To not pay £480 to fix dd's friend's phone

[FarangGirl]

Dd (14 yo) was with her friends and accidentally hit a friend in the arm. He had his phone in his hand and dropped it. Apparently it will cost £480 to repair!!! His parents want us to pay this. I think this is ridiculous. First, friend dropped the phoen, it wasn't like dd was using it. Second. If you're going to give your kid a stupidly expensive phoen, you should insure it and have a bullet proof cover.
Aibu?

[quote FarangGirl]@Itsalmostanaccessory

Well, I disagree. The paying half of a reasonable price was a kind gesture to keep the peace, not an admission of the half the responsibility.

You choose to walk around with a stupidly expensive phone in your hand, while walking closely next to someone, you don't bother to protect it or insure it and you don't hold it securely. You only want to get it repaired at the super expensive Apple store. Well, that's life. Take responsibility for your own choices and decisions.

Also, you can get phones fixed much more cheaply than at the Apple store. I wouldn't pay those prices for myself. Not paying them for someone else.

And you're not the voice of reason calling out in the darkness in the insanity of mumsnet. I'm sure there are perfectly normal people who don't agree with you. As the saying goes, you're not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic.[/quote]
I agree, if he was holding the phone more securely it’s likely he wouldn’t have dropped the phone. Also there’s a reasonable expectation that he would have his phone insured and it be in a protective cover considering it’s that’s expensive. A small contribution as a gesture of goodwill sounds a good idea as long as you make it clear in the communication you don’t accept any liability and are just doing this to maintain the peace. Perhaps ask to see the quote? I don’t know what country you are in but screen repair for iPhone 12 in apple Uk is £266 and £316 for pro max. And that’s apple store prices, I’m sure there are cheaper places.

You know, there was a thread on here a few years ago from a poster who was in a pub. She was holding her phone, her friend bumped into her arms and she dropped her phone and it smashed.

The responses were overwhelmingly in the OP's favour. People giving her message ides to send to the friend to make them pay, people telling her to end the friendship as the friend was clearly very selfish and no real friend, people suggesting small claims court.

I wonder if the different here is that it was a boy who was bumped. There were quite a few responses insulting the boy, accusing him of trying to hide it from his parents and place the blame elsewhere etc.

I would not pay anything. He chose to have an expensive phone. Why should you pay £480 or half of that because somebody else wants an expensive phone. People will be sending babies in to nursery with ipads next and wanting all the other mugs to pay for new ones when they get broken.

I will ask to see the quote because I've realised the timing doesn't add up.
In the morning, friend tells DD price of the repair. Asks that we transfer it straight to his bank account so he can take phone to be repaired himself. DD tells DH who says 'no way, we need to speak to parents'. Then DH speaks to mother in the evening who says the same price.
So in the morning, this was all being done without the knowledge of the parents. Then in the evening, the mother has called and given the same quote? Presumably basing this off what her son told her.
Definitely need to see the quote for ourselves and exactly what is being repaired here.

He's a teenager. He will be around over excited demonstrative young people for a few years to come yet, are they going to expect everyone to pay for any breakages, rips or marks on clothes or even borrowed clothes not returned?
This is life with teens I'm afraid.

@newname12345

It sounded like there were walking side by side and for some unknown reasons, she felt the need to turn her body to face him and swing her arms round into his path because she "talks with her hands."

I can't believe some of the answers on this thread.

OP I would tell DD's friend and his parents to, excuse my French, FUCK RIGHT OFF.

@Itsalmostanaccessory

You know, there was a thread on here a few years ago from a poster who was in a pub. She was holding her phone, her friend bumped into her arms and she dropped her phone and it smashed.

The responses were overwhelmingly in the OP's favour. People giving her message ides to send to the friend to make them pay, people telling her to end the friendship as the friend was clearly very selfish and no real friend, people suggesting small claims court.

I wonder if the different here is that it was a boy who was bumped. There were quite a few responses insulting the boy, accusing him of trying to hide it from his parents and place the blame elsewhere etc.

Because he was trying to hide it from his parents and place the blame elsewhere? Hence the request for us to transfer it directly to HIS bank account so his parents wouldn't know.

(the entire amount)

@woody87

I can't believe some of the answers on this thread.

OP I would tell DD's friend and his parents to, excuse my French, FUCK RIGHT OFF.

Same !!!!

@FarangGirl

People said that before you posted that information. They bumped straight until insulting this teenage boys because... well, he's a boy.

Just saying. Near identical scenario years ago involving a woman getting her phone knocked and the responses were the complete opposite.

@Itsalmostanaccessory

You know, there was a thread on here a few years ago from a poster who was in a pub. She was holding her phone, her friend bumped into her arms and she dropped her phone and it smashed.

The responses were overwhelmingly in the OP's favour. People giving her message ides to send to the friend to make them pay, people telling her to end the friendship as the friend was clearly very selfish and no real friend, people suggesting small claims court.

I wonder if the different here is that it was a boy who was bumped. There were quite a few responses insulting the boy, accusing him of trying to hide it from his parents and place the blame elsewhere etc.

Bullshit. I remember that thread. Everyone was asking why she was waving an expensive phone around in a pub of all places!

This is like that episode of sex and the city where Carrie’s Manolo’s get stolen at a friend’s house and the friend doesn’t want to replace them because it’s Carrie’s choice to have bought such expensive shoes. Eventually it’s clear the friend realised she was being a dick and paid for the shoes.

It’s not your business what people spend on things. If you smashed into a Ferrari you would be liable as you would be at fault. You would also need to cover the cost of correct parts, not knock offs . You need to accept responsibility and at least pay half.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3367017-to-not-pay-for-friend-to-get-her-phone-fixed-after-i-smashed-it

The one I'm thinking of is older but I cant find it. Here's one from the smasher's perspective. Majority of responses telling her to pay or at least pay half.

If you smashed into a Ferrari you would be liable as you would be at fault. You would also need to cover the cost of correct parts, not knock offs

Rubbish analogy. This scenario is literally what car insurance is for. And if the kid’s parents had insurance OP could happily pay the excess for them and it would be a non issue.

Be prepared over the possibility of them taking you to small claims

@Giraffesandbottoms

This is like that episode of sex and the city where Carrie’s Manolo’s get stolen at a friend’s house and the friend doesn’t want to replace them because it’s Carrie’s choice to have bought such expensive shoes. Eventually it’s clear the friend realised she was being a dick and paid for the shoes.

It’s not your business what people spend on things. If you smashed into a Ferrari you would be liable as you would be at fault. You would also need to cover the cost of correct parts, not knock offs . You need to accept responsibility and at least pay half.

The difference being that Carrie did not know she would be asked to remove her shoes and had a reasoable expectation they would be safe. Here it's different. One can reasonably expect the occasional accident and should take steps to ensure safety.

@abc83732239877

Be prepared over the possibility of them taking you to small claims

Ha ha, that won't happen. Presumably they didn't declare customs duty when bringing the phone from the UK. Luxury items here are taxed A LOT. And since DD is 14, not sure how much money they think they'll get out of her.

Nope don't pay. What sort of person spends that much money on a phone with no form of protection/warranty/accidentle damage etc. They chose to do that so that's the risk they took. Now its bitten them on the bum.

Are you sure it was the mother dh talked to? Sounds like a scam to me!

Should be a lesson to them, OP, not to give them an expensive phone and also to the son to hold onto his possessions tightly!

No I wouldn't pay repairs. It is down to the owner of the phone, how do you know he was holding it tightly or not even messing about himself!

£480? Christ, that's more than my car is worth! What a ridiculous thing to give to a child.

This sounds SUPER dodgy and I wouldn't be paying a penny!
They are trying it on!
If they've bought it from Apple it will be under warranty. Even if it was bought in the UK and you live in Thailand.
They are absolutely trying it on and this 'friend' sounds bloody awful!
I wouldn't pay anything. Why on Earth wouldn't they insure such an expensive phone, especially when it's a child taking it out?!

Parents buying an expensive phone for their kids is 100% not relevant here

Actually its very relevant. The whole reason the repair is so high is because its an expensive phone! Given to a bloody 14yo.

I am really baffled by people saying OP should pay something.

I wouldn't dream of charging my kids friends for knocking their phone out of their hand! But then I wouldn't buy a teenager an expensive phone that I couldn't afford to replace/repair.

Sorry your DD is having hassle from this boy OP. Says alot about him though that he is taking zero responsibility for this himself. Sounds like a typical spoilt entitled rich kid tbh. And one thats on the scam at that.