Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

580 replies

FarangGirl · 19/02/2022 14:17

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?

OP posts:
MrsWooster · 19/02/2022 15:43

If it’s not under warranty, then it can be fixed at a local phone store for a quarter of the price, of which you might offer to pay half out of kindness…

GrimDamnFanjo · 19/02/2022 15:43

My replacement iPhone screen was £80.
Ring round for a quote and offer to take it to be repaired.
Although if maws the parent I wouldn't dream of asking for this to paid. Accidents happen.

WouldIwasShookspeared · 19/02/2022 15:44

Something doesn't have to be done deliberately for it to be the person's responsibility.
People are still responsible for things they break by accident.
Or car accidents. Or dropping paint on your rug. Or stepping on someone's toe

my child caused something to break but it's not my responsibility because the other child had no business having an expensive item and it's not like my child did it on purpose.

Would the phone have been broken if your child had not knocked it out of the other kids hand? No. So she is responsible for it breaking which means you are responsible.

Are we really arguing that unless damage was done maliciously, the person who did the damage is not responsible for putting it right?

WutheringHeights66 · 19/02/2022 15:45

It was an accident. Say he pushed her as a joke and she fell and broke her arm would her parents pay 1000s in compensation?

Bryonny84 · 19/02/2022 15:46

I wouldn't buy my child such an expensive phone, however, if I did I would insure it. You're not liable, it was an accident. What would you expect if it was the other way round?

Hugasauras · 19/02/2022 15:47

Bonkers to give your child a phone that expensive and not insure it. I wouldn't be paying anything. Maybe a token £50 if I felt generous. Sounds like the parents have more money than sense.

sharksarecool · 19/02/2022 15:47

@Stevie6

Depending on how old the phone is it will invalidate their warranty getting it repaired elsewhere
What's the point of warranty if it still costs £450 to repair?!
Wafflesnsniffles · 19/02/2022 15:48

Ridiculous to give a teen such an expensive phone - particularly if you cant easily afford to replace it. Im baffled at it costing so much not to replace it but just to fix it.
Definitely should be insured. And in a rubber/bounceable case!
I would have your dd apologise but no more.

PJsAndRainyDays · 19/02/2022 15:49

It's not your fault it's not insured or in a sturdy case. I'd pay nothing in this situation, especially as they've been so cheeky.

If she'h have done it maliciously then that would be different but it was a simple accident.

Hawkins001 · 19/02/2022 15:50

@FarangGirl

According to the mum, its not under warranty because it was bought abroad.
Sounds like brought on the cheap, and to buy it over here it will cost the amount they are tryig to charge you
Musmerian · 19/02/2022 15:51

Really not sure why all these people are suggesting OP should pay half. Absolutely no way I would. It was a genuine accident.

Original poster
FarangGirl · 19/02/2022 15:51

@WouldIwasShookspeared

Something doesn't have to be done deliberately for it to be the person's responsibility. People are still responsible for things they break by accident. Or car accidents. Or dropping paint on your rug. Or stepping on someone's toe

my child caused something to break but it's not my responsibility because the other child had no business having an expensive item and it's not like my child did it on purpose.

Would the phone have been broken if your child had not knocked it out of the other kids hand? No. So she is responsible for it breaking which means you are responsible.

Are we really arguing that unless damage was done maliciously, the person who did the damage is not responsible for putting it right?

No but there are other factors a) the phone wasn't sufficiently protected for a relatively minor accident b) the phone wasn't insured or under warranty despite being relatively new c) the boy was holding it in his hand while walking. If it had been in his pocket nothing would have happened to it even when dd knocked his arm. So he wasn't showing due diligence in protecting his own phone
OP posts:
babyjellyfish · 19/02/2022 15:54

People are still responsible for things they break by accident.

Yes. The boy is indeed responsible for the phone he broke by accident.

Would the phone have been broken if your child had not knocked it out of the other kids hand? No.

Would have the uninsured phone worth around £1000 have been broken if its owner hadn't been holding it in his hand whilst walking along a brick path instead of keeping it safely in his bag or pocket? Or if he had kept it in a proper protective case?

Also no.

Easterbunnyiswindowshopping · 19/02/2022 15:56

Bet they knew it was semi broken to start with.
Bloody chancers op

They are trying to scam you.

alfagirl73 · 19/02/2022 15:56

This sounds like nothing more than a simple accident - unless they can prove actual negligence on the part of your DD ie. that she was horsing around & behaving unreasonably - and should have been able to foresee that her actions were going to cause the phone damage, then you are not obliged to pay anything.

Accidents happen. People drop phones. It is the responsibility of the phone owner to take reasonable steps to protect the phone against such accidents (eg. a decent case/screen protector etc) and to make sure that such an expensive item is insured in some way - ie to mitigate any loss.

In my experience phones are often covered by house insurance even if they didn't take out specific insurance when they bought the phone. If I was feeling generous I might offer to pay half of the insurance policy excess - and at that I'd want to see receipts/written confirmation of the claim/excess/repair etc... but it sounds like they're taking liberties... so I'd be inclined to tell them to do one! If there really is no insurance they can claim on - then that's their own fault and no way would I be paying that kind of money.

babyjellyfish · 19/02/2022 15:57

I don't insure my phone because I figure I probably won't break it and the insurance would end up adding a lot to the overall cost of owning the phone.

Because I don't want to insure my phone, I bought one costing about £200.

If a £200 Samsung is good enough for a 35 year old professional woman, it's more than good enough for a 14 year old.

But if your 14 year old must have the latest iPhone, insure it. It really is as simple as that.

PoshPyjamas · 19/02/2022 15:57

He dropped it, they pay.

Georgeskitchen · 19/02/2022 15:59

No they're are taking the piss

tabletopgreen · 19/02/2022 16:00

If they brought it ‘ abroad’ why do they expect to get it repaired by apple? ISmash are brilliant !

Plus what fool does not have their very expensive phone in a decent case? That really is dumb. The £480 is a stupidity tax.

VanGoghsDog · 19/02/2022 16:01

Warranties don't cover accidents, so that's irrelevant.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 19/02/2022 16:01

This is why you need a protective case. The sort that no teen wants, that's why they end up with broken phones. No way would I pay.

TurquoiseDragon · 19/02/2022 16:03

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Not a chance. It was an accident. Could have been a complete stranger that did it, what would they have done then.

Ridiculous.

I agree. I wouldn't pay anything.

Don't go around with expensive items in your hands if you don't want to risk dropping and breaking them.

And I'd seriously query the cost of repair. Sounds more like the cost of a new phone to me.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 19/02/2022 16:07

Apparently its a relatively new iPhone 12

Well if her friend's 14 too and they chose to give something like this to a child, I expect they'd also have the sense to protect and insure it

If they've not mentioned insurance or don't have it, I'd suspect somebody's seen their chance for an upgrade

BearOfEasttown · 19/02/2022 16:10

@JulesJules

Nope, wouldn't pay anything. The other parents are ridiculous to get such an expensive phone for a teenager and not insure it, and it was a genuine accident - not as if your D had taken the phone from him and dropped it while messing around.

I can't imagine ever asking other parents for money in these circumstances, cheeky doesn't begin to cover it.

This. ^
BearOfEasttown · 19/02/2022 16:11

@FarangGirl

According to the mum, its not under warranty because it was bought abroad.
LOL, how convenient! Yeah, like fucking HELL would I be paying ANYTHING towards this phone. I smell a stinky rat tbh. They'd have to take me to court for the money!

As a pp said, why the hell would you not have an item worth £1000+ insured?

This all sounds as dodgy as fuck.