Real life MMD: Should I pay for a broken teapot?

Tiptaker

I can't see there is a dilemma - you broke it, you pay for it. Might teach you to be more careful in future.

jazimews

Unfortunately as you dropped it, then you have to pay for it.... Just as if you'd accidentally knocked it off the shelf in the shop.....usually signs saying....you break it, you pay for it!

One thought, not sure if it would apply, but if you have home contents insurance why not check to see if the breakage might be covered, especially if you have the "all risks" and/or extra accidental damage cover. Might be worth checking out. There may be an excess but it might not be as mucch as the cost of the teapot. But if it is covered you'd need to weigh up the potential increase in premium next renewal if you did claim. Also, like others have suggested, if you paid by card, is there any cover on that you could claim on.

Unfortunately accidents happen, an in this case you've just got to take it on the chin.....just as if you'd bought it for yourself you'd have lost the cash...so you have now even though you bought it for a friend.

Lesson learned though ... Don't buy breakables on behalf of friends again...

Also....if it was the other way round, would you pay up for a broken item? I think not!

spursliz

I think you're all being rather tough on the student! I agree it was his fault he dropped it, but his friend had, presumably, enjoyed free hospitality for the weekend and he is working. Tell him you couldn't afford to buy it in the first place, and ask him to go halvers. A hard lesson learned, I'm afraid.

VoucherMan

I had a similar problem. A friend asked me to get them a box of chocolates. Bought on Friday, due to deliver on Saturday, but Friday evening I ate them. Now she won't pay me for them. Totally unreasonable if you ask me.:D

traveller2

If he is on a decent wage and you are a student, why did he ask you to buy the teapot in the first place ? If it is because he didn't have his wallet/card, then he should pay you as presumably he would have bought it himself if he had the means.
Why was he not carrying it if you'd bought it for him?
Go halves and write it off as an expensive mistake but not worth losing a friend over

lilja4ever

I agree with you, you're a friend, not a business.

You may have been careless with the teapot (though that's arguable, accidents do happen even to careful people), but that's something your friend should have considered when he asked you to get the teapot.

I think your friend should give you half the money.

suiko

What sort of friend is this? If I was the friend, I would certainly pay you in full - after all, he asked you to buy it for him, didn't he?

If this was my friend, I don't think I would ever want to see him again.

flying_teddy

If your friend is going to treat the transaction in a business-like manner then that's how you should treat it. The situation then becomes HE bought the object with a loan from you. He is the owner of the object. It got broken after he bought it. He should have got it insured when he bought it - in fact it might even be insured on his own household contents insurance. It's his teapot, he owes you the money.

bigdic

£95 for a teapot? :huh:

emr_2

If you want to maintain the friendship, you could offer to pay back at £1 a week