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Money Moral Dilemma: Do you charge house guests for breakages?
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Former_MSE_Andrea
Posts: 9,611 Forumite
Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:
You invite friends to stay for the weekend. They’re there with the children and everyone’s having a great time. Then sadly young 6 year old Tommy throws the cricket ball he was playing with through the new-ish £500 LCD TV (and you’ve no accidental breakage cover on home insurance).
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Do you charge house guests for breakages?
You invite friends to stay for the weekend. They’re there with the children and everyone’s having a great time. Then sadly young 6 year old Tommy throws the cricket ball he was playing with through the new-ish £500 LCD TV (and you’ve no accidental breakage cover on home insurance).
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Previous MMDs:
Should Rebecca come clean about David's Baguette?
Would you shop your teenager?
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Comments
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If they were real friends they'd stump up for a fair share of the cost of a new TV.
If we were bad friends we'd take their money and get a replacement one free from Freecycle.:p
However, in our home little Tommy would NEVER have been playing with a cricket ball inside, he'd have been outside before he could even think about lobbing a ball around!;)Member of the first Mortgage Free in 3 challenge, no.19
Balance 19th April '07 = minus £27,640
Balance 1st November '09 = mortgage paid off with £1903 left over. Title deeds are now ours.0 -
Of course you don't charge them. Since they're good friends, Tommy's parents immediately volunteer to replace the TV. If they don't, they're not good friends, and you issue a County Court summons for damages...0
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Was the ball thrown from outside in? In which case it is an accident and while some payment would be nice, it was an accident.
Was the ball thrown inside, in which case there is bad behaviour involved (in my world) and full payment would be expected.
If he had been in my house all weekend, I have no idea how he thought balls inside were acceptable behaviour and I doubt we'd have had a great time, I'd have watched him like a hawk!!!!!0 -
I would not allow a child to throw a ball about like that anyway, so no charge! However, my teenage son (17) and/or his girlfriend dropped their chinese meal/soup on my new laptop and totally rubbished the keypad! He will be paying for a new keypad and she is no longer welcome in my home.
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sweet_ceroc wrote: »I would not allow a child to throw a ball about like that anyway, so no charge! However, my teenage son (17) and/or his girlfriend dropped their chinese meal/soup on my new laptop and totally rubbished the keypad! He will be paying for a new keypad and she is no longer welcome in my home.
she's no longer welcome because of an accident? wow..seems a bit harsh.:heart2:
lallalalalaaaa
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If they were real friends they'd stump up for a fair share of the cost of a new TV.
If we were bad friends we'd take their money and get a replacement one free from Freecycle.:p
However, in our home little Tommy would NEVER have been playing with a cricket ball inside, he'd have been outside before he could even think about lobbing a ball around!;)
Exactly right!0 -
General breakages e.g. glass or plate, no.
Expensive breakages e.g. TV, yes.
There is a difference between maybe dropping something and throwing a ball around in a room where things might get broken. Children shouldn't be throwing balls indoors.Not buying unnecessary toiletries 2024 26/53 UU, 25 IN0 -
I can't really see it happening but reading the little boy was six I have this picture of my grandson .. coming up five and there is no way I'd expect his folks to pay, I just wish it could happen as he lives too far away for me to see him, over the N. Atlantic nr the mountains in W. Canada .. a broken telly is a price I'd willingly pay0
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As others have said, it wouldn't happen in my house as there is no way I would allow a 6 year old to throw a cricket ball around indoors! Who was supervising him? Another reason it wouldn't be such a problem is that I always have accidental damage on my household insurance (both buildings and contents) - I have a husband, three teenagers and four cats!!!0
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I agree with what looks like the consensus. The friend should not have let their ankle-biter throw a ball indoors but should take responsibility and offer to pay for the LCD TV. If they are reluctant then they aren't proper mates and a stern talking to is required.
If they shrug off responsibility, they don't get invited back and that's that or - Plan B - suggest a return cricket match in their house and see if the penny drops. LCD TVs are improving all the time and it could be a blessing in disguise if they do the decent thing.
If it's LCD, get a Panasonic but not if it's a plasma. I've seen permanent vertical lines on their plasmas (two examples). I've seen good picture quality on LGs and Philips but some Samsungs look a bit iffy.0
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