£1670 for exploding shower door at pool- please help

[Showerexplosion]

My children attended a hotel swimming pool with my mum where they all have membership. A few weeks ago a shower door exploded while they were in the changing rooms. My mother maintains that my children did not touch the door and that it simply exploded.

Neither of my children were hit by the broken glass despite both being in only swimming costumes.

Today she received an email stating:

At approximately 16:10, the glass shower door in the ladies’ changing room was found shattered. Photographic evidence is attached. You reported the damage to Reception at that time, but no explanation was provided. Given the seriousness of the situation and the safety risks posed to other guests, we immediately initiated a full and detailed investigation.

As part of this investigation, we commissioned an independent professional specialising in glass safety and installation to assess the damaged door. Their expert conclusion was clear: the door did not fail due to a defect or spontaneous breakage. The shattering was consistent with improper handling or misuse, and not with normal or appropriate use of the facility.

We also reviewed our CCTV footage covering the Spa and Wellness area. The footage confirms that only yourself, xxxxxx and xxxxxx were present in the changing facilities during the time the damage occurred. No other individuals entered the area before or during the incident. This evidence, combined with the professional assessment, leaves no doubt that the door was broken due to inappropriate use while your grandsons were in the changing room.

The cost of replacing the door is £1,674.00. A detailed breakdown of the replacement cost is attached for your review and we request that you notify your insurers of this cost as we are seeking reimbursement of the replacement of this shower door caused by your actions.

In addition, due to the seriousness of the incident, the safety implications, and the behaviour that led to the damage, we have taken the decision to cancel both xxxxx and xxxxx memberships with immediate effect.

Are we liable for this cost? Are we entitled to a refund for the cancelled memberships - we have only used one month of a 3 month membership for both of them.

I include the pictures they sent me. Any help with how to respond greatly appreciated.

This is excellent. Although I'd be tempted to seek legal advice first. This is outrageous. Do NOT pay.

Tell them to do one and then post their cheeky fuckery all over Facebook

Request the report that we written by their expert.

Request the CCTV footage.

Ask for the evidence that they have which shows your children caused the damage.

Ask for a response within 5 working days and CC the CEO into the email, recapping the points that they have made in their letter.

@Showerexplosion did your Mother take any photos herself?

Their photos look like the hinges are hanging off the wall. They could claim your children did that unless your Mum has photos to the contrary.

What home insurance? I've not claimed on buildings, it sounds expensive? Also what glass? A glass window?

I'd actually go back to them and raise it as a complaint and state that your children were put directly in harms way as they were close to the door when it spontaneously shattered. I'd also explain that this incident has been very distressing for you all and that you are highly disappointed by the way this has been handled. I'd state that you will not be paying but will not pursue further legal action if they refund you the cost of your membership and cease all further harassment of you and your family. If they don't I'd say you will source an independent inspector and begin a counter claim against them.

I'd also include reports of similar events happening and I'd ask why shatterproof glass was not used in order to safeguard clients and staff.

A shower door in my son's bedroom spontaneously shattered in the middle of the night while he was asleep in bed. It was only about 2 years old. We tried to get the supplier to pay for it but they claimed it was due to poor maintenance (who knew that a 2 year old hardly ever used shower door required regular maintenance!). We had to pay for a replacement and we thanked our lucky stars he was safely in bed when it happened. So there is every possibility the shower in your case shattered without impact - particularly in a high traffic area. I would challenge them to prove without reasonable doubt that your grandkids caused the damage....and suggest you may need to consider suing for ptsd....

Have they given you the name and professional qualifications of this so-called expert? Seems to me that it is far more likely it was the engineer who came to replace the door rather than an independent expert assessor of stress fractures in safety glass.

Anyway, with it all in bits on the floor like that, he would never have been able to tell whether or not the glass door was previously damaged and had a crack in it already.

Ask them for the date when the door was last checked by an independent expert and found to be totally undamaged and in perfect working order.

I live in a former mining area and I've seen it happen when there was work going on underground - a window spontaneously broke in my classroom. I think it is unlikely in this case.

Yes, this happened to a family friend in an air bnb. She was staying with her daughter and granddaughter and was woken by a loud crash. She went into the bathroom to investigate, and badly cut her foot on the glass - shower screen had shattered while they were all in bed.

Our bifold door glass also spontaneously shattered, though it’s designed to reduce the risk of the glass all falling out.

I've heard of this happening to a friend. It happened in the middle of the night and they're all asleep.

Looks like the hinges have come off the door and there seems to be rust? around the fixings if it suddenly came loose could have shattered. I would not pay - they should be more concerned that you may try and claim off their liability insurance.

They have no evidence that it was tampered or even combust, so therefore they cannot ask you to pay for it. You need to draft a letter stating this.

They haven’t even included the assessment that was apparently done, so could be lying about that. I’d be asking for refunds on the memberships too!

Glass doors in swimming pool changing rooms. What a bloody stupid idea that was.

Yes

Literally yesterday I saw a video on Tiktok of a glass shower screen shattering like that. In case you were considering going back to them.

Where did OP say this?

I remember being in a garden centre with my kids when they were little, and it also had an outdoor conservatory showroom area , as well as Wendy houses etc. My kids used to love looking at them, going inside etc. They were display models so that was what they were for. We were in a conservatory, and suddenly a huge pane of glass on the opposite side of the room just fell out of its frame and smashed on the ground. We legged it, because I knew my kids would be blamed, despite the fact they were about 10 feet away from it. So yes, it can happen.

I’d have thought that shower doors in gyms would be very subject to heat changes. Hot during the day when it’s open, cold at night when the gym is closed and the heating goes off.

If your Mum is absolutely certain the kids didn’t do anything, I’d simply refuse to pay. They can’t prove anything, and it’s clear from this thread that spontaneous glass breaking occurs.

They don't have a leg to stand on. I would reply to reiterate that no one touched the glass and thankfully none of them were near it when it exploded. There will be no insurance claim from her, perhaps they would like to seek redress though their own insurance.

They are really trying it on.
i would be asking for cctv evidence of your children supposedly causing this damage.
I would also be arguing that the glass installed was clearly not up to safety standards if it is so easily breakable and ask if they recorded it as a ‘near miss’ in their health and safety records.
I too have also had a glass table top spontaneously combust in an air bnb that I stayed in when no one was in the room. I would be fighting this all the way .

I actually initially thought the £1670 was what they were paying YOU as compensation for a glass door shattering on your kids.

They are being ridiculous, they cannot prove it was their fault so of course you don’t have to pay.

And they sound dreadful, I wouldn’t want to continue to swim there. I would, however, want my membership refunded. But doesn’t sound like they are going to do that, and I wouldn’t be wasting money on lawyers fees etc to get it.

Our shower door exploded when they were fitting it and 2 men were just holding it, I would be looking for an apology and some sort of reimbursement for my grandchildren being near a faulty door that could have injured them!

What a cheek to send you a bill, do not pay!

I have questions about the door. Had it recently been used, the shower?

thermal shock can shatter glass esp glass that’s scratched or worn around handles/hinges. It doesn’t take a huge heat change to trigger thermal shock.

It can happen from cool air entering a warm humid place and the condensation on glass cooling it quickly.

Send an email back saying this accident has traumatized your children and you'll be taking them to court. They'll probably drop it then. They need to claim on their insurance. That's what it's for 🙄😬

Shower doors absolutely do. I was sat on the loo when our shower door suddenly exploded into mid air. The supplier did concede that they can deteriorate over time but ours was only a couple of years old. As we couldn't prove that we hadn't damaged it, they wouldn't replace it FOC, but did give us 50% off a new one.

Exactly the same happened to a friend a couple of years later.

Have they sent you a copy of the report that they commissioned?

I think they are trying it on as their insurance would easily cover it and unless they have evidence of you or or grandchildren mis-handling the screen I doubt they would win in court. I think I would try and call their bluff by asking them for
the glass remains and tell them that you wish to obtain an independent report.