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?

Crackers. I think it's bizzare the parents have contacted you and wonder what their son said. Basically it's neither your daughter's nor her friend's fault. I suspect they simply don't want the expense of the repair and are chancing things. I wouldn't offer to pay half because I don't think your daughter is culpable at all. I think you shouldn't pay anything.

I wouldn't be paying anything..

As the OP mentioned the Apple Store, I think it's safe to assume it's an iPhone.

@Blackbird2020

I highly suspect the boy has exaggerated the situation to his parents to get himself off the hook, plus he’s probably also ‘teen-annoyed’ (is that a thing?!) with your DD for her involvement in the screen smashing and would like to blame her completely.

If you don’t socialise with this family then a firm and respectful ‘no’ with the above reasons from other posters.

However, if this refusal will cause awkward repercussions down the line, I might be inclined to pay half, but only once I’ve seen the itemised bill.

I've never met the parents, we don't mix socially at all. I don't really care what they think of me. But the boy is a good friend of my dd. However, I've told dd not to worry, it's not her decision anymore and this is between the parents now and not between her and her friend.

I don't have zero sympathy with the parents who are complaining, but unless OP knows, or thinks it likely, that her daughter broke this either maliciously or through extreme recklessness, I wouldn't want to know. it goes without saying that it's insane to give a phone costing many hundreds of pounds to a child of that age.

Apparently its a relatively new iPhone 12.
According to the mum, in addition to the smashed screen something else isn't working, not sure what (dh spoke with her on the phone)

Nope.

They are being CFs

I think you should ask for the quote. Sounds like the issue with the phone is a cracked screen, and even with Apple prices I would expect that to be a max of £200. It sounds like they've been offered an upgrade and are trying to charge you for it

Doesn't cost £480 to have the screen fixed even through Apple.

Tell them to jog on, their son dropped it not your daughter and she didn't do on purpose.

I must be living in a different world, this is the 2nd thread I've read today where a parent is asking another parent to cough up money due to horseplay/accident! They are kids, stuff like this happens. It would never occur to me to chase payment from another parent for anything like this, ever.

@FarangGirl

Apparently its a relatively new iPhone 12. According to the mum, in addition to the smashed screen something else isn't working, not sure what (dh spoke with her on the phone)

Then it'll still be under warranty. Not being funny but it was the sons parents fault for not putting a screen protector on it. Stupid to give a child such a expensive phone.

Anyone with a phone that expensive should either have a shock-proof case or insurance.

My god, a 14 year old with an iPhone 12…. What is the world coming to….

No way, they should have the phone insured. Ridiculous they don’t in the first place tbh.

@FarangGirl

The way dd describes it, they were walking along together, she was talking and she kind of turned a bit to face him and as she did that, she hit his arm and he dropped the phone Sounds like she was behaving reasonably. Apparently it was a brick path with some misshapen bricks sticking out and the phone hit them face on and smashed the screen

That'll teach him to walk along a brick path with his phone held loosely in his hand then, won't it?

According to the mum, its not under warranty because it was bought abroad.

So he dropped it then it smashed and he blames your dd? It was an accident. Perhaps he should have kept such an expensive phone in his pocket, who knows, neither parent saw what happened.

Unfortunately not every does have insurance.

If you can't afford insurance then you can't afford to buy your kid an iPhone 12.

@Blackbird2020

My god, a 14 year old with an iPhone 12…. What is the world coming to….

I'm also

My poor deprived 14 year old is now proud owner of her grandads old iPhone SE and pleased as punch with it . Granted software updates etc will cease soon but then she'll inherit my old 7. I'm a bad, bad mother.

Do not pay a penny, it was an accident, if he had protected his phone it wouldn't have happened, I know I ensure my childs phone is protected otherwise the repairs come out of my pocket!

They are being ridiculous.

@FarangGirl

According to the mum, its not under warranty because it was bought abroad.

Oh just stop engaging with them, OP.

No is a complete sentence.

They are CFs trying it on.

@FarangGirl

According to the mum, its not under warranty because it was bought abroad.

OP if you do decide to contribute at all definitely ask for proof of costs. Surely even if purchased abroad it makes no difference to warranties?

Offer half of the repair as your Daughter was involved and tell your Daughter to start saving.

This sort of thing happens with phones all the time, you can get a screen replaced on an iPhone 12 for £80 or so, have done this with both my kids phones and my own more than once over the years!

You aren’t obligated to pay anything, it’s an accident not malicious damage.

Where it was bought shouldnt affect the warranty, why would it. I would look up apple conditions and check for yourself.