Money Moral Dilemma: My son's friend borrowed his bike and it got stolen - should his parents pay?

tastyfish

Sounds like joint responsibility. You didn’t have insurance for it away from home and your son took a risk leaving it away from home, and also your son’s friend used it without permission and it was stolen whilst in his care. Split the cost.

Ed264

I don't think the age is a critical factor, the friend probably assumed he wouldn't need to ask his friend to borrow the bike, and if he did ask then the friend wouldn't have refused anyway. It's unfortunate that it's necessary to lock up a bike outside of a shop. Split the cost with the friend's parents, if they're reasonable people they shouldn't have a problem with that. Put it down to experience, and ensure that your son and friend always lock their bikes in future. Even if it was covered by insurance, there would be a significant excess to pay.

sheramber

Did your son lock the bike when he left it at his friend's house?

Agent57

Call the police and they will catch the criminals and return the bike.

bluecanoe

The stolen bike had presumably been used for some time so the actual loss to the family was the current second hand value not the £350 replacement cost of the new bike. If the other family paid the £350 it puts the son in a better position of now having a new bike when he didn’t at the time it was stolen. I would say better to discuss and share the cost in some way.

65Freddie

The friend should not have used the bike without taking care of it, but the son should perhaps have collected his bike quicker or not left it with his friend without a lock or some such security device.  I would say that the two sets of parents should split the cost of the replacement and then get the boys to pay them back either from pocket money or earnings, depending on their age.  That way both lads will learn to be more responsible with their own and others property and be aware of the risk theft etc. They will also learn the value of money & goods etc. 

Captainkirk54

1/ Do not buy a £350 bike for a child.

2/ Insurance irrelevant in this case. The son willingly transferred possession of the bike to the friend - so sons parents insurance would not have covered it. Claim may have been considered by friends parents insurance if they were prepared to claim, but as is the case in all insurance claims a claim needs to be balanced against the increase in next premium. Did they even know their son was looking after the bike?

Children have no sense of value these days. In my day if you were lucky enough to have a bike you never let it out of your site. The son should have to go without for a just to learn a lesson.

The son's friend is definetly morally responsible - if you agree to taking possession of something for safe keeping you cannot give it to a third party. This does not extend to financial responsibility although in terms of parent responsibility they could offer some renumeration and take it out of their sons pocket money

The friend of a friend who borrowed the bike is absolutely morally responsible and must learn that if he borrows something he is responsible for it and can't go through life borrowing without any degree of care for other peoples possessions.

The best amiable solution is for all three parents to accept a one third share of replacing the bike accepting that all three boys have been careless and morally responsible, although it would be more socially and morally acceptable if all three parents offered this solution themselves without being asked. 

twopenny

Did your son lock the bike when he left it at a friends house? Presumably not because the friend couldn't have borrowed it.

Did he leave the lock with the bike so his friend could lock it if he used it?

Both were careless I think so both should take responsibility - otherwise you are teaching that it's always someone elses fault. He needs to learn responsibility as does the friend.

So they should share the cost 50/50. Preferably if old enough some jobs to earn the money.

Oh I'm tough but so is life. I learned a lot about taking responsibility, sharing and consequences and it gave me a good life.

asa1978

I wouldn't ask the parents to replace it because it is something they should do without being asked. As a parent I am responsible for my child as long as they live under my roof. I put them on this earth and I believe in holding myself to account for their behaviour, obviously within reason. I would offer to pay for the bike then have my son work it off so he learns it is not right to take without asking and it is also not right not to treat expensive items especially ones that don't belong to you without care. Actions have consequences regardless of his age.

bompey

Jason9091 said:

A mistake was made when the decision was taken to not insure the bike.

A second mistake was made when the bike was left with someone young/careless/unreliable.

A third mistake was made when the bike wasnot locked up while unattended.

You have to way up these factors. It also depends on the age of the children.

The insurance company is very unlikely to pay up given the circumstances here, even if it had been insured. Bike left unattended and not secured is usually a get out for insurers. Friend basically took it without consent which, if this were a car for example, could lead to criminal proceedings.