Should I replace child's designer coat?

[happyrain]

DS punctured a hole in the arm of a classmate's coat while playing with a stick during breaktime this week. The children play in a wooded area so stick play is not unusual there, although I have of course had stern words with DS about stick games and being careful and so on.

Parents of coat-child naturally aren't happy. I have offered to have the hole professionally repaired but no, they want us to replace the coat. I'm guessing the coat is some sort of designer one as they want the best part of £200 from us.

Whilst I completely accept my DS's responsibility for the damage I am not sure that £200 for a small puncture hole is entirely reasonable.

Any thoughts?

If someone broke your phone, dropped your tv/ ripped your dress etc not intentially would you pay for it or expect the one who broke it to fix it / get a replacement.

It’s honestly their call whether they send their kid to school in an expensive coat, they can’t demand the money from you because they were daft enough to do so. Kids play and get mucky and damage things! You’re generous to offer the cost of a repair but you certainly don’t need to do any more than that.

Sounds like they can’t really afford the £200 coat . Are they very showy ? I’d laugh tbh

No I wouldn’t at that price. I would offer to pay up to £50 for a new coat.

Do not pay or move from your generous offer.
Children play,why would you send them to school in a designer cost unless A,it was a bargain in a charity shop or B,they are very stupid.
Don't be bullied op they are being ridiculous.

Were they not supervised at school ?

Stick play is not on the curriculum !

What idiot sends their kid to nursery or school in a designer coat.

YANBU. Offer to have it repaired but not replaced.

I'd be sympathetic if it was someone on the breadline and their child's very cheap coat got destroyed and it meant them going without a coat for a while. I'd buy another straight away, but they are being cheeky fuckers.

Offer a replacement from Asda!! Stupid for allowing such an item at school!!

Yep £50 max for repair or towards replacement but tbh I'd resent paying that even. Surely it's to be expected that clothes will get damaged playing in the woods. That's why you send them in their scruffs.

If someone broke your phone, dropped your tv/ ripped your dress etc not intentially would you pay for it

In most circumstances, yes - because sometimes humans make mistakes and accidents happen and that’s just life. You can’t always demand recompense. And if the damaged item is something valuable it should absolutely be insured for this exact reason.

The children are 8 years old.

A child playing in the wood - you expect damaged clothes.
Phones etc being damaged in normal circumstances - not expected, therefore not comparable.

I'm not sure it's up to anyone to say that they shouldn't have sent their child out in an expensive coat. Maybe they trust their own child not to damage it. Maybe they don't expect another child to hit their child with a stick and rip it?

If you crash into a Ferrari and write it off, is it ok to say to the owner "well, cars have accidents, you were foolish to take it out. I'll pay for a cheap car to replace it"

I understand the predicament, I'm not sure I'd be too happy about it, but I'd be blaming my child, not the other parents, particularly because they had been warned before not to do it.

It must have been a very sharp stick to have made a hole in a coat. I'd be interested in the exact circumstances.

Ridiculous for 8 year olds for school. I've sent DC out in expensive hand me downs (given to us and used by all children), but accept that they may get damaged and would be repaired or replaced with something cheaper.

I've seen a few schools banning anything other than uniform coats because of these sorts of issues, or thefts.

It sounds to me like perfectly normal play for an 8-year-old, sticks become swords and guns, they role-play and it's rough and tumble. I'd be happy with you paying for a repair, and I can't believe they paid that much for a coat for outdoor play and expected no damage.

No way!

Cost of a professional repair and even that is being generous if all children were willingly participating.

It's April now and it's likely they'd have to buy a new one for next year anyway. My 12 year old has had 3 winters out of his coat and I didn't even buy it big (size 11). I'd expect 2 or 3 years for an 8 year old's coat too.

Offering a professional repair is more than fair. If you rear-ended a Ferrari you'd pay for the repair, not a new car.

I’m another one who questions the supervision of the children in question, maybe refer the parents to who was supposed to be supervising that day, and I would also point out that sending in a child child with a £200 coat on is a recipe for disaster especially if you can’t afford to replace it yourself.

No you absolutely don't have to pay. They shouldn't send their child to school in it if they expect it to stay pristine.

A good rule of thumb I follow is that I only purchase items for use in public that I am happy to accept the cost of replacement for accidental damage. In my home, I 'risk assess' (e.g. don't just blunder around or take for granted) the position and use of expensive items, and their proximity to small visitors, and cats, both of which have scant regard for care of such things...

Malicious damage aside, I consider these to be my responsibility as the owner of items, regardless of their cost. If they are out in public, they might get damaged accidentally, and that is my cross to bear.

To be clear I 100% accept that my child was to blame, I haven't made any excuses for him whatsoever. If we have to replace the coat then so be it.

I'm not sure the Ferrari is such a great example to compare. If I reversed into a Ferrari and dented the side I'd surely pay for the repairs to the dent rather than buying a completely new Ferrari

And this is exactly why my son wears sale supermarket clothes to pre-school! Who sends their kids out in designer clothes to school!

Offering a professional repair is enough. I think that's generous actually, since I'd class this as normal wear and tear. They're kids, they will damage clothes. Don't buy expensive clothes when they'll grow out of them fast, and ruin them. Ridiculous to expect a complete replacement.