Real life MMD: She broke my phone — should I make her pay?

Former_MSE_Penelope · 22 March 2012 at 6:37PM

Money Moral Dilemma: She broke my phone — should I make her pay?

I was talking to my boss when my mobile rang. A colleague tried to pick it up and dropped it. It seemed to work okay when reassembled, but it went dead the next day. It cost me £500 when I got it last year and was not insured. I asked her to pay for a replacement and she said she couldn't afford it, but would give me an old phone of hers. I refused this. I can't afford a new phone and am now using an old one that I had sitting in a drawer.

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robynprincess · 27 March 2012 at 9:35PM

I think she should yes, you didnt ask her to answer it, she touched something of yours that she had no business in touching and broke it. Seems like a no brainer for me. The trouble is, it may cause you trouble at work. Is thre a way of claiming on house insurance?

JamJar · 27 March 2012 at 9:40PM

Simple this one. She broke it ... make her pay!

JJ

McKneff · 27 March 2012 at 9:44PM

It was okay after you reassembled it.
It stopped working the following day.

You should find out why it has stopped working first, not just demand a new one from your colleague. It may be something else.

Carrying a £500 phone around with you that is not insured is extremely foolish.

Petlamb · 27 March 2012 at 9:49PM

Imho, the fault lies with you for not insuring.

And if you try to force this, be prepared for an extremely poor reputation at work. I suspect it will follow you.

McKneff · 27 March 2012 at 10:09PM

If they are indeed at fault after a report, find out how much it will be to repair it and ask if they would pay half.

Thats fair.

KxMx · 27 March 2012 at 10:49PM

I agree she shouldn't have picked it up. But accidents do happen and the responsibility lies with you to insure yourself against such things.

scotsbob · 27 March 2012 at 11:23PM

You have another telephone, the colleague with the butter fingers has offered you one of hers. You is lucky to have choice of two.
Pick the better one and insure it.

pc1271 · 27 March 2012 at 11:31PM

Accidents happen, and unless they were being irresponsible or wilfully negligent it is unfair to hound your colleague for the cash. You could have just as easily dropped the phone yourself.

You'd better hope you never accidentally damage anything in the office.

pennypinchUK · 27 March 2012 at 11:32PM

1. Why didn't you insure it?
2. £500 for a mobile phone - are you mad?

You've just learned a lesson. Stop trying to get others to pay for your financial excesses.

rrf494g · 27 March 2012 at 11:45PM

I managed an office and I had to tell the staff . . .

that if they wanted to bring expensive personal items in to work ('phones, pens, handbags etc) then they had better have the right insurance as the company would not insure what it didn't even know was on the premise. Part of the risk you run in not insuring an item is obvious. You take the risk - not the company and not other people in the office who didn't ask to be around expensive personal items. The office is an open space and people have to move around and use/touch items in that space. They can not be expected to listen to phones ringing and not be allowed to touch them because they are "personal". Other employees can expect that items are either owned and insured by the company or if people bring expensive items in they are insured by their owners for the risk involved. I think the offers of recompense have been reasonable, especially since it seems there is doubt that the damage/breakdown was caused by the fall.
good luck.

Real life MMD: She broke my phone — should I make her pay?

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