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Original poster

Not to replace babysitter's ipad screen that DD2 cracked

296 replies

Somerville · 22/08/2017 13:58

DD2 managed to slip over holding teenage babysitter's iPad last night. Complete accident.

It was babysitters decision to bring it - there was no need for her to. And really she should have it in a case. But I digress, because of course I would be unreasonable not to have it repaired.

It's a major PITA because I can't drive right now so I've done long bus journey to nearest town with a repair place (who quoted £60 over the phone) to be told once there that her iPad glass (the latest, 2017 model, which is just called IPad, or colloquially IPad 5) isn't replaceable on its own - they tried to charge me £200 to order in a whole new screen, plus as yet undefined fitting cost. Shock

I'm suspecting/hoping that they were uninformed or trying to con me, but I don't have much signal (on bus home now with tearful DD2) so google research is slow.

6 missed calls from babysitter on when she can expect her iPad back, which I'm dodging until I have more idea. Help me to not be unreasonable and point me in the direction of cost effective and fast way of repairing it please, please, please...

OP posts:
MainGrain · 22/08/2017 14:19

I don't think OP should pay either. She didn't give the iPad to her DD. The babysitter did - and now has to suffer the consequences of her decision.

Justdontknow4321 · 22/08/2017 14:20

Some people*

Mol1628 · 22/08/2017 14:20

She should pay to have it repaired herself. She was responsible for the child at the time of the accident. iPad should have been out of the way or at least with a protective case on.

anotherAnotherUsername · 22/08/2017 14:21

What's the model OP? That sounds like a ludicrous price. I know DH does our iPhones and iPads etc for considerably less.

MaisyPops · 22/08/2017 14:21

it could easily be a mobile
It could easily be any piece of tech equipment.

That's why ipad and phone cases exist.
I've dropped my phone and ipad multiple times. They have cases on them.

Babysitter chose to bring expensive tech.
She chose not to bother with a cover (which is designed to protect tech from these things)
She allowed a child to wander around with it / left it lying around qhere a chils can get to it.

Not the OP's responsibility to replace it. Something small to repair would be a nice gesture, but if that's not possible she doesn't have to do a full replace. Babysitter should protect her gadgets.

dolcezza99 · 22/08/2017 14:21

Of course you need to pay for it. Your child broke it. You're responsible for your child's actions. Either claim on your house insurance or suck it up and pay for it yourself.

SandyDenny · 22/08/2017 14:22

There's no right answer here, it's going to come down to your conscience and your purse.

Can you afford to get it fixed? Do you feel you should pay for it? Would you feel guilty if you didn't? Do you have a relationship with the babysitter and her family that might be soured if you don't pay?

We don't know the answers to these questions, you do and that will have to guide you.

Without knowing the details of your contents policy or even if you have one I don't see why some posters are so sure you can make a claim.

SumThucker · 22/08/2017 14:22

I have a 13 year old who has an iPad, she's warned repeatedly not to leave it lying around for her little brother to get his hands on, it's fully her responsibility to keep it safe.

I'd be seriously fucked off having to pay £200 in your case, and if my daughter takes her iPad anywhere and a child breaks it it will be her own fault.

LorLorr2 · 22/08/2017 14:23

Oh what a pain. It's part of her job to keep the kids from falling and breaking things isn't it?
That being said, it's hard to say if she should pay the whole cost. Maybe you could offer a quarter or half of it?

MaisyPops · 22/08/2017 14:24

Somebody people would try and wiggle out of paying for anything.
Some people think that they dont need to bother with protective cases because obviously accidenta never happen to them.

If the baby sitter had a decent protective case on her ipad then it wouldn't have happened.

If i choose to do a sport without protective clothing, it's nobody's fault but mine if im injured due to not wearing protective clothing (even if it was caused by an accident by someone else)

AvoidingCallenetics · 22/08/2017 14:24

Were you paying the babysitter? If so then was not doing you a favour - she was working and getting paid.
I think it was her fault for giving ot to a child without a case. Now I would pay half because the babysitter was trying to entertain the child, is young and made a poor decision but I would limit my payment to £100 and tell her not to bring the ipad again.

Letstryagainshallwe · 22/08/2017 14:25

Be careful with some places though as some places do try to rip you off. My battery needed replacing on my iphone and I was charged £10 broke again and I went back to the same place and they told me £30!

PurpleMinionMummy · 22/08/2017 14:28

If this happened in a shop you would have to do the same

Or perhaps op would have the sense not to let her child wander round with something worth several hundred pounds in their hands and it wouldn't get broken in the first place...

Why isn't the OPs DD responsible for damaging someone else's property?

Because the babysitter shouldn't have given it to her
Because the babysitter shouldn't have let her walk around with it
Because the babysitter was responsible for the child when it happened
Because the babysitter should have ensured it had a protective case on it

What was op meant to do to prevent the accident when she wasn't even present?

Flyingflipflop · 22/08/2017 14:28

Were you paying the babysitter? If so then was not doing you a favour - she was working and getting paid.

So check what the contract says then. Or more likely she was just bunging the poor kid a few quid.

Perhaps the OP would like to up the amount she pays to allow the babysitter to invest in insurance, training and other workplace essentials.

BenLui · 22/08/2017 14:28

I'd pay for it, and then get a more sensible babysitter.

BertrandRussell · 22/08/2017 14:28

Sorry- I think if your child broke it you need to take it to an Apple Store and get it properly fixed. You say it's new- her warranty will be void if you don't. Might your household insurance cover it?

Justdontknow4321 · 22/08/2017 14:29

iPad doesn't need protection if it isn't dropped. By the op child.
Yes it's wise to have a case but not everyone does, if they break it themselves then it's there own fault, in this case the op child broke the item so they should pay and even with having a case on the screen still could of smashed, so it's beside the point. Some people are just tight.

It's not the same as Participating in a sport though is it. Hmm

WinterIsComingKnitFaster · 22/08/2017 14:29

If a very young child breaks something then it's the responsibility of the person who's in charge of supervising that child. Once you get a bit older it's the fault of the child themselves, and if they can't make it good it falls to their parents.

TheFairyCaravan · 22/08/2017 14:29

Of course you need to pay. DS1 stood on his iPad, which wasn't in a case although he does have one, when he jumped out of bed to be sick. We've got accidental damage on the house insurance and they replaced it like for like.

I love how everyone is jumping to conclusions that the babysitter gave the iPad to the child. None of us know what happened. I couldn't leave a teenager out of pocket like that, or anyone for that matter, if my child had broken something.

Shadow666 · 22/08/2017 14:30

I think its bonkers to expect the OP to pay. A child cannot be responsible for taking care of such expensive things. Thats the babysitters job. The OP wasnt there.

One of DS's friends dropped my iPhone and the screen broke. I would never have expected his parents to pay. My phone my responsibility.

Isabella70 · 22/08/2017 14:30

I have one it, as well as several other repairs, and it's possible but I'm afraid it's one of the most difficult as it's glued in.

Justdontknow4321 · 22/08/2017 14:31

The op already decided she's was going to get it fixed but now it's a few ££ more then what she thought she's trying to wiggle out of it, so she clearly already felt like she should fix it.

Original poster
Somerville · 22/08/2017 14:31

DD2 is 10 - so this wasn't a toddler. But I'd pay either way TBH. For a professional adult childcarer, perhaps I'd just offer money towards their excess, as I'd expect them to have insurance. But this was a 16 YO babysitter standing in for my older DC, who couldn't babysit at last minute.

Is that right, mueslicamel? All in one screen on this model? That's gutting.

It's not covered in my house insurance. And she doesn't have cover. I suppose I could get her to double check that her parents don't have my insurance that might cover it.

Model number is A1822 in case anyone techy has any bright ideas?

OP posts:
RainbowPastel · 22/08/2017 14:33

You should pay as your child broke it.

MyOtherNameIsAFordFiesta · 22/08/2017 14:35

If your DD is young (under 4 or so) then it's the responsibility of whoever is looking after her to make sure she doesn't get her hands on anything breakable. So, if you were still there (say, just handing over to the babysitter before you went out), then it's your responsibility; otherwise it's the babysitter's.

The shop analogy doesn't quite work; if someone else took your child shopping, and took them into a shop full of fragile things where they broke something, it would be the fault of the person looking after them, I reckon.

In this case, the babysitter shouldn't have brought an iPad with no case and left it where your DD could get it.

If you like her as a babysitter, though, it's probably worth paying half to keep her!