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?

[outpinked]

Nope, not a chance. They chose to send their DC to school in a preposterously priced coat so they can foot the bill. You have to accept some things will go missing or get ruined at school, it’s part of the parcel.

You did the right thing offering to pay for it to be repaired, you have zero obligation to pay for a replacement.

[runandbehappy50]

How have these parents approached you? Asked in person or via school?

Which brand is it?

[Meandmetoo]

LOL

Nope.

[Pinkyyy]

Why are you so sure it was his fault? Did you see what happened?

[LookMoreCloselier]

Have you seen the ripped coat, know the make? I'd be a bit concerned that they are taking the piss and just trying to get money out of you. I wouldn't just give them the cash but ask to see the damaged coat and check how much it really costs first. I think paying for a repair is fair enough also though.

[Hollowvictory]

I would not pay anything I'm afraid. Their child damaged their coat. Not your problem.

[ChocChocButtons]

Absolutely not! This is why we don’t se t children to school/nursery in expensive designer clothes.

YANBU

[PutyourtoponTrevor]

He could just as easily caught the coat on a branch...who would pay then?

[Ithinkmycatisevil]

I wouldn't pay anything! And I wouldn't expect a parent to pay if their child accidentally ripped my child's coat whilst playing.

If they want to send their child to school in a £200 coat, which they're going to get really upset about if anything happens to it, then that's their problem. School costs IMO shouldn't cost more than £20, then if something happens to it, which is quite likely it will, its no big deal and doesn't cause an argument.

Who actually sends their kids to school in a £200 coat! 🙄

[SleepingSloth]

I wouldn't pay for a new coat but then I wouldn't expect another parent to replace a coat if their child damaged my child's coat.

My sons coat got ripped by a friend. They're teenagers and they were messing around. 🙄 The coat cost £130, it didn't cross my mind to ask for the friends parents to pay for it. These things happen because kids mess around.

[Meandmetoo]

Oh just seen that you're considering it?!

Don't be a mug. At a push I might, might offer £15 as that's what i spend on my DC school coat. But no, I'd probably not offer anything, its just one of those things. Shrug.

[sleepylittlebunnies]

I think a professional repair is fine in the circumstance. It will be good as new after. They surely won’t be chucking the coat if it gets replaced. Both kids were playing with sticks, this was a likely result although not intentional. In fact I think it would be fair to offer half the cost of a professional repair as their child was playing the game also. It could just as easily have been your child’s coat with the hole.

I’d say the same about a mobile phone getting broken, if my son and his friend were messing about with it and his mate dropped it then I would expect to go half’s on the repair bill. Both are responsible.

[FamilyOfAliens]

OP, I would just say, I’m really sorry about the accidental damage to the coat. I am willing to pay to have it repaired but I’m afraid I just don’t have £200 to buy him a brand new coat.

If you don’t have the money, what can they do?

[BentCoppersOnly]

Sorry but it’s more fool them for sending a kid to school in an expensive coat. Especially at 8 - the kid will have grown out of it soon anyway!

[Lovemusic33]

Who lets their child play in a £200 coat ?

[dronesdroppingzopiclone]

YANBU

[TidyDancer]

The repair cost is reasonable, anything else you're an absolute mug to pay imo.

[Aprillygirl]

They are taking the absolute piss trying to charge you $200 OP. I would withdraw my offer of having the coat repaired and tell them to go take a hike for there cheeky fuckery if I were you. Bloody ridiculous dressing a kid in such expensive clothes anyway (probably knock off lol)

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Another one here who'd offer the cost of a repair, but after it was done, on production of a receipt

If they keep going on about a new one, you could always ask for the original receipt ... something tells me they won't be able to produce it

[notacooldad]

Who sends their kids out in designer clothes to school!
Plenty do, which I think is foolish if you can't stand the thought of them being damaged due to normal playing ( playing with sticks and having adventures come under 'normal play ' to me.

DS has a friend from primary school days. The child wouldn't want to join in with the other kids and their games because he didn't wa not ( in his words ) ' get my designer Ted Baker jeans dirty'. The other kids were . They were 9 at the time so clearly the child was all about designer labels and that came from his parents.
He is 20 now and laughs that he was a bit of a knob back then!

[HoustonBess]

Nope, that's ludicrous. Kids play and clothes get ripped. FFS. Professional repair is more than enough.

[PCohle]

I wouldn't, kids damage things at school. It's unfortunate but that's why you don't send them in in £200 coats.

How problematic is is likely to be if this creates ill feeling? Do the boys currently see a lot of each other outside school etc?

I don't really understand how a stick could puncture a coat of reasonable sturdiness accidentally (i.e. without really significant, prolonged pressure) though. Is it some kind of very delicate down coat?

[downcasteyes]

I think parents have to expect a certain degree of wear and tear in clothes. It's not the other child's 'fault' unless the damage has been done absolutely deliberately. To buy any child of that age a vanity item that costs £200 is a bit silly, for this very reason.

I would probably adjust that judgement if it turned out that you were a millionnaire OP!! But I'm assuming from the tone that you aren't!

[WillowKnicks]

Do you remember the lady who invoiced another parent £300+ after a playdate because her DD came home with biro on her designer shoes?

It made the national press because everyone thought it was so ridiculous & the mother concerned, crying on GMB, after Piers Morgan ripped into her...just saying!

[snop]

No I wouldn't pay, they never should have put designer on the child to play. My kids wear designer but I only ever put clothes on for nursery and school that I didn't mind getting ruined. It's their own fault as it was probably and accident waiting to happen