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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Nixster87 · 19/02/2022 16:11

Knowing how much phones are worth these days, how easily they break when dropped and how easily teens lose them or have them stolen etc I wouldn’t send a teen out without a fully protective case on it and it being insured. I wouldn’t be offering to pay anything he could have been “knocked” by a stranger in the street and the bill would still exist. Not your daughters fault the parents need to take more precautions before handing over such an expensive item or face the consequences. What if he has dropped it out his bag/ pocket, lost it?

RedToothBrush · 19/02/2022 16:12

Dont give your kid a phone that expensive.

Tough shit would be the words i would use.

I wouldn't buy my own kid a phone this expensive, so i sure am hell not going to pay for some elses.

Use your own fucking phone insurance. What do you mean you don't have any?

Well isnt that a thing...

Jvg33 · 19/02/2022 16:15

Don't pay anything. There is no proof your DD caused the accident, plus she didn't do it on purpose. That is a lot of money for a phone! Mine was less than 200 pounds!

HeckyPeck · 19/02/2022 16:15

It sounds like it's their own fault for not putting a protective cover and screen protector on the phone.

I wouldn't pay towards the repairs.

makingmiracles · 19/02/2022 16:16

Nope. Wouldn’t be paying a penny for this. It was an accident, not like your dc deliberately knocked it out their hand and if the parent is so stupid to buy a phone that expensive to take to school, we’ll hard luck.

It’s bad enough every kid seems to need a mobile nowadays from 8 upwards but to buy an expensive one and trust your child not to break or drop it is frankly insane.

BoredZelda · 19/02/2022 16:17

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

Possibly the worst reasoning I’ve seen for a while.

BoredZelda · 19/02/2022 16:18

not like your dc deliberately knocked it out their hand

If anyone believes the hit was an accident, I have a bridge to sell you.

Darbs76 · 19/02/2022 16:19

My kids have iPhone 11/12’s and they are insured. Accidents happen and I wouldn’t be paying that for a repair anyway

HailAdrian · 19/02/2022 16:19

The posters saying 'half' are full of shit 🤣

NashvilleQueen · 19/02/2022 16:20

Bit of 'victim' blaming here isn't there?!

If his phone is damaged as a consequence of something your daughter did then surely she bears some if not all of the responsibly to repair

The amount is an issue and I would expect to know what the damage is
(perhaps offering to have it repaired yourself) before handing over any money.

hellithurt · 19/02/2022 16:22

@Momijin

The onus is on the phone owner. Different if your child had borrowed the phone and then damaged it.
This!
StrawberrySanta · 19/02/2022 16:22

That repair cost is rediculoyus, I wouldn't pay it. It's not your DD's fault. This happened to me once at a work Christmas party, a colleague was talking animatedly( with her hands basically) and knocked my hand and my phone flew out, screen smashed and it faded to black screen. I had insurance on it and had to pay £80 excess but I didn't ask her to pay, it was an accident.

BearOfEasttown · 19/02/2022 16:23

@BoredZelda

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

Possibly the worst reasoning I’ve seen for a while.

Why? Why is it bad reasoning?
Toanewstart23 · 19/02/2022 16:23

@ENoeuf
‘She was talking animatedly’ does sound a bit like she was being careless.

Is your favourite colour grey?

NashvilleQueen · 19/02/2022 16:23

I hope you'd l feel the same about the parents of a child who, for example, smashed your car window kicking a ball and then told you to just claim on your insurance. Or that you should get a cheaper car. Or it's your own fault for parking it in the wrong place.

RedToothBrush · 19/02/2022 16:24

@NashvilleQueen

Bit of 'victim' blaming here isn't there?!

If his phone is damaged as a consequence of something your daughter did then surely she bears some if not all of the responsibly to repair

The amount is an issue and I would expect to know what the damage is
(perhaps offering to have it repaired yourself) before handing over any money.

There isnt a victim.

There was an accident.

Insurance is for accidents.

'Victim' seems to have bought a dodgy phone on the cheap abroad and couldn't be arsed with insurance.

Tough shit. Get nice stuff. Look after it. Insure it.

BuanoKubiamVej · 19/02/2022 16:24

Absolutely not.

Any phone that costs that kind of money to fix (a) should not be in the possession of any child (b) should be in a sturdy shock proof case with a toughened glass screen protector and (c) should be insured. That these things didn't apply is not your fault or your problem. You don't owe a penny and do not need to contribute anything to this mishap. The likelihood of such accidents is something that the parents should have considered before giving their child such an expensive phone.

BearOfEasttown · 19/02/2022 16:25

@NashvilleQueen

Bit of 'victim' blaming here isn't there?!

If his phone is damaged as a consequence of something your daughter did then surely she bears some if not all of the responsibly to repair

The amount is an issue and I would expect to know what the damage is
(perhaps offering to have it repaired yourself) before handing over any money.

'Victim blaming.' WTAF?! 🤣

Just when I thought I'd read it all on here. What utter rot!

NashvilleQueen · 19/02/2022 16:25

Not a chance. It was an accident. Could have been a complete stranger that did it, what would they have done then.
*
Possibly the worst reasoning I’ve seen for a while.*
Why? Why is it bad reasoning?

Because it wasn't a stranger. It was the OPs daughter.

Toanewstart23 · 19/02/2022 16:25

Any teachers out there…

If this happened on school property, would school get involved in who paid for replacement?

BearOfEasttown · 19/02/2022 16:26

@NashvilleQueen

I hope you'd l feel the same about the parents of a child who, for example, smashed your car window kicking a ball and then told you to just claim on your insurance. Or that you should get a cheaper car. Or it's your own fault for parking it in the wrong place.
I would claim on my insurance, like normal people. Not go ranting at the parents of a BOY who accidentally kicked the ball at my car. FFS!
CanofCant · 19/02/2022 16:26

They'd be getting the square root of fuck all from me.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 19/02/2022 16:27

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

At a market perhaps? You know - those ones which have posters saying "genuine fakes"?

Anyway how very convenient; it increases my suspicion that someone's after a real one upgrade

KylieCharlene · 19/02/2022 16:27

So, next time this kid fancies a newer phone perhaps he could put himself in the way of his animated friend and drop his phone, cite the friend knocking it out his hand et voila- the friend's parents can buy a new phone.
Just musing.
No I'd not be paying. Their fault for giving their ds an expensive phone.

NashvilleQueen · 19/02/2022 16:27

Just when I thought I'd read it all on here. What utter rot!

You'll have noticed that I wrote 'victim' as opposed to victim. That was to denote the slightly ridiculous use of the word. But the point remains. The fault is the OPs daughter's and it isn't valid to say 'well he should have had a cheaper phone/a sturdy case/insurance'.