Money Moral Dilemma: Should I go back and pay for the mirror I broke in a charity shop?

primrose_penguin

I would not have walked out as it means you probably won't want to go in again because of feeling embarrassed. This item was donated, they did not pay for it, so if I was you I would go back, ask to speak to the manager and explain what happened as it is obviously bothering you. If they wanted £100 for it, it should have been displayed in a secure manner, and if a piece of moulding is the only damage it can be repaired quite easily. Perhaps you have some things at home you no longer want that they could sell.

jonnybravo147

Yes, you should offer to pay. Not the retail price but to cover their losses, normally the wholesale price, though I'd negotiate as it's a charity shop. If it was the shop's fault because the mirror was unsafely displayed, tell the manager that. Being an accident doesn't mean you aren't liable if it was your carelessness that caused it. If someone accidentally crashed into your car, do you expect them to pay or not, whether you've got insurance that covers the damage? 
I think people now don't expect to pay for accidental breakages. If it happened in a big supermarket, they can absorb the loss. But that doesn't mean it applies to all shops and just because it's a charity shop doesn't mean you can break what you like and get away with it.

Gedre123

It's simply a case of whether or not you are 'legally' liable for the damage and you would only be liable if you were 'negligent' (in common law). Simply put this means did you do something you should not 'reasonably' have done which resulted in the damage and if not then you are not responsible. However if you were 'careless' for example in causing the damage you could be liable for it. If you have home insurance you will probably find that you're entitled to free legal advice for such incidents and if so there should be a free phone service available.

Patjan

"claiming the mirror was worth £100". Didn't the mirror have a price ticket on it, which would have confirmed or otherwise this rather 'uncertain' price quoted? If your accidentally knocking it over was because the mirror was not properly secured and in a vulnerable position, you could have mentioned that in your encounter with the charity shop staff member. As the breakage was at some level your fault, could you not have negotiated some financial compensation based on reasonable considerations of the points above?

crmism

I think you did the right thing. Some shops are so crammed with items for sale that it's difficult to move around without unintentionally knocking them as you pass by. I would expect to find a large framed mirror hanging from a wall out of the way and not stood against it at floor level, so if the latter case was yours you were quite right to walk out with maybe no more than an apology. I doubt if the damage affected the mirror's sale price, as the mark-up on things like that is generally high and a lot more than what the retailer would have paid.
As the sales assistant exonerated you when he first looked at the mirror, who's to say that the damage he noticed afterwards wasn't made by him or somebody else? And who's to say the mirror was worth £100 in the first place?

Jeffaroo

I'd feel obligated to pay for it, just so it wasn't on my conscience. Sure it may have been donated, but it was still an item that they were going to get something for. If it happened in a normal shop I think you'd have to pay, so I don't know why the fact that it's a charity would be any different. In fact, I'd feel more obligated to pay in that instance, knowing that they rely on their products to fund what I assume is a good cause of some sort. 

Pict_66

A lot of charity shops have got a bit up themselves of late and are charging as much as commercial stores. If they aspire to be boutiques then they should pay the same rates and pay their staff. Genuine charity shops were for bargains and unwanted tat if that's your bag, not colour
co-ordinated rails and wannabe window dressers. £100 for a 2nd hand mirror is over the top and the fact that it could be knocked over means that their negligence in leaving such a heavy and 'expensive' product unsecured, shifts the liability to them and they are lucky you don't sue them for the fright you undoubtedly endured.

JayD

I find the charge a charity shop would make for a second hand, donated mirror would be £100.  Things are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. So, decide what YOU would have paid for it and go back to the shop and speak to the manager about the incident. Apologise for walking out without resolving the issue before and offer the amount you have decided on. I think it would be a pity if you felt unable to ever go back in there and that it would be unfair for the charity miss out on acquiring some finds via the sale of that donation.

malcolm1_2

I certainly wouldn’t pay the £100 as it was accidentally broken , as it was donated by an individual, it cost the charity nothing, I’ve donated lots of items to charity’s I don’t expect payment, and I’m sure they will have made something from the items. 

Also if it was such a valuable piece it should have been positioned in a suitable position 
So my answer is No 

Katecooks

MNDAmblecote said:

No you should not go back to pay for it and you should not feel guilty either.

Charity shops income is mostly wages and infrastructure cost, very little ends up at the true charity box . They are required by law to have public liability insurance and this very often can come with a package of general insurance if they bothered to pay for it.

You knocked over what sounds to be a large mirror, something which if it was being sold for that much could have killed a child had they knocked it over or got caught beneath it (remember the child killed in a shop displaying drawer chests that the child climbed using the drawers?) HSE now requires that such items heavy, large, glass etc. Are all safely secured. The mirror clearly was not and like it or not the charity shop themself are liable.

No child should be killed in a shop climbing up drawers or knocking over an item. Parents should be holding on to them  (or leaving them at home with a responsible adult) and not letting them climb/play on items. Witnessed a couple of kids playing hide and seek in a garden centre at the weekend. One pulled over and broke a fish tank priced at over £200. Completely the fault of the child - the tank was secured but not against someone grabbing and deliberately pulling - but the parents just walked out. Shops are liable but customers should also take care.