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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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.

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:

sleeponeday · 22/08/2017 17:50

I just told this story to DH, about how the babysitter gave the ipad to the little child (whilst his parents weren't there,) and the child broke it. The debate is who should pay?

Except it wasn't given to a little child. It was given to a ten year old. Who completely backs up the babysitter's version of events.

Disn3yN3rd · 22/08/2017 17:51

@Beebee7

10 is hardly a little child....

ElizabethShaw · 22/08/2017 17:52

If the babysitter is an adult and was responsible for both the iPad and the child at the time of the incident, I wouldn't be paying for it to be honest.

Phalenopsisgirl · 22/08/2017 17:53

Also second what pp said, she wasn't a guest in your home, she was being paid to supervise your children. She shouldn't have been allowing them to use the iPad, she shouldn't have even had the iPad in your home. She is at fault 100%.

SpiritedLondon · 22/08/2017 17:59

I think there are degrees of damage and circumstances can make a difference to who has responsibilty. If a child snatched the glasses off the babysitters face and broke them then clearly you would need to replace them. The babysitter needed the glasses and the child has behaved in a way which you would not reasonably be able to predict. If a child scribbled over an item could you reasonably be expected to predict that? Well you could if you had given them a pen a few minutes earlier - your actions could be seen to have contributed towards the damage. If a child removed the iPad from the babysitters bag without her knowledge and then broke it then that would be one thing. If the babysitter gave her the iPad then that is quite another - surely anyone would see that as a high risk act, particularly as it had no protective cover. Of course you may feel bad and pay for it anyway but I would not say that you would be obliged to cover the full costs under the circumstances.

Cupoteap · 22/08/2017 18:01

Do heck with apple on some stuff with a single crack they used to just do it for free

CatchingBabies · 22/08/2017 18:01

It's probably not worth repairing. If still useable could it be a birthday or Christmas present for your daughter and replace the babysitters? Although you should have a word about taking expensive items out the house, especially as she has no insurance on it.

Krispiesaresquare · 22/08/2017 18:05

Did your child definitely break it?

cluelessnewmum · 22/08/2017 18:06

I think it depends if the babysitter gave the ipad to the child or they took it (eg out of her bag) and started playing with it.

If she gave it to the child more fool her, I don't think it's your responsibility. If this happened at a nursery or more formal childcare you'd just think, well silly you for making it accessible.

But if your DD took it then I think you should pay but just not use her again for babysitting as it's an indication she lacks common sense.

Krispiesaresquare · 22/08/2017 18:09

Sorry just saw that DD is 10. I assumed a toddler for some reason and was wondering if the babysitter was just saying that she broke it

BackInTheRoom · 22/08/2017 18:18

When my daughters friend broke my daughters iPad mini screen, I didn't approach the mother to ask her for the repair money because the iPad was my daughters responsibility. I think the babysitter is responsible for her own action of letting a young child play with a very expensive bit of kit. However if I were you OP, I'd maybe go half for goodwill.

Beebee7 · 22/08/2017 18:24

A 10 year old may not be a 'little child' to some, but it's still a fairly young child.

Also, the babysitter who chose to take her ipad to her babysitting job, voluntarily gave the child her ipad, whilst they were eating pizza! Or did it slip off the table? It seems there are varying versions of events!

I echo what @krispies said above, 'is the babysitter just saying the child broke it?'

I don't believe it happened how she said, and I think she is trying it on.

And if I were the OP, I would not pay for the ipad 'repair.' And I would swiftly contact the babysitter and say I had been advised not to pay for it. She is making a rod for her own back. As I said before, the babysitter will probably decide it's still 'not right,' and demand a new one. And the OP will have admitted liability by paying in the first place.

So no. Don't pay @somerville

The babysitter can then take any action she sees fit.

Don't fancy her chances though. It's not the OP's responsibility.

NeonFlower · 22/08/2017 18:27

I would offer her the cash and get her to sort out getting it fixed or putting it towards a new one

Krispiesaresquare · 22/08/2017 18:28

Also if it's less than 2 years old taking it anywhere other than an Apple Store invalidates the warranty.

My partner is an Apple repair technician and he said that when you open up devices that customers have had fixed elsewhere there tends to be parts missing that the other repair store will have removed to sell on.

What is a few months down the line a genuine malfunction happens and a store refuses to cover it under warranty as it's been handled elsewhere previously? Will you then have to cover that as you didn't take it to an Apple Store to begin with?

Ollycat · 22/08/2017 18:30

I can't believe this is even being debated! Your 10 year old (NOT a little child) broke a 16 year olds iPad - no debate at all - you should take it to Apple and get it fixed properly!

grandOlejukeofYork · 22/08/2017 18:38

I can't believe this is even being debated!

Me neither. Should be obvious to anyone it's not OP's bill to pay, but hey that;s MN for you.

OnionKnight · 22/08/2017 18:40

I don't believe it happened how she said, and I think she is trying it on.

What are you basing that on?

Aeroflotgirl · 22/08/2017 18:47

Oh gosh your dd is 10, I had an image of a wobbly toddler who had very little understanding. Then yes, the babysitter probably at her age trusted that she would be fine with her i pad, she should have been careful.

Beebee7 · 22/08/2017 18:50

@onionknight

What are you basing this on?

I am 'basing it on' the story the babysitter has come out with, and everything that (supposedly) happened! Like her taking her stupidly expensive ipad with her to babysit a child, eating pizza around it, the ipad having no protective cover, the ipad becoming conveniently damaged, and her expecting the OP to pay for the 'damage.'

Pretty obvious WHY I believe she is trying it on because she wants a new ipad! The obvious reasons are screaming out!

OnionKnight · 22/08/2017 18:53

*I am 'basing it on' the story the babysitter has come out with, and everything that (supposedly) happened! Like her taking her stupidly expensive ipad with her to babysit a child, eating pizza around it, the ipad having no protective cover, the ipad becoming conveniently damaged, and her expecting the OP to pay for the 'damage.'

Pretty obvious WHY I believe she is trying it on because she wants a new ipad! The obvious reasons are screaming out!*

That's great.

Except the 10 year old backs up the babysitter.

Ollycat · 22/08/2017 18:58

Also all of you saying the OP shouldn't fix it - so you basically want to send a message to the OPs child that it's fine to break other people's stuff as it's not your responsibility- nice!!

Mittens1969 · 22/08/2017 19:00

In view of the fact that your DD2 is 10 years old, then it wasn't U for the babysitter to think that she could be trusted with the iPad so the OP should pay. But the DD should pay a contribution out of her pocket money over an agreed period of time, to help her learn to be more careful.

It is very bad luck though, OP, iPads are so expensive!

Mittens1969 · 22/08/2017 19:02

You can get refurbished iPads for half the cost, that's how we got our iPad and iPhones.

grandOlejukeofYork · 22/08/2017 19:02

so you basically want to send a message to the OPs child that it's fine to break other people's stuff as it's not your responsibility- nice!!

Nope. My DC know its not ok to break other peoples stuff. However they also know that it's not ok to get other people to pay for your broken stuff when it was your fault it got broken. If they handed it to a kid with greasy mitts then more fool them.

Lweji · 22/08/2017 19:04

so you basically want to send a message to the OPs child that it's fine to break other people's stuff as it's not your responsibility- nice!!

No. That allowing other people, particularly children and without asking a parent first, to use your precious iPad is silly.

The OP took no responsibility over her DD handling the nanny's iPad, so she shouldn't be asked for compensation.
Fine if the OP feels she should pay.

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