College roommate accidentally spills soda on your child's laptop...

[Anonymous]

This happened to DS. Roommate gave him $500, we paid the rest for a new one.

[Anonymous]

Some of these responses are so strange. Why are some of you so offended at the thought of someone replacing or providing money to replace a possession of yours that they've damaged? I've seen this elsewhere on DCUM, and I truly don't get it. It doesn't make you seem poor (if that's what you're worried about) to consider asking for compensation, and it doesn't make you morally superior to act like a ruined laptop is no big deal. Would you just shrug and say "oh well!" if your DC had spilled soda and ruined another kid's laptop?

The roommate should have offered to at least pay for repairs, and if it can't be repaired, they should at least offer to help replace it. If the roommate cannot afford to replace it, that's another situation entirely. But it's not beyond the pale to expect someone to replace a pricy electronic that they've ruined.

[Anonymous]

You are not going to repair soda. Water MAYBE, maybe--but soda or beer or wine? No chance.

And most laptops are total losses once you add up the repair fees. The new Macbook screens are a $600 repair. Might as well just buy a brand new laptop at that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...yes, it was an accident...but now laptop is ruined and we need to buy a new one. Would you ask the roommate/roommate's parents to reimburse at least half of cost for new laptop?

Thoughts.... it's a roommate for next semester too...so might be awkward.

This is college, not elementary school.

[Anonymous]

DC tells roommate that laptop is not repairable and could he check if he has insurance that covers campus items because a new one is really expensive.

[Anonymous]

Has op explained why she did not purchase insurance for the laptop?

[Anonymous]

Right. Roommate offering would have been correct but apparently they did not. So now the only gracious thing to do is to pay it unless everyone is getting Pell grants then battle it out and ruin the relationship

[Anonymous]

Sorry you are so poor. Next semester send your child to community college. You lack social grace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC tells roommate that laptop is not repairable and could he check if he has insurance that covers campus items because a new one is really expensive.

Insurance that covers other people's things? Very unlikely

[Anonymous]

Are parents with a child in a college dorm encouraged to get rental insurance? I know everyone gets it if the kid is off-campus but I'm unsure if families get it for dorm year(s).

[Anonymous]

First of all, it was beer. And second of all, if it was a laptop it probably shouldn’t be out on his desk when he has friends over for beers because this is gonna happen. I’d just replace it with a stern warning to your kid about putting his laptop away for parties

[Anonymous]

You need to get renter's insurance for these exact scenarios. Check your home insurance policy. We have Allstate and our policy covers property loss occurring beyond the house up to a certain amount .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, it was beer. And second of all, if it was a laptop it probably shouldn’t be out on his desk when he has friends over for beers because this is gonna happen. I’d just replace it with a stern warning to your kid about putting his laptop away for parties

If it was beer, then chalk it up to being a party foul. That's on you and DS...

Not to mention the fact that I would literally LOL if a grown adult's parent contacted me to resolve an issue involving my own grown adult child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC tells roommate that laptop is not repairable and could he check if he has insurance that covers campus items because a new one is really expensive.

Insurance that covers other people's things? Very unlikely

Plenty of policies include liability coverage. Mine does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, it was beer. And second of all, if it was a laptop it probably shouldn’t be out on his desk when he has friends over for beers because this is gonna happen. I’d just replace it with a stern warning to your kid about putting his laptop away for parties

This was my guess too.