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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect the school mum who broke my sons phone to pay for it

127 replies

SparkzFly · 04/06/2015 10:27

Short story but I went to pick DS1 up from a play-date and took DS2 with me. When we got there they all had a run around before I gathered them both up and left. When we returned home, DS2 realised that he had left his mobile phone at the house so I sent her a text message to ask her to bring it to school the next day. When this day arrived, she said that there had been an accident. When she went to pick the phone up after my message, it slipped out of her hand and smashed on her patio floor and completely smashed the screen! Phone won't even work or tunr on and DS2 is gutted. She then said 'I have researched a couple of places on line and I have found somewhere locally that can fix it for £50. I can contribute £25 if you want'
I was, and still am quite shocked tbh. I expect her to pay the full amount, or at least offer to. I think offering to pay half is slightly presumptuous Strikethrough: or an utter pisstake. Most of the people I have spoken to agree. My partner says we can't ask her to pay for it all as it sounds cheeky but I think that's due to trying to avoid confrontation. To me, it's more the principal than the £25
AIBU

OP posts:

Aermingers · 04/06/2015 10:29

YANBU. I would pay, is she particularly hard up though? Even if she was I would expect her to explain that, not simply expect you to stump up.

19lottie82 · 04/06/2015 10:30

OK, if it was me, I would offer to pay 100%, and I think that she should BUT I wouldn't ask her for it.

Your son left it there and it was an accident. These things happen. Still cheeky of her tho, but that's life.

Take it the phone isn't insured?

Aermingers · 04/06/2015 10:31

Incidentally, check what the place she has found is offer wring. If it's an Apple phone for example using non-Apple parts could invalidate any warranty or insurance.

19lottie82 · 04/06/2015 10:31

PS if it won't turn on, how does she know what's wrong with it, and that it will cost £50 to fix?

anyoldnameforathread · 04/06/2015 10:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Owllady · 04/06/2015 10:33

If the screen has smashed you can get them fixed for cheaper than £50 at one of those street stall fixers in your local run down high street

Poledra · 04/06/2015 10:34

So, your son left his phone at her house. A simple mistake, an accident.
She picked up the phone, it slipped through her fingers and broke on the floor. A simple mistake, an accident.

Why should she be responsible for the full amount? If your son had dropped in her house, would she still be responsible for the breakage? I think 50:50 sounds fair - 50% from her as she actually dropped it. 50% from your son because he foolishly did not keep track of his things.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 04/06/2015 10:34

I do get you're a tad peeved and are entitled to be.I think in cases like this. It's horses for courses. I mean if it and it seems it were an accident and the mum was gutted and apologetic and especially so if paying out £50 or even £25 could be at the cost of her children not eating then I'd say oh no just leave it accidents happen to the most
careful of us at some point.
I think only you can make the decision.

SunshineAndShadows · 04/06/2015 10:35

It was an accident. It wouldn't have happened if your DS hadn't left the phone at her house. She was trying to help and you're charging her for it. You could have gone and got the phone yourself, but I think leaving it there, and then expecting her to be responsible for accidental damage that occurred is pretty cheeky.

Leafitout · 04/06/2015 10:35

Does she have home insurance? Yanbu.

Original poster

SparkzFly · 04/06/2015 10:36

It is the screen that's cracked but now it won't even turn on. She googled Nokia Lumia repiars I think and from speaking to some local independent shops they seem quite expensive to repair. It's a Nokia but he's only had it a month. Is insured under our contents but excess makes it not worth claiming for. I don't want to have to ask her for it as it will prob make things awkward at school (shouldn't, but I know it will) but just wanted to check it wasn't me being unreasonable. I wouldn't dream of breaking a child's phone, intentionally or not, and not offering to pay! Thanks for your replies though

OP posts:

Original poster

SparkzFly · 04/06/2015 10:40

I completely agree that it was an accident and he shouldn't have left it there and I told him that when we discovered the damage. Perhaps a life lesson for him for the future.

OP posts:

eosmum · 04/06/2015 10:41

Going against the grain here but I think YABU, it was left in her house, not her fault, she accidently dropped it but it wasn't her responsibility to look after it, it shouldn't have been there in the first place. I think she's being very reasonable to offer half imo.

AnyoneForTennis · 04/06/2015 10:41

How old is your ds?

It sounds like it's expensive....

Viviennemary · 04/06/2015 10:42

I think her offer of £25 was very fair. Coming down to it your son should have taken better care of his phone. I think you sound pretty cheeky and if you started quibbling with me I'd tell you that you'd be getting nothing.

BertrandRussell · 04/06/2015 10:43

Good lord- she dropped it- of course she should pay for it! Who on earth would think any differently? If she can't afford to then she needs to talk to you about it- but all this "your ds is partially responsible because he left it there" is utter rubbish.

SumThucker · 04/06/2015 10:46

I think she's being fair to offer half, personally. Your son left it there, his mistake initially. Mistakes happen.

popalot · 04/06/2015 10:47

Paying half is about right imo. She's admitting her culpability, your son taking the other half on the chin because he left it there. Good lesson for him.

anyoldnameforathread · 04/06/2015 10:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IWannaHoldYourHand · 04/06/2015 10:48

I have a Nokia Lumia, with a cracked screen. I'm loathed to get it fixed because the touchscreen sensor thing is in the screen. A friend had hers done and all the buttons were wonky.

I think her offer is fine. Your son did leave it at her house.

notaplasticgnome · 04/06/2015 10:49

Well I would offer to pay the full amount if it was me. But if I was you I would certainly not allow the other mum to pay the full £50. It was an accident, it happened because your son left his phone in her house, and really both parties should offer to pay.
Do I think you're both being a bit cheeky.

notaplasticgnome · 04/06/2015 10:50

So not do.

BertrandRussell · 04/06/2015 10:50

Ok. If he had left it on the floor and somebody stood on it, or on a chair and somebody sat on it, then yes,nit would be his fault, just like it would be at home. But she actually had it in her had and dropped it. How is he remotely responsible for that?

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 04/06/2015 10:53

It was an accident . She shouldn't have to pay. And why on earth has such a young child got an expensive mobile anyway?? YABU

AnyoneForTennis · 04/06/2015 10:53

If ds 1 was on a playdate and ds2 was the one who left his phone then how old is he??

He has an expensive phone.... Why? How old is he? Quite young if ds1 is older and on a play date

YOU weren't aware he had left it.... Why aren't you watching over that phone like a hawk if it's too expensive to claim on insurance because of the excess?

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