Your teen's cellphone breaks, do you...

[mnrose]

No and hell no. When I got my daughter an i-phone, I told her that if she broke it, too bad, so sad for her. I would not be buying her a "new" one or "paying" to fix it for two years minimum, and after that it would depend on the circumstances. If she broke it, I have an old flip phone I would activate for her to be able to call me. Other than that, it's on her.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Yes, we've paid. If it's just a few cracks they live with it but there has been two occasions when we've paid. Once they have jobs, they pay for it themselves.

 

[sam_gordon]

DS has an iphone. We were out of town (7+ hour drive) when it fell out of his pocket and the screen shattered. I found a quick fix it place and they repaired it. I paid for it then, but he repaid me when we got home

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I said No and my son lived with a cracked screen until it was time for the free upgrade which was a year. He's taken great care of his phone since.

The whole "Well other kids parents......" has never worked with me.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, in MOST cases, I would help out and fix the phone (the first time...)
in fact, have personal experience with this, TODAY!

In this case...
1. the 'teen' is an adult.
2. The adult teen lied...
3. And, the absolute worst.. the entitlement. The "you have to pay to fix this, because everyone else's parents..."
I am a very understanding and giving parent, but it is the number three above that would make the decision for me. I would not pay. I would never, ever, enable my kid to have that kind of attitude. It has nothing to do with the broken phone. Everything to do with the kids actions.

My son, also and adult teen, bought himself a brand new iPhone 7 when they came out last Fall.
He busted his phone, and I even suspect that it was more than a slightly careless accident, because there was some pretty bad damage.
DH paid the $99.00 co-pay at the Apple Store, today, to replace it with a brand new phone.
My son bought the best most expensive Otter Box case he could find.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I also want to note that these iPhones are NOT durable, and that thin glass IS going to get cracked or broken.
They have been designed to be the absolute thinnest (and lightest?) possible.
If there are any other acceptable options for a kid... there are much more durable phones!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

pay to fix it? Let me be even more detailed. Last April your kid gets new IPhone. Dec they drop and crack screen and when you notice they tell you it's not the phone but just the screen protector thing. You are paying the monthly insurance fee for one year and then cancel it this April. Just now, a month after canceling insurance, they come to you to fess up that it was the phone's actual screen that cracked in Dec and they want to get it fixed at Apple store for $150. They ask you to pay for it. You say no, they can pay and then they say 'everyone else's parents pay to fix or replace phones...bla bla bla'. Do you pay?

Is there a reason you haven't looked at his phone in the 5 months or so (depending on when in December) since he dropped it?

Here's the thing:

1) I wouldn't have cancelled the insurance period...I would have either kept paying for it or made him pay for it if/when you decided you didn't want to pay for it. Unless you are ok with outright buying the phone if something happens to it keep the insurance on it. I have only used my insurance 1 time in the 10 1/2 years that I've had a cell phone. I'm on my 5th phone in that same time period. Of course it's money lost when you don't use the plan and true not all plans will cover all things but still. I don't know however if you had an insurance plan with a deductible on it or not but I'm in the "better safe than sorry" camp.

2) I would have examined the phone at some point to see if was really damaged or just a cracked screen protector (edited corrected word). To me it has nothing to do with a privacy concern or whatever. It's a polite manner of asking "let me see if it got damaged" especially if you were going to cancel the insurance on it.

3) No I wouldn't pay for the repair.

As far as the remark of "everyone else's parent pay to fix or replace phones" in my mind I'm thinking a) I'm not everyone else's parents b) it's your phone you need to take responsibilty on it.

If I were you and he dropped the phone I would be checking to see if it was damaged right then and there and then gotten it repaired. You could have had him pay for the cost of the one month's insurance or if a deductible applied had him pay for that if you actually wanted him to pay for it or you could have went on your merry way and just advised him of expectations for the future should he drop it again (i.e. would you continue to pay for it, have him pay for it, etc).

*I'm only familar with Android phones so apologies if iPhone plans work differently as far as deductibles, covered losses, etc*

 

[MataHari22]

No way, should not have lied about it. Consequences.

 

[wenrob]

I also want to note that these iPhones are NOT durable, and that thin glass IS going to get cracked or broken.
They have been designed to be the absolute thinnest (and lightest?) possible.
If there are any other acceptable options for a kid... there are much more durable phones!

The glass on iPhones is made to take a beating. I have used iPhones since the very first one and each of them has looked as pristine as the day I bought it when I moved onto the next one. I use a mid range case and have never used a screen protector. I would say we have had approximately 15 iPhones go through this house and have had one cracked screen and an iPhone 4 that shattered in a freak accident. Both times those phones did not have a case on them. So I would have to disagree with your assertion that they are not durable. They're phones though, they're not meant to be abused. Obviously accidents happen but for the most part if you're careful they're fine.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

It had a glass protector on it. She was at HHI (DVC) resort and got a bike rental and put it in the basket and it went flying out. She did not have a sturdy case on it like I suggested she have, like an Otterbox or whatever it's called (she wanted cutsie). I got her a new glass protector and never really paid attention since...just thought she never put it on. Not paying for the repairs.

DS's old iphone phone died. The charging port stopped working, and the problem was not fixable. We bought him a new phone but told him he had to pay for the accessories (otterbox). He came home from the Verizon store without the otterbox. Both DH and I got on his case about it, but he resisted us. Three days later he took the phone out of his pocket; it caught the pocket lip on his shorts and fell on the floor. The screen cracked. We told him he'd have to pay to fix it and pay for the otterbox he refused to get the first time!

 

[wilkeliza]

Prefacing this by saying I don't have kids but this is what I would do because it was how I was raised.

No.

There are several factors. #1 you had insurance on it and they lied. So now instead of paying the deductible for the insurance you have to pay the full replacement cost.#2 I personally believe paying to fix or replace gifts helps teach responsibility. So yes I'll give you an age appropriate phone but if you break it or lose it you are going with out or getting the cheapest option our carrier offers until it is upgrade time. I think the dishonesty is the nail in the coffin though. First cell phone and first break and you come to me honestly and open about what happened then I might replace it for you and say it is the one and only shot. Heck we all deserved second chances. You lie to me or do it multiple times and you need a consequence and I think paying for your own repair is the right consequence.

 

[wilkeliza]

The glass on iPhones is made to take a beating. I have used iPhones since the very first one and each of them has looked as pristine as the day I bought it when I moved onto the next one. I use a mid range case and have never used a screen protector. I would say we have had approximately 15 iPhones go through this house and have had one cracked screen and an iPhone 4 that shattered in a freak accident. Both times those phones did not have a case on them. So I would have to disagree with your assertion that they are not durable. They're phones though, they're not meant to be abused. Obviously accidents happen but for the most part if you're careful they're fine.

I've broken 1 even with many hitting the floor or other accidental drops. I always have a shock case on them but not always screen protectors. The only one that broke was because it fell out my pocket (why are women's pockets so small?!) and proceeded to tumble down a flight of stairs. It happened at the runDisney expo and I swear everyone stopped and watched it hit every single step on the way down. The woman who picked it up for me just said I'm so sorry sweetheart. Thankfully it was the weekend I was upgradin so my new phone was waiting at home when I got back.

 

[Colleen27]

I wouldn't because of the lie. I've paid to repair/replace broken phones for both of my kids at times, because accidents do happen and neither of them have had repeated problems or made carelessness a habit (We're with MetroPCS and have lower-end phones so Otterbox/Lifeproof cases aren't usually an option). But because in this situation the cost is because of the lie, I'd leave it up to my child to either pay for the repair or live with the phone as-is since that's been good enough for this long.

 

[wenrob]

I've broken 1 even with many hitting the floor or other accidental drops. I always have a shock case on them but not always screen protectors. The only one that broke was because it fell out my pocket (why are women's pockets so small?!) and proceeded to tumble down a flight of stairs. It happened at the runDisney expo and I swear everyone stopped and watched it hit every single step on the way down. The woman who picked it up for me just said I'm so sorry sweetheart. Thankfully it was the weekend I was upgradin so my new phone was waiting at home when I got back.

I was on the treadmill once and caught the cord of my head phones. The phone (a 6 that my younger DD now uses) hit the treadmill and SHOT across the gym floor. I thought for sure it was a goner but not a scratch. The guy next to me couldn't believe it, lol. I swear by Speck cases. The 4 that shattered was in a dock and someone slammed an amp against it. My oldest was hysterical when she called me. We had 5's on order to be delivered the next day and she spent her birthday money for hers, so no harm, no foul.

 

[jt'smom]

So essentially reward him for breaking the phone. My DD also works hard and saves her money. As a new driver she backed into a tree in a parking lot and smashed out the rear and side windows of my truck. It was an accident, she's an awesome kid was thisclose to having enough money to buy her first car and I made her pay cash to fix it. I'm not lying when I say it broke my heart to do it but she has never been careless in my vehicle again.

Different strokes, I guess. To me, it wouldn't be rewarding him for breaking a phone, I just wouldn't want to fork out $150, when I could sell it on FB garage sale page and, use that money to buy a brand new one. That is assuming it wasn't on a payment plan and was just bought outright. I wouldn't necessarily replace it with an Iphone, probably just whatever smart phone I got a discount on and the proceeds covered. On Verizon, I'm always getting special offers. I wouldn't have made my son, as a new driver, pay to fix a vehicle either, if he had accidentally backed into a tree. Unless he purposely rammed something or was farting around with the radio or something like that. Accidents happen, especially when you've got a new driver. I would never have assumed he was being "careless"... I would have chalked it up to inexperience!

 

[wenrob]

Different strokes, I guess. To me, it wouldn't be rewarding him for breaking a phone, I just wouldn't want to fork out $150, when I could sell it on FB garage sale page and, use that money to buy a brand new one. That is assuming it wasn't on a payment plan and was just bought outright. I wouldn't necessarily replace it with an Iphone, probably just whatever smart phone I got a discount on and the proceeds covered. On Verizon, I'm always getting special offers. I wouldn't have made my son, as a new driver, pay to fix a vehicle either, if he had accidentally backed into a tree. Unless he purposely rammed something or was farting around with the radio or something like that. Accidents happen, especially when you've got a new driver. I would never have assumed he was being "careless"... I would have chalked it up to inexperience!

We went to the scene it was total lack of attention, backing out of a double spot and going too fast. She didn't try to cover up any of those facts.

 

[DawnM]

We paid the monthly fee phone and texting for our kids and they could pick whatever phone they wanted for free, which was of course was not a smart phone. If they broke that or it got lost, we'd pay. DD did lose a phone, cost me $30 for a replacement. When they upgraded to a smartphone, they were responsible for the data fee per month, and any damage if something happened.
And they didn't get a phone until they were 16 and driving.

Recently, or before smart phones were popular? What years was this?

 

[DawnM]

I would probably pay the first time and then say I won't pay for anything unless they get an Otterbox or Lifeproof case next time.

But the truth is that they take better care of their phones than I do so I would be surprised if one of them broke a phone.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

It has been my experience that if there if there is no consequence in telling the truth, a person will not lie.

 

[lovin'fl]

OP here. Just an interesting aside. I asked DD if she had a 10 year old son who accidentally hit a baseball into the neighbors window would she pay to fix it or make him pay. She said she would pay cause it was an accident and her little 10 year old would not have money to pay because he can't work.... the poor fella. Gosh, times are so different than when I grew up in he 70s. I explained that he could go out and do chores to earn money to pay for it. She looked at me with a dear in the headlights look. Sad.