Cell phones and washing machines do not mix

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So here is the situation. I was doing laundry and I had a "too small" load to do. So I yelled at Teen Snook to get out of his pajamas and throw them in the wash, and then get dressed. 20 minutes later I go to put the clothes in the dryer and I see his cell phone in the washing machine. $370 later he has a replacement phone as his was only 6 weeks old and under contract without insurance.

Now I feel kind of guilty as I'm the one who told him to strip and put his sweat pants in the washing machine, but on the other hand he should have never had his phone in his sweat pants while in the house. So my question to you all is how much should I collect from him for replacing his phone.

 

No comment on the collection amount, but did you consider 're-upping' the phone (extending the contract under the guise of upgrading, at drastically reduced cost) instead of, well, being honest about the damage scenario?

 

This is different since I am in Canada, but when my Motorola i560 broken, I gave Telus a call, and they offered me something known as the "phone replacement plan", which is nothing more than an older model phone offered at a reduced price, no contract. There are plenty of alternatives to dishing out the full retail price and getting chained for even longer... there are some buy/sell phone forums, Craigslist can do the job as well. Failing that, flea markets can be a good alternative if you're looking for GSM/iDEN (T-Mo, AT&T/Nextel, Boost) phones. Buying used CDMA (Sprint, VZW, Alltel, amongst others) is more delicate buisness and I do not recommend it unless you're familiar with the said person or know your way around with the proper tools should one encounter any trouble. eBay also works... and the gems one can find!

As for a phone insurance, you still have to pay a deductible that varies from 50-200$ depending on the kind of phone. You're also limited to a certain number of claims.

As for the collection amount... the alternatives I provided would've saved ya a hell of a lot of cash, but I don't know either.

One thing I know, though... getting a phone through a provider is a F'N RIPOFF!

 

You have contract with one phone? My dog ate my cellphone one time and I just bought another and activated it in my account... for free...

 

I'd say all of it. Whenever anything goes in the laundry, it is the responsability of the owner to make sure it goes in in the right condition (within reason). As an example, I do the laundry here, but I don't know what my wife fears will shrink (and thus what to keep out of the drier). We came up with a good system of putting clothing clips on the things that she doesn't want dried. They stay on through the washer and generally stand out. If she fails to put one on, and something goes through the drier as a result, it's her responsability, even though I put it in.

Likewise, if I were to leave something damagable in my pants and she were to put them through the washer for whatever reason, it's on me.

 

@Snook

Ah, this reminds me of my cheapskate of a father. He only thinks about saving money/water/power/whatever right then and there...not the lost potential/consequences of such cheapness down the road.

I think you should foot the entire bill this time*. Sorry dude, you'll get no pity from me.


(* - next time his phone goes kaput, for whatever reason, he should have to foot 100% of the bill.)

 

He's old enough to know better than to put electronics in the washer. Teenagers ALWAYS know where their phones are so it's his own fault. Get him to cough up.

Was it not covered on your house/contents insurance?

 

Even if it was, I'm sure the deductible would have wiped out any benefit.

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We have contracts with all of our phones. That is why his original phone cost $1

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Couldn't do it. He was only 6 weeks into the contract. Trust me I tried.

 

An ex of mine worked for a mobile company. He said that the best way round it was to call the company (after the accident) and buy insurance (without telling them it's knackered!). Then call them back a week later and tell them that you've had an accident with it. They can't prove that the phone was broken before you took out the policy

 

I have had 2 cell phones go thru the wash in the last 3 years. Wtih thtat said, your kid should be responsible, he should know where his phone is and shouldn't leave it with the dirty laundry. As for me, I can't held responsible, as I have young kids for christ sake and no man alive should be expected to think straight when "trying" to watch the wee ones...

 

Yeah, most of them have $500 deductibles.

 

His phone, his responsibility. Period. You cannot protect your children from their own stupidity.

I personally would not have replaced the phone. He just would have done without until the next cycle when you can get a phone for free.

 

What kinds of s****y phones do you have? My phone has been in the wash 3 times now, no damage and still works perfectly.

Oh, and it is shiny and smells fresh

Edit:
Okay okay, no physical damage -> I can turn it on and call people, but the screen is a little blurry (and completely scratched, but that's another story.)

 

Morg, I had a mil-spec Motorola which survived being submerged in liquid for ~10 hours. The speakerphone and earpiece worked intermittently, but eventually, it was good as new. Both screens work, too.

 

This is straight up - teenagers more often than not have no clue where their stuff is, and this applies especially to phones. Checking pockets before putting stuff in the washing machine should be a mandatory requirement for the parents of a teenager.

 

Actually, Taza, I'd suggest that checking pockets prior to the washing machine is a good policy under any circumstance.

 

I think we're lacking some important information here - how old is Teen Snook and how much money does he have/earn?

I don't think you should be asking money based on who is to blame - it seems just like a stupid accident and not really anyone's responsibility or fault. Base how much you want to ask out of him on whether he has the money and how much you need/can justify swallowing for him.

 

Aikanaro, I think that Snook mentioned that Teen Snook is almost 13 yo in another thread (the organ donor thread)...

 

When I was 13, the only source of income I had throughout the year was mowing other people's lawns in the summer, and shovelling out driveways in the winter. (I also had to mow and shovel where I lived but I didn't get paid for that.) To put it another way, I didn't have a consistent source of income. I didn't HAVE $370 (or whatever the equivalent amount would be 20-something years ago). So making Teen Snook pay the entire cost of the phone is simply not practical, and may not even be possible.

 

I always knew where my stuff was as a teen, and I never had to check any of my pockets for anything. Checking my father's pockets became a family tradition, though, as he had a tendency to leave things like pens and pocket watches in there.