Child Broke Friends Phone

[Anon451]

I have received a message to say my child has broke her friends mobile and her parents want me to cover the costs.
They are not allowed mobiles phones during school and have a pouch to lock it in until the end of the day. My daughter’s friend has asked for my daughter to try and open the pouch (some children do this successfully by bashing the pouch). She asked several times and I do not know if anybody else has tried but my daughter tried to help her open it unsuccessful however once it was opened has been told the screen was broken.
Am I responsible for the cost of the phone. I feel that the friend should not have been trying to get into her phone and asked her to bash it to get into it and her phone should be her responsibility as my daughter did not maliciously or deliberately break the phone.
WWYD??

Surely the girl tried to open the pouch herself first before asking for help from a friend? Unless your dd has a reputation at her school for being the one who knows how to get phones out of pouches, I can’t understand why the friend would ask your daughter to do it instead of just doing it herself.

I would make my Dd pay half the cost of screen replacement.

She knew what she was doing. She bashed the pouch. So what if the friend asked her to do it? She did it! But the friend should be responsible for the other half of the costs.

School rules is one reason she shouldn’t have done it, deliberately risking breaking the phone is another.

I would reply “I am shocked that my Dd assisted yours in trying to break school rules and being so stupid as to bash a pouch. As my Dd bashed the pouch at the request of your Dd I will deduct half the cost of a new screen from her savings / allowance / pocket money. Best wishes..”

The apple one covers all damage

This was exactly what I thought too!

I'd ask your DD to clarify this and then offer to pay half the screen repair cost, but no way should you absorb the full cost of a new phone when both kids were involved (in whatever capacity) with this plan.

Thank you! That’s all very helpful.

Is there a version of buyer beware for basher beware. Someone needs to say that to the phone owner.

YANBU.

Is there a version of buyer beware for basher beware.

Caveat percussor?

I think half and half would be fair and appropriate. Both girls equally responsible for this nonsense.

I think the cost should be shared as it is both kids fault the phone is broken. I'd also be sitting her down and having a conversation about not doing everything and anything a friend asks and what is a reasonable request and what's not a reasonable request.

At best I'd consider half price for a new screen/phone of a similar age and model - DD didnt break it under her own steam, she was asked to do something she knew she shouldnt and did it. She was in the wrong for doing that but her friend was wrong for asking DD to be her accomplice doing the wrong thing.

However if the parents are alleging they new iphone17 let them take that to their home owners insurance

I wouldn't be paying a penny. It's her daughter's responsibility to look after.

The fact she has aggressive, cheapass parents who will attempt to exhort the price of a new phone from another family already speaks volumes. I'm not surprised at all that she was too scared to admit she broke it herself, or at least complicit in bashing the bag. They sound like parents who would've taken the cost of the phone from her pocket money in installments over the next 3 years.