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Original poster

Should I replace child's designer coat?

306 replies

happyrain · 10/04/2019 12:21

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?

OP posts:
Omzlas · 10/04/2019 16:49

Bollocks to that - they shouldn't send their child to school in a designer coat! Offer the repair again and if they refuse, do no more. I wouldn't even spend £200 on a coat for me, let alone an 8 yr old!

Iloveacurry · 10/04/2019 16:49

Who on earth sends their 8 year old to school in a coat costing £200?! Idiots.

TeaForTheWin · 10/04/2019 16:53

No, I'd give them typed and emailed written offer to have the item repaired if they send me a receipt to it but no way would I be replacing it.

For one thing, whatever it is it is unlikely to cost more than £200 new right? So they can't ask for the cost of a 'new' item as the item was not new when it was damaged.

If I was feeling particularly nice I might offer to pay half, just for a quiet life. But don't feel you owe it.

MumUnderTheMoon · 10/04/2019 16:55

Utter madness I wouldn't replace another child's ripped coat. Kids rip their clothes, it's also the reason why I wouldn't buy an 8yo a £200 coat. If he had been wearing a £20 I doubt they would have mentioned it. If they want to send their kid to school in a coat that expensive that's up to them but don't engage in this nonsense.

toweringheights · 10/04/2019 17:01

Definitely don't pay. They are fools to send their child to school in a cost allegedly worth 200 pounds!

My youngest has had two coats ripped within a couple of weeks of purchase by another boy grabbing at his foot when he was running away (he was 4 and then 6 at the time). We were told who the boy was but never thought to ask the other parents to pay. It was an accident, annoying but accidents happen.

Original poster
happyrain · 10/04/2019 17:04

Ok, I have an update following school run. Spoke to the class teacher, who had also had Coat Parent in touch about it today.

It emerged that Coat Parents had already paid for a replacement coat online before contacting me (would explain why they weren't up for it being repaired?). The coat in question was actually more expensive than £200 (Burberry quilted jacket apparently) hence they had felt £200 was a fair compromise for the used coat.

I have no idea what the teacher said to them but it seems they now recognise that the offer to have it repaired was reasonable. Teacher was under the impression that they were dropping the whole thing and was very sweet about it all.

Both boys are generally good kids, good friends, and not the types to be violent or deceitful so I'd be surprised if there was more to it than just a silly accident.

In response to whoever suggested I apologise- I have absolutely apologised already, more than once, it was the first thing I did.

Plan to leave the ball in their court now. Still happy to pay for repairs and if the coat is as valuable as they say perhaps they'll decide to go ahead and either return the new one or sell the repaired one on. Either way the teacher seemed to think they definitely weren't now expecting money for a replacement from me so hopefully problem solved (and thank you teacher!).

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 10/04/2019 17:12

Surely if the children were at school, the school was in loco parentis at the time of the accident - therefore it's the school's responsibility if it's anyone's. I don't think you should be paying anything.

sue51 · 10/04/2019 17:13

They were playing in a forest area so highly likely their clothes would get snagged or ripped on twigs and branches. I would put my kids in an asda coat for that and accept that accidents happen. I am surprised the school didn't specify that the children wear suitable clothes for this activity. You are very good to offer to pay for repairs under the circumstances . I would not have.

Iloveacurry · 10/04/2019 17:15

They obviously have more money than sense!

marvellousnightforamooncup · 10/04/2019 17:33

Is it a proper coat or made out of paper? How would a young lad with a stick puncture a coat without harming the wearer? More likely it was snagged on a branch and the boy didn't realise.

Yabbers · 10/04/2019 17:40

Plan to leave the ball in their court now. Still happy to pay for repairs

Or, you could at least reimburse them for what the value of the repair would be.

Yabbers · 10/04/2019 17:42

I think it's being generous to offer to fix the hole.

Generous? You think it is generous to offer to pay to fix something your child damaged, especially when that child had been warned not to do what they were doing?

Waveysnail · 10/04/2019 17:43

Iv three boys all.have had hoods ripped, sleeves torn etc. Its just kids playing. Teachers are apologetic but I buy cheap and cheerful for school exactly because of this

Original poster
happyrain · 10/04/2019 17:47

Or, you could at least reimburse them for what the value of the repair would be.

I haven't even seen the coat, how am I to know what the cost of repair would even be Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
happyrain · 10/04/2019 17:48

Bold fail there.

OP posts:
Yabbers · 10/04/2019 17:49

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

A designer coat isn't great if it's had a repair done on it. If someone spent that much on a cost, they don't want a shitty patch on it and is ultimately not what they want.

But, even assuming the Ferrari was to be repaired. A decent job will run into the 1000s where your average car might be a couple of hundred. Do you tell them they are getting a couple of hundred towards the repairs because they were stupid to have such an expensive car out where it can easily be damaged?

notacooldad · 10/04/2019 18:00

A designer coat isn't great if it's had a repair done on it. If someone spent that much on a cost, they don't want a shitty patch on it and is ultimately not what they want
But surely the coat, like the Ferrari, should be treated to the conditions they are designed for.
If you have an expensive coat that you expect to stay immaculate you wouldn't put it on a primary school age kid to run round and play out in surely,. Just like you wouldnt go rallying in a Ferrari.
I'm not saying a child shouldn't have a designer coat by any means, just that there is an appropriate time and pace to wear it if you want it to stay brand new looking.

Original poster
happyrain · 10/04/2019 18:01

OK Yabbers, I get it, you think I should buy them a brand new coat. Thankfully it would seem they no longer feel the same way.

I haven't offered to sew a shitty patch on it, I have offered to have it professionally repaired and they are more than welcome to take me up on it.

OP posts:
BlueSlipperSocks · 10/04/2019 18:16

Is Yabbers the mother of the designer clad child in question?

OP... Designer mother is a CF. I hope teacher, today, instilled in her brain that a cheap, supermarket coat is perfect for school. The coat gets torn...so what? No big deal... Boys, generally, indulge in rough play. They shouldn't have to think about their clothes.

Anyone who pays £200 for a item of clothing for their dc to wear to school have a lot to learn.

goodfornothinggnome · 10/04/2019 18:35

Erm, the coat is worn by a growing child, seems they've got their wear out of it. Next time it's cold enough for a proper winter coat itll be too small.
They're being CFs to expect you to buy a new coat.

Contraceptionismyfriend · 10/04/2019 18:36

Generous? You think it is generous to offer to pay to fix something your child damaged, especially when that child had been warned not to do what they were doing?

Extremely @Yabbers because I wouldn't offer anything at all.

Giddyuppp · 10/04/2019 18:37

More fool them for paying that much for a coat for their kid. If your child hadn't punctured it on a stick then they'd have done it on a branch or something sooner or later anyway.

Your offer of a repair was more than fair.

SkaTastic · 10/04/2019 18:43

Had exactly the same problem and the CF Mum messaged me to ask me when I would be sending her the £200 as the coat was her child's birthday present. I resisted the urge to send back "a) who sends their kid to school in 200 quid coat what a moron and b) who buys an 8 year old a 200 pound coat." I took it and got it fixed in the end in my school laundry and it cost me a 1 pound donation to Cancer Research.

Tell her to fuuuuuuuuck offfffffffffff.

NottonightJosepheen · 10/04/2019 18:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hollowvictory · 10/04/2019 18:46

I had a ripped child's coat fixed and it was an 'invisible repair' couldn't see it.tgats what the op had in mind, Not a 'shitty patch. 🙄'
Glad it is resolved

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