To not pay for friend to get her phone fixed after I smashed it?

[katie3347]

Friday night me and my friend went out for drinks.
We were stood at the bar and I turned around quick and knocked my friends phone out of her hand,it hit the floor and smashed the screen.
It's still working but the screen is totally cracked.

She was a bit upset saying she didn't have insurance and couldn't afford to get it fixed.
I can't afford it either and shouldn't she have had insurance on such a expensive phone?
Anyway I haven't mentioned it since ..aibu to just not mention it again?
I know she probably expected me to pay to get it fixed but it was a accident and she was the one who let go once I hit her arm.

I'm flabbergasted. If i broke something belonging to someone else. Accident or not, I'd be offering to pay to fix it, even if I had to pay it back in instalments.

It's called personal responsibility.

Ok, but it’s just a phone.

I think it’s a bit over dramatic when people are making accusations of victim blaming or comparing it to being punched in the face or raped. 😂

Don't you mean you were standing at a bar?

“That's £40 I could use for other things.”

Wow. Pay up, at least 50%, and stop being so tight!

Of course you should pay. You knocked the phone from her hands.

The first thing you should have done is offer to pay and expect to pay st least 50%
It’s basic manners

Not only amazed at op not offering to pay straight away but gobsmacked at the amount of people who wouldn't either! What a horrible selfish community you must have been brought up in.

This exact same thing happened to my friend and I last Friday night. I knocked it out of her hand when she was showing me a photo. We are both single parents and short of cash but essentially she was going to be worse off because of something I had done (albeit by accident).

I told her I would pay for it. She got it fixed for £40, asked me for half and I transferred £30 into her account.

I don't think there's a black and white answer here but on balance I looked at her situation v mine and what had happened ... and did what I thought was fair in that situation. It's worth thinking about her value as a friend. If she's a good one then I think it's worth taking a bit of a financial hit as good friends are hard to find.

So in answer to your question.. yes I do think YABU to not offer regardless of your financial situation. Even if she didn't say anything there will be some residual resentment trees and that's not good in any relationship.

I would pay at least half.

Yes you should pay!
If it means you can’t afford a few nights out then so be it.
To even contemplate not paying is the height of bad manners. My parents would be ashamed if I behaved like that.

You caused the phone to break. Accident or not it was directly your fault. Of course you should pay.

You are not just being unreasonable- you are being ridiculuous! You caused the accident- you pay for it! And not having an insurance makes nearly no difference in this case, as most phone insurances have an excess of £50 per claim.
You should not be out for drinks if your bank balance doesn't allow you to make good for your mess.

I honestly cannot believe anyone wouldn't offer to pay the full amount, why would the opener need to any anything when she didn't break it? The insurance thing is total bs. You are essentially saying you can do whatever you want to someone else's property as they should have insurance. If you break it and they don't have insurance then it's all their own fault. Totally ridiculous.

Your friend needs to find a better friend because your attitude stinks.

Go halfes!!!

Depends whether your mutual friendship is worth £40......is losing a friend worth that about of money?

I have never expected people to pay for something of mine they accidentally broke.
The same this could have happened with a stranger turning round quickly and you wouldn’t expect them to exchange details and pay for the screen later on.

So no, I would feel very bad for my friend. I might propose to participate if I could. But as the fri Nd whose phone screen is broken, I wouod t expect the OP to pay at all.

Btw when such an issue comes about teenagers having given their phone for two minutes for them to have a look at xxx and for the mate to have broken it, the answer is ALWAYS ‘but the owner should have had an insurance. Their fault if they don’t’

There is also ALWAYS comments about the fact the phone isnt new so the person who broke it shouldn’t be paying for the full price of the item etc...

So I think the insurance comment is fair (and certainly in line with MN usual POV )

Some right cheeky fuckers on this thread. No doubt these same people would not be bothered if it was their phone that got broken by a clumsy friend and they had to pick up the tab.

correct - phone costs a tenner and will stand being dropped. fragile expensive tech stays at home. common sense.

Has op come back to say what she's going to do?

Even if your friend did have insurance she'd still have to pay the service charge which is often around £70/80.

I smashed my phone and it was £130 to fix 🙁 I think you should offer to pay half - she may even say don't worry but at least you'll have shown willing. I presume she's a good friend and you value her friendship more that the cost of the phone.

To all those saying it’s her responsibility to have insurance you’re wrong. If you cause an accident you cover it. Think motor insurance. You’re liable if you cause the damage.

You caused the accident. You should pay. Why should she?