what you obviously should have done in the first place.

YABU to have gone round to the child's house though. That was a really shitty thing to do and you've got away with it very lightly here imo. The child deserves an immediate apology and an explanation that you were out of line -and pretty stupid not to have realised a stunt scooter that broke on the first stunt was unfit for purpose in the first place. And FFS, accidents happen. Poor kid.

OryxCrake · 31/12/2011 18:45

Yes, hope you've now had a chance to go round and reassure/apologise to the neighbour's child. Poor kid must be feeling so upset if you were angry with him and he's done nothing wrong.

Of course you should take it back to the shop - it was not fit for purpose and it broke being played with just as it was intended to be.

Hope the replacement is less fragile and more fun!

sassyminder · 31/12/2011 18:53

This is what you need:

www.micro-scooters.co.uk/

Very fast delivery too.

Well worth the money and lasts forever.

dippydoodah · 31/12/2011 18:56

Take it back - no question about it.

Original poster
oneofthosedays · 04/01/2012 21:01

Jesus TartyMc, bit strong with your response there weren't you?! I didn't at any point say that DH went round all guns blazing, nor did he demand the parents pay for the scooter. He went round to discuss what had happened and let the parents know. I started this thread to canvass opinion on whether or not to ask for the parents to pay or whether to take it back to the shop, which the overwhelming opinion was that it was faulty and should be taken back!

Anyhow, I came back to update - we took the scooter back back and argos exchanged it with no quibble for a razor scooter of a similar design but far better reviews (no I don't know why I didn't choose this one in the first place either Grin) and as chance would have it we bumped into the lad and his dad at the park on the way home and had a chat with the dad (who was fine about the whole thing but had been looking out for a replacement bless him) and reassured the lad that he didn't do anything wrong.

OP posts:
Miette · 05/01/2012 00:17

My girls have razor scooters. They are good.

starsintheireyes · 05/01/2012 00:25

YANBU to take it back, as you bought from argos I cant see you having any problems getting a refund. I dont understand all this scooter malarky tbh, my ds1 had a no fear scooter that cost me £8!! and lasted for about 18months, my friends son who is just as rough and boyish as mine has a JD bug-whatever that is, which hes had less than a year and looks completely trashed-and she paid £70 or something silly for it! The only scooters that I can see their value are micros, alot of money but they do seem to be a brilliant design and friends kids have had theirs years.

starsintheireyes · 05/01/2012 00:26

sorry, didnt read the second pageBlush glad you got it sorted!

sausagesandmarmelade · 05/01/2012 07:08

No you do not ask the childs parents to pay.

The scooter was not fit for purpose....and even if it was, these things happen....

trixie123 · 05/01/2012 07:30

yes tale it back to the shop - one of the reasons Argos are so good with returns is cos they know how crap their stuff is Smile

Honeydragon · 05/01/2012 07:37

Jd bugs look trashed as they cope with much harder use and misuse than other scooters.

Op you were correct to have replaced it, but you were right to inform
the parents too, if their dc hadn't told them.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 05/01/2012 10:34

I'm glad you got it sorted OP but.... you were quick enough to go to the parent of the child in the first place to complain. That was unreasonable. I think that if you hadn't thought to get the replacement/money back from Argos you might have tried again. I think you were back-bunny-hopping a bit... ;)

redwineformethanks · 05/01/2012 11:24

Glad it's now resolved, think it was a bit U to go and tell the child's parents in the first place. Accidents happen.

Original poster
oneofthosedays · 05/01/2012 20:06

I'm glad it's sorted, I don't think DH was unreasonable to tell the parents what their child has done and as my DD had only had this scooter 2 weeks it would have been really hard to suck it up and tell her it was gone and it's tough now you haven't got one. I think parents do need to know what their kids have done even if it wasn't done intentionally or maliciously and I have mentioned a few times that at no point was money or a replacement asked for or demanded from the childs parents they were simply presented with the facts.

If argos hadn't have sorted it lying, DH and I had agreed to not mention it again to the boys parents and if they decided to pay towards a new one or buy a second hand one or whatever then we would cross that bridge when we came to it. No back bunny hopping (Wink) here.

OP posts:
MaryZed · 05/01/2012 20:18

I think you have got off lightly here (as in not being told your actions were very, very unreasonable), because I agree that going to the parents was very unfair. Presumably had they offered to pay, you would have said thank you and taken their money Shock. For a scooter accident that wasn't the child's fault.

If this is your attitude, you need to make absolutely sure that your children don't lend their bikes/scooters/footballs or any play equipment, or borrow anything from any other children they may play with.

Children play with toys. Sometimes they even share them Hmm. Sometimes they get broken by accident. Punishing them really isn't fair.

Obviously if a 12 year old takes a 3 year old's scooter and rides it down steps the child is at fault. Otherwise, it is an accident.

ukskater · 30/11/2012 00:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

DudeInaTutu · 30/11/2012 00:18

so the child who had a go on the scooter was in tears....but the scooter was actually faulty and got bad reviews.....

i think you were unreasonable in going to the other childs parents - how do you know what happened when you left their house? that child could have been in all kinds of bother for something that wasnt even his fault.

for that, yabu.

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 30/11/2012 00:26

I think you & your DH were both completely unreasonable in being angry with the children and for going around to the childs house. The children were playing on an age suitable toy, sharing nicely - it broke. It was either going to have been an accident or a faulty/crap scooter. Why on earth be angry with the children? Why on earth should the boy's father have offered to replace it?

I'm pleased argos have replaced it for you - as they should.

But I think you both need to look at how you handled this.

MsFanackerPants · 30/11/2012 00:39

zombie thread!
brought back to life by somebody doing some cheeky advertising

pigletmania · 30/11/2012 07:34

YANBU it's not fit fr purpose. What if your dd had done the stunt, I exect you would have taken it back

pigletmania · 30/11/2012 07:36

I agree you should not have gone round to he house. The item was faulty, the boy was doing a little stunt on a scooter tat is meant to withstand that. It's not the boys or arents fault it was faulty. Ext tim get a micro scooter or something that is better wuakity

MammaTJ · 30/11/2012 07:44

Oh dear, I think the OP is getting unreasonable stick for having had a reasonable conversation with the other childs parents. They have sorted it amicably, without the other parents buying a new one!! What is the issue here?

The OP did not realise at the time that the scooter was faulty. All she knew was that her child had used it and no problem, their child had used it, broken scooter. She came on here for advice, got advice, took advice, sorted!!

usualsuspect3 · 30/11/2012 07:47

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