17 year old spilled water on Host family Laptop

[Mrsg26]

Wonder if someone can offer advice on what to do in this situation. My daughter is 17 and is auditioning for drama schools at present. As she is under 18 and visiting schools in London ( we live in Scotland) She has had to stay with a host family on her visits. Last night the Host offered my daughter some water but placed the glass on the kitchen table next to her laptop. My daughter picked up the glass but it slipped and some water went on the host’s laptop. The lady told my daughter last night not to worry and she dried it, she said she had a new laptop which was there in the kitchen however today The lady called me whilst my daughter was in her audition and told me it will cost £200 to repair the laptop and the expectation is for me to pay for it to be repaired.

Whilst i totally am sympathetic and sorry for what happened, as is my daughter, she didn't do it intentionally or with any malice and it was a complete accident. Part of me thinks why would she place a glass of water next to expensive equipment, as spillages often happen in kitchens. As an experienced host with lots of children in her home regularly she should be aware of these hazards. This is her business and therefore she should insure against these things.

Whilst I am not against contributing towards the repairs, I just feel that I shouldn’t have to pay for it all as they were both negligent. Any advice from other parents of teens? Thanks

My brother told me it would likely have been the motherboard that needed replacing , as it would have been fried, & not the screen. I have no proof a screen needed replacement due to water damage and not any other element of the laptop. the macbook screen had already been ordered, replaced and fixed all within 3 hours of my daughter leaving before she let me know what happened and gave me time to discuss appropriate repair costs. Then sent me a small ripped hand written receipt for a screen replacement job. That is what I find a bit strange.

Have you paid OP?

If not I’d be tempted to draw a line, and go back to the agency in the future. She isn’t a trustworthy individual from how she has spoken about, and also cut out the agency.

Also, the timescale doesn’t fit with the repair - I am currently getting a device repaired and mentioned a MacBook from that period and was told it’s a relic and not worth repairing and that parts are tricky to come by which makes me suspect that parts were already ordered pre event.

This all sounds increasingly dodgy. I don't think you should pay anything.

Did the ripped receipt specify that it was the laptop screen that was replaced?

£200 sounds about right for a phone screen replacement, but way too high for an old laptop.

Also, you've said it was a new screen, but I'm not sure that you can even buy those screens new. I can't find any sold on any of the parts shops I use. I can find refurbished ones for about £20-£45 depending on screen size, but I can't find any new ones.

So call the shop that issued the receipt and ask them what the damage was and what caused it?

I'd just be glad that the host didn't want the cost of a new laptop.

C'mon now, you know you have to pay. It was an accident, but nevertheless.

I agree with this.
The more of OP's posts I read the more it comes across that she's just looking for any old excuse not to pay.
And it's just as much on OP as the host for choosing to cut out the agency.

She's scamming you. I would bet my house in it. I've had to replace the screen on a Macbook Pro and your options are as follows:

Take it to a Apple store. You need to make an appointment for this and you may need to wait for them to get the part to the store. It will cost upwards of £700 because they will only fit a new part.

Replace it yourself with a second hand screen or find a computer shop to do it for you. This means finding the correct part to become available on ebay etc, buying it, waiting for it to be delivered, and then fitting it. This is what I ended up doing. I think I paid around £100 for a dead Macbook that was being sold for parts. So this could stack up in terms of the costs, but it's vanishing unlikely you could find a computer shop with the right part in stock AND the availability to do the job within a day.

Now it’s been sorted I would only go through a reputable agency from now on and not use anyone who withdraws from it to go direct.

I'd be highly suspicious as it sounds like a total set-up to ensure water got spilt!

I've never known water being spilt on a screen causing any damage whatsoever. I suspect it got dropped after your DD left.

I'm even more concerned about the lack of Agency in your bookings. If it was in place, such issues would be covered by the necessary Liability Insurance. And without Liability Insurance your DD is not covered in terms of safety or safeguarding whilst she's staying there. I wonder if the Agency knows she's cutting them out?

And it's just as much on OP as the host for choosing to cut out the agency

The OP was paying the same, it was the host who benefits from the scam.

Parents using this service are generally new to it or have only used it a couple of times before. Hosts telling parents that once the agency has done the introduction its normal to work direct is a scam, but not one ad hoc service users will know.

I had a host try this on me once, insistent that the agency preferred us to communicate direct after the first stay and that was why the price was the same as the first time. I was aware of the scam and reported them to the agency and found another host but the only reason I knew the scam was because another parent had been caught by it.

As PP say - even if the child had asked for water and been careless the hosts business insurance would cover it had she been working within her contract. More importantly that is the same insurance which covers the DD when the host is working correctly.

The notion that a £50 15 year old laptop was working fine at the time and then a few hours later was suddenly not working, needed a screen replacement, mender found, parts located and was fixed for £200 but no invoice available is utter bollocks. And frankly if anyone falls for it I have lovely pots of snake oil to sell them.

No way would I pay this under these circumstances.
I would call the computer shop and ask them what they did

Aye, and of course they'd tell you, a random caller...😆

Mugged off, luv 😕

She sounds a nasty piece of work, tbh. And she looks after kids!

You know what, I think you have had a lucky escape. Her willingness to skirt the rules by working outside the agency arrangement when caring for children and young people suggests that safeguarding is not her top priority. Then this attempt to rip you off with a very suspect laptop repair. How would she have reacted if your DD had had an accident on the premises or something else had happened?

Don’t pay her anything (unless of course she does come up with proper documentation for the laptop repair, which I think is vanishingly unlikely) and also inform the agency.

Jesus. She's damaged the hosts laptop. Pay for it to be repaired. What's wrong with you ? It doesn't matter it was accidental

Also, if she was no longer working via the agency then on what basis was she hosting your DD?
A lodger? A bed and breakfast? Temporary supported accommodation? A guest? It’s a big grey area.

The Host clearly didn’t want to pay agency fees, but possibly those fees included insurance for exactly this type of thing. Otherwise host families would be at a disadvantage depending on what type of child they got ( ie some could be more “lucky” than others. )

If my child damaged something at a friend’s house, I would have absolutely no hesitation in paying, but this ( including the speed at which new parts were obtained and the work done), sounds a bit “off”.

I would state that the reason I was asking of course

It sounds a bit suspicious to me, if spilled on the keyboard the screen would not be the problem.

Sorry Op but realistically the blame lays with your Dd. She is old enough to decide if it’s safe or not to have water near her and a computer. She picked the glass up which then makes it her responsibility. Had she accidentally knocked over a glass she hadn’t picked up but which was placed too close then that would be a different matter. It’s the person who irresponsibly put the glass in a risky places ‘guilt of omission’. Once she’s moved the glass nearer the computer I think it makes it her ‘guilt of commission’ I’m afraid. Yes you should pay for repairs. Annoying but then teens often are. You have my sympathy.

You are both finding out that there are consequences of going off line as it were. Imo you don't have to pay because she should have insurance. Maybe offer her half as a conciliatory gesture and walk away.

As the first poster said, your child broke the laptop. You should pay for it.

Be a good human and pay for the damage.

I wrecked my old Apple laptop with water. Only a slight splash as well. I couldn't believe it caused so much damage.

I think you were wrong not to pay. I would have done.