Money Moral Dilemma: Do you charge house guests for breakages?

stitch626_2

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

No reason why it can't be replaced with a decent CRT TV from freecycle. I think Tommy's parents should at least offer to find one for them. But I don't see why they should have to pay for their friends expensive tastes, whether their friends can afford such tastes or not...

Something very similar happened to us but it was a toy car not a cricket ball. My "friend" offered 2 replace our LCD with a CRT. We didn't think that was accepable, we paid for an LCD so that we could have sky hd so an CRT was of no use. We are still paying for my friend's son's temper tantrum as our home insurance premiums have gone up.:mad:

brokeinwales

Although morally I do believe the friends are responsible financially for the damage, and theoretically probably should pay for it - I also know that realistically that there is no way on this earth I could bring myself to ask it of them. I'm not even convinced that I'd feel comfortable accepting if they offered to pay.

PennyPinchingPrincess

I'm choosy about the people I invite into my home; I think all those I would be happy having here would offer to pay for a new TV. Depending on my financial circumstances and what I am aware about theirs, then I may or may not except. If they didn't offer, then I'm more inclined to think that their finances are in a bad shape and they can't afford to replace the TV than they are inconsiderate. If my friends are struggling then I don't want to make it worse for them just so I can watch telly. If the TV I have now, which I bought a couple of years ago, was damaged then I probably couldn't afford to replace it with one as nice, but I'm not going to lose any friends over it. I can live without a TV, my friends are worth a lot more.

Hayesaver

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.

Thats a bit mean.....we all make mistakes! I wonder if those rules would still apply had it been a friend of your own?

No, I wouldnt ask them for the money - I would like to think that my friends would take responsibilty and offer themselves, I know I would in that situation.

Slinky

We had something similar happen to us, we lent a Panasonic telly (and a whole load of kitchen stuff) to my husband's new work colleague who had just moved into a new house which had no furnishings at all. He was waiting for his wife and family to move from the other end of the country to be with him.

Heaven knows how, he managed to break the on/off switch by pressing it so hard it broke all the plastic around the switch and shoved it inside the telly. We tried getting it repaired but it was beyond repair.

He replaced it, but with a cheapy Beko, which I thought was a bit off, but was too polite to say anything. Considering it was somebody we barely knew and were just being nice to.....

Nuclear1975

But I do have accidental damage cover, always would just in case something like that happened,

although I would like to think that 6 year old satan's (oops Tommy's) parents would offer to pay for the damage without having to be asked.

but as I have no friends its not likely to happen lol

worbikeman

Well, accidents will happen and kids will be kids....
I'd make a joke about it (i.e. "That's YOUR pocket money stopped for the next 50 years!"). Then forget about it. You can pick up tellys for next to nowt these days. Good friends would probably find some way to get a nice new telly for yr next bday. Maybe....