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Original poster

Re. Broken iphone...

31 replies

popmimiboo · 13/08/2014 11:25

I may be mad enough to have lost perspective so please help.

DS (14) wanted a nokia lumia 650 for xmas so I shelled out £200 for one which he managed to smash 5 months later. As it still functioned despite badly shattered screen, he continued to use it (despite me telling him to use his old phone until I could afford to replace the screen) and it ended up getting rained on and breaking entirely.
After a month with his old phone and a very good school report, I decided to give him my old iphone 4 (which I had had for 2 years and had kept immaculate.) He was over the moon and loved it more than his lumia.
You can guess what just happened. He's only had it 3 weeks and I'd bought him a shock proof case and screen protecter for it so I don't know how he managed to do it :-( :-(

I haven't yelled, screamed or grounded him forever -yet.
I'm thinking of just taking away the iphone regardless of whether it still works (smallish crack in screen) and not giving it back ever.
Thoughts?

OP posts:
PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 13/08/2014 11:27

I'd let him use it cracked screen or not and wouldn't buy a new phone. His next phone would have to come out of his own money though.

Canwepretend · 13/08/2014 11:28

Take back the phone, get a £10 one until he starts to appreciate the value of things.

That's what I would do anyway.

Groovee · 13/08/2014 11:30

I wouldn't be giving him another expensive pone without insurance. He sounds incapable of looking after things and if he gets a cheapy £10 no frills phone and looks after it then I would maybe consider a more moderate phone.

iloveshortshorts · 13/08/2014 11:30

how did he break them was he careless or were they accidents?

miniHovis · 13/08/2014 11:33

Look at an iphone the wrong way and the screen smashes tbh, but it is the second phone he has broke, just take it away and hand him a cheapo old phone worth about a tenner

PetulaGordino · 13/08/2014 11:33

you can get the screen replaced for about £40 in independent phone repair places if the touchscreen still works. it invalidates the warranty but it's quite an old phone anyway

perhaps take away the phone for now so that it doesn't get further damage, and he can work out some way to earn the money to get the screen replaced?

Original poster
popmimiboo · 13/08/2014 11:34

The first time, he left it on a ledge at the side of the football pitch and it got knocked off. Pretty stupid and careless but (I think) typical of a 14 year old.
This time he was just sitting in front of the TV and dropped it on the wooden floor.
He's showing no remorse though he is very good at hiding his emotions.

OP posts:
PartyFops · 13/08/2014 11:35

They are very easy to break BlushBlushBlush. I have broken 3 iPhone screens this year! BlushBlushBlush

Original poster
popmimiboo · 13/08/2014 11:36

I think I'll take it away and tell him to save up for screen repair. He doesn't get much pocket money so it will take him a while.

OP posts:
Eastpoint · 13/08/2014 11:38

Can't he just use it with a broken screen? Put some scotch tape over the crack? One of my DCs broke their iPad screen but can't afford to get it fixed so she's gone for the cheapo self repair. Other friends of hers are just living with broken screens.

iloveshortshorts · 13/08/2014 11:40

he sounds a little careless but iphones generally break really easily, I agree with pp hr needs a cheaper phone

kali110 · 13/08/2014 11:44

I would take it away op. Im on my second iphone. V took good care and nothings happened to them. Sounds like he does need to learn the value of money.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 13/08/2014 11:47

Let him keep it. Don't pay for any more phones or repairs or insurance ever.

Original poster
popmimiboo · 13/08/2014 11:50

It has a screen protecter and is nowhere near as badly smashed as his last one so I'm sure he could use it like that but I think that he needs to be less careless as 2 expensive phones in 8 months is not a good record.
I have told him and he's livid. He said he'll buy a new screen and fix it himself!

OP posts:
crazykat · 13/08/2014 11:55

We've just had similar with dsd. Its not hard to crack a screen, it all depends on how it lands or is knocked. I've had my phone screen cracked even though it was in a case and in my bag when someone pushed past me in a shop.

We've replaced it with a contract phone from tesco, £14 a month for 250 minutes, 5000 texts, 500mb data and insurance. Its a decent Lumia though not the best you can get, its still better than her old one. She's been told that its a 24 month contract and if she wants a newer phone between now and when its up then she pays for it.

googoodolly · 13/08/2014 12:02

So what if he's cracked it? If he can't afford to fix it himself, tough shit. If all he can afford is a cheap £10 phone from Tesco, then that's all he gets.

Though iPhones really don't break that easily, do they? I have a 4s and I've dropped it numerous times and it's ever even gotten scratched, and that's without a screen protector and a case.

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 13/08/2014 12:03

Just in case it helps anyone, I've been an iphone user for 4 years and I'm on my second iphone and (much I hate to say things like this because I don't want to tempt fate) I've never had a cracked screen despite having dropped my iphone numerous times over the years.

I have this case: www.amazon.co.uk/Tech21-T21-1186-Impact-Mesh-iPhone-Black/dp/B0046XQHY0

And use these screen protectors:
www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=iphone+screen+protector+devil&rh=n%3A560798%2Ck%3Aiphone+screen+protector+devil

Original poster
popmimiboo · 13/08/2014 12:28

Thanks Pourquoi! I think I'll try one of those screen protectors for my iphone.
Have told DS that I refuse to give a penny of my money or a second of my time to his phone issues from now on!

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 13/08/2014 12:50

I use the griffin survivor case. It's rain proof as well as it has a built in screen protector. My phone has been thrown out of the window. (My child has autism) and survived.

iPhones and iPads smash so easily though.

MomOfTwoGirls2 · 13/08/2014 13:08

While I haven't broken one myself, I see lots of adults and teenagers using iPhones with shattered screens. They seem to break really easily. I would leave him continue to use it with the shattered screen.

Coumarin · 13/08/2014 14:23

I cracked the screen on my old iphone on two occasions. It really didn't take very much.

So when I got a new iphone I bought one of these
www.firebox.com/product/6247/Rhino-Shield-for-iPhone
to protect the screen and so far, 18 months later, it has done an excellent job.

YellowTulips · 13/08/2014 14:30

My son broke his iPad mini screen. Fix cost £90.

We withheld his monthly pocket money until he had paid half the cost of the repair.

We said if he broke it again he would pay the full repair fee. He has been a lot more careful with it since then.

londonrach · 13/08/2014 14:39

Get him a cheap pay as you go phone. Don't understand why 14 year old has such expensive phone. If he wants one that expensive he saves up himself for it. Bet it wouldn't be broken then. Otherwise think the front can be replaced. I love my free with £10 top up phone. So easy to use. Just text and phone only.

kali110 · 13/08/2014 19:19

Sorry has anybodyelses mumnets format changed??

wheresthelight · 13/08/2014 19:23

Unfortunately the iPhone is renowned for the screen cracking without much impact. A friend of mine has gone through 5/6 screens on her iPhone 5 since September as the slightest knock cracks it.

Get him a more robust phone and let him pay for it

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