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

andrew_weth

You cant ask her for money on this! :mad:

As everyone has already pointed out, taking a £500 personal phone to work with no insurance is asking for trouble and if you dropped it or your colleague, you'd still be £500 (unbeleivable amount) out of pocket.

My phone is insured through my bank (Barclays, about £15 pcm) which I pay a monthly fee for and includes loads of extra addition covers for every day life such as lost keys/wallet, burst pipes, holiday insurance etc etc.

SWKirsty

I can't believe how judgemental people are being about someone having a £500 phone. Whether you pay upfront for it or get it free on a contract makes no difference. The OP could easily be in the same position as me - on a fantastic sim free tariff, which it's not possible to beat by going onto a contract - no matter how much shopping around and threatening to move providers, it just wasn't possible to get a better deal. After MUCH research, I just paid £330 upfront for a phone (got cashback etc) - still better than tying myself into a contract for 18 or 24 months with less minutes etc. My phone will be covered by the mobile phone insurance with my bank - however I'm still in the 21 day waiting period after registering where it's not covered quite yet. Doesn't mean someone isn't money saving just because they buy a phone upfront!

There are other avenues to pursue before asking the colleague to pay for a new phone - repair is the most sensible option, and mut surely be explored.

Ioannis

Personally I wouldn't press any charges, imho this phone was destined to break and it just proved how bad some phone models are. Just not to get too upset, think if you would be pleased if someone asked you to pay for whatever you broke by accident in fact intending to help, would you run straight to the cash machine? I must admit the other person is in much much worst situation feeling guilty and pressurised even if she doesn't show it. If you believe in any of that stuff, some astrologists say you must lose something small even though you were meant to lose something bigger. You didn't lose your partner to that woman(if you have one) and if you have kids hopefully they are healthy. I know this is a moneysaving website, but in the long term you will also save money by not stressing yourself out by such things( it affects your health, relationships, sex life to name a few). And this is a great lesson to insure expensive items, put them in a proper protective cover or not to buy fragile ones. Whatever you decide think in the long term and prioritize things wisely in terms of what you lose and what you win by demanding the cost of the phone from her(relationships at work, cost of the phone, etc). Did you consider repairing it? All the best.

BNT

There seem to be a lot of people who are behind the times in how much cellphones cost these days and how many people use the same hanset for work and personal calls.

£500 for a cellphone is not an unusual price if you are buying SIM-free. You can get them cheaper, of course, but you will be compromising on specs.

Most people I know, including me, use a personal handset with their work SIM; handsets provided by their employers are generally pretty useless. Just because it is a personal phone doesn't mean it is a personal call.

Personally, I don't take out insurance on my handset. It doesn't seem worth it. I imagine most people have a spare handset that would keep them going until they are due for a replacement.

I tend to agree with those who say that your colleague broke your phone should make you whole. If it were me, however, I wouldn't ask if she didn't offer. I'd think it odd she didn't offer, but I think my asking would be even worse, as it would just draw attention to her lack of consideration.

Ultimately, though, she says she can't afford to pay. How are you going to make her?

potato_pizza

This so-called 'moral dilemma' makes me sad at a time when people have real problems like losing their jobs and trying to keep a roof over their heads. Have we become such a blame-culture!?

Your friend was trying to help you by answering your phone and she is trying to help you again by offering a replacement. It's just an expensive learning-curve of the value of insurance - accidents happen (my phone has been through the washing machine :rotfl:).

NickJones1951

You leave a £ 500 (!!!) phone out on the desk, where anyone can pick it up (or a stranger could steal it). What is your personal mobile doing at work. You don't deserve to have a £ 500 (!!!) phone if you leave it out, don't insure it, etc. and you're in the habit of using your mobile at work - it should be switched off and out of sight.

BNT

yorkshireman99 wrote: »

I wouldn't ever consider touching anybody else's mobile phone. I think she should pay for a new one - but one priced sensibly - say £200. Whoever needs a phone costing £500? Perhaps it is just a boy's toy to show off to your mates. Get real.

Why say £200? Why not say £100 or even £10? More importantly, why is it for you to say what is a sensible price for a phone? Shouldn't it be for the person who is spending the money to decide what is sensible for whatever handset he is buying?

minicooper272

I'm not clear on this one. Either;

1) you left your phone on your desk while away from it talking to your boss (in which case, you're a fool for leaving it where it could be nicked).

2) Your boss was talking to you at your desk and so you asked/expected your work colleague to answer it, if so, you gave it to her and it's you that needs to live with that fact.

The value of your phone isn't £500, it's what it would cost to buy a replacement model that's also 1 year old. Find one on ebay, and if you have the gall, ask your work colleague to meet half that cost. She shouldn't have to pay for your extravagant purchase though.

BNT

minicooper272 wrote: »

you left your phone on your desk while away from it talking to your boss (in which case, you're a fool for leaving it where it could be nicked).

I'm glad I don't work in your office!

Cimscate

pennypinchUK wrote: »

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.

Just what I was thinking! And it worked when you first put it back together, I certainly wouldn't pay you!
:T