15 Year Old drops her camera and can't get a new one (or has to pay for repair)

Since everyone had such NEGATIVE things to say about my parenting
skills let me clue everyone in on the progress. Guess what? After
explaining the situtation to Target, they have agreed to accept the
camera back and issue us a gift card in the amount of $250.00. This
camera came out of her hands onto a tabletop (not a far distance) - it
was practically brand new and this all started in March 07 because of
the incompetent people that work for the extended service plan giving
me the run around, I'm just getting this settled. I was willing to
pay for the repairs, we accepted my daughter's blame and took
responsibility but don't tell me that she did $128.00 worth of damage
from such a short fall---that's bull!
I have always owned Kodak cameras and am very knowledgeable about
cameras - I knew the amount they quoted me to fix the camera was
astronomical. It was not fair!
So for all of you rude people who don't know me or my (very
responsible) daughter, who took full blame for it slipping out of her
hands, there you go! We are very pleased with the outcome. Nobody
deserves to go through what I went through with the extended service
people (the plan which I was talked into buying from Target's
salesperson). A lesson was learned in all of this - one of them being
that people are very judgmental and rude on this website.
Thank you.

When you own something, and then break it; Isn't that your own fault?
I believe warranties should cover problems that are not your fault.
This might be a good time to teach your 15 year old the consequences
of her actions. I think that using her age to make this situation seem
unfair, just shows how irresponsible you are. Teach your kid to be
more careful with the things she owns.

I don't know if they have them at your stores, but I work at Staples
and my store carries a rather cheap digital camera specifically for
younger people. Might want to consider that.

December 22, 2007.... you're into time travel, I see.

This is the exact reason most people are advised to NOT purchase
extended warranties.

I was at a local Toys R Us, and the manager was pushing extended
warranties. He said, "No matter what you do, it will be replaced".
BUT, when you read the warranty, you see he flat out LIED! There were
no misunderstandings here. I heard him tell this to a person, and I
asked, Did you just say if you run over something, they will replace
it or refund the purchase price? He said Yes. I restated my question,
"So, let's say I don't want this item within the length of the
warranty, anymore, I can run my car over it, and they will replace it,
or refund my money?" Again, "Yes". I read the warranty info, because
I buy lots of stuff that cant be returned if I dont like it, so, an
extended warranty that would allow this would be very beneficial. As I
suspected, HE LIED! Accidental damages due to our negligence was NOT
covered.

When it comes to these waranties, I suggest asking the store manager,
explicitly, then get it in writing, then, read the warranty. If the
mgr refuses to give it in writing, I suspect that's because they are
simply trying to push warranties. If it's not in writing, then you'll
have a hard time proving later, "Well, the mgr. said....."

The warranty, despite being written in a teeny-tiny font, explicitly
stated that this type of damage is not covered. Therefore, the powers
that be had every right to tell you that you would have to pay for the
repair job.

Sorry, but it's not Target's fault that your child dropped her camera.
It's not the warranty company's fault that your child dropped her
camera. It's your child's fault.

This could be a great opportunity to teach your child how to make
responsible buying decisions. You could teach her that, whenever
somebody offers her a warranty plan, she should read the entire
contract before she buys/signs it. You could also teach her that it's
not somebody else's fault when we do silly things with our stuff.

Translation:

My daughter dropped a comera and broke it. All future Target
customers should pay for this (since Target's cost of business is
inevitably passed on to its customers) because my daughter is
incapable of taking responsibility for her own mistakes.

Further, I have raised my daughter to believe that she is not
responsible for her own actions, and that any mistakes made must find
a third party to be blamed.

In other words, I have failed as a parent. Miserably so.

Okay, wait. Hold the phone. Stop the presses. You want Target (or the
warranty company, or both) to pay for for your daughter's negative
actions? You surely can't be serious.

So with that reasoning, does it make a difference if the person that
dropped the camera was over 18?

Since Target didn't have the opportunity to be there to "catch" the
camera (or raise your child for you), why would anyone fault them for
the damage?

I thought a warranty covered DEFECTS in the equipment, not damage
caused by someone dropping a camera.

In effect, you are stating that had your daughter smashed her camera
to bits with a hammer, you should have received a refund....
that is not how warranties work.

I think you are in the wrong here, not Target.

Why should Target go against the stated policy? Because it is in fine
print? Surely your complaint is a joke.

Your disappointment stems from not understanding your warranty, not
from anything Target did wrong.

Lisa,

The best thing you can teach your daughter is RESPONSIBILITY and the
best way to do that is to allow her to suffer the consequences of her
carelessness.

No extended warranty EVER covers damage by dropping, smashing, running
over or throwing a piece of electronic equipment. As a rational
adult, you already know this and should be embarrassed and ashamed of
yourself for throwing a tantrum over something you KNEW they weren't
going to cover.

I too am very disappointed with the way this whole thing has been
handled. You advocating for your daughter when she was clearly at
fault send the wrong message. Basically, you have just told her that
it's OK to be careless, you just scream and yell and pitch a fit and
someone will give in and let you have your way.

Sorry that this has happened to you- but she really must have dropped
it hard for it to no longer work and for you to need a new one. I've
got an Olympus digital camera that I've had for at least 5 years now,
and my son (who's 7) is always playing with it-taking pictures, etc.
Now granted, the outers don't look great, but it's still working. Last
summer it got left out in a box on a carport when we moved, and was
found 4 months later (we thought it'd gotten tossed accidently during
our move).
And if you're not sure about the "small print" ask. Of course the
employee is going to try to sell you an extended warranty- they get
credit, etc. for all the extra sales they do.
And another thing- if you buy a car, and the paint gets scratched, are
you going to ask the car dealer or mfg for a new one because your
insurance or warranty isn't going to cover it?

Accidental damage is not covered by any typical extended warranties
that I've seen. However, Best Buy has recently started offering a
special accidental damage coverage on its digital cameras and laptops.
This service plan costs more than the basic service plan, but it might
be something you should look into for your next camera purchase.
Target is not obligated to give you anything for this camera.

This is yet another special snowflake who just KNOWS that the rules DO
NOT apply to her. How silly of us not to realize it sooner.

YOUR DAUGHTER SHOULD WRITE THIS LETTER HERSELF. SHES BIG ENOUGH TO OWN
A DIGITAL CAMEREA SHE SHOULD FIGHT HER OWN BATTLES. AND NO TARGET IS
NOT RESPONSIBLE. WELL WAIT NEITHER IS YOUR DAUGHTER.

Your daughter is old enough to get a job or to babysit to earn the
money to repair her camera, if it's that important to her. Even if
Target does replace it, she still should have to work it off.

Perhaps this would teach her to be more careful with her things.
Right now, the only lesson she is learning is that irresponsibility is
okay. You've taught her this lesson exceptionally well.

No offence, but it is not Target's fault you and your daughter did not
read the fine print, also if you and your daughter cannot take
responsibility for your actions maybe she should not have a digital
camera.

So, since your 15 year old daughter dropped her camera and broke it,
how is that Targets problem? And why are they responsible for
something clearly outside of the warranty? They aren't. Plain and
simple. Why didn't you or someone close to you point that out to you
since you didn't obviously see it. And why does it matter that your
daughter is 15 years old? That makes no sense to me or has any
bearing on the outcome. It is worse the younger they are? Less
severe the older they are? You don't have a claim or issue to stand
on. It's too bad you wasted your own precious time trying to get
something that you're not entitled to.

Better luck next time!

So if they included impact damage, what would stop a consumer from
breaking it on purpose with a hammer to get a new one just before the
warranty expired?
Warranties cover the workmanship of the product, not the damage
sustained by use other than what it was intended for. A warranty is
not the same thing as insurance.
If they covered impact damaged, a pissed off customer could buy one
and break the camera over and over again and keep getting it replaced
for a new one. For all they know your daughter did it on purpose.

" She's 15 years old and that is all they do is take pictures. I'll
know better in the future when purchasing an electronic item."
-----

Maybe try buying a camera and not a camera phone for her if all she
wants to do is take pictures.

"Needless to say", you didn't think about that option, did you?

Since this OP already got the company to cave, I'll share some info I
learned with those who actually take responsibility for their actions
(and those of their minor children).
About 5 years ago we purchased what was then a top-of-the-line digital
camera. While I was using it to take pictures of some items I was
selling on eBay, I dropped it, on the carpet. It ceased to work. I
knew it was my fault, but I immediately called the camera repair shop
in town and asked them what to do. I knew my boyfriend (we were not
married yet) would be peeved to say the VERY least. The guy at the
camera shop told me to try to re-charge the battery for 24 hours and
then try again. Sure as shootin', I charged the battery and the
camera was good as new. The impact of the drop had somehow knocked
the charge out of the battery. I would love it if someone could
explain this to me, but I'll tell you I was just glad that I wasn't
going to have to spend $$$ on a repair!
About 6 months ago I dropped the darn thing again and this time on a
concrete floor. I actually heard pieces rattling around inside the
unit. This time, it was beyond repair. I ended up finding a refurb
of the same camera (we have all the accessories) on eBay for $60.
Much better than the original price we paid, but I knew any warranty
would not cover MY clumsiness!

Come by and take a look!
http://planetfeedback.typepad.com/mommage/2007/06/teaching-childr.html

I have to agree with others, Lisa. No matter what you thought you
were buying, you did buy a plan that explicitly excludes damage caused
by dropping the camera, and unless your 15-year-old is substantially
more coordinated than most of the 15-year-olds I've ever known (and I
somehow doubt that since you appear to believe that it is so obvious
that we should know without being told that your daughter would drop
it 3 months after receiving it), you should not only have asked about
damage due to dropping but also insisted that you be shown where in
the contract dropping was covered. By all means complain to Target
about getting bad information from their employee, but what someone
*said* to you is going to be disputed, unlike the *written* document
you got which *explicitly* says if you drop it you're on your own.

I'm willing to bet that when they said they'd be repairing the camera
or giving your kid a gift card they didn't know what exactly had
happened to the camera. When someone makes you a conditional promise
based on a reasonable belief about something and it then turns out
that the reasonable belief is false, the promise can vanish.

Consider it an unpleasant and expensive lesson for your daughter about
the importance of (a) taking care of one's things (and I recognize
that this was an accident, but still) and (b) reading contracts before
signing them. Believe me, she'll have many opportunities to feel
grateful about these lessons throughout her life. Maybe in December
you will buy her another one and she will be incredibly careful with
it and be able to enjoy it for years.

I have a reputation for dropping electronics myself. And if I
demanded a replacement for every Walkman or Discman that broke when I
dropped it... well, suffice it to say that your daughter should
either pay for the repair or buy a new camera out of her allowance.

I think you mean you purchased it in December '06.. since we haven't
reached December '07 yet.. I'm not sure about Target's warranty info,
but at the store I work at, we have two plans. One that covers
internal defects/issues, and a accident protection plan. The only high
priced electronic I've bought from Target was an iPod a few years ago,
so I woulnd't know the other info about the camera, but I'm thinking
it doesn't include accidental drops. At 15 all they do it take
pictures? When I was 15 I wasn't taking pictures... It's not the
company's fault that she dropped it. All warranty plans have the fine
print, thats why you read it before you purchase it, you don't just go
on what the sales associate says to you. And as for the price of
repair, you think that amount is too steep. Well you'd be surprised at
how much things cost to repair these days. I think this might be my
longest post ever! woohoo! lol

Yet another child who is going to grow up feeling entitled. This
entitlement disease is spreading like the plague in our country. If
parents do not quickly step up to the plate and actually *GASP*
parent, I shudder to think what the world is coming to.

YOUR child dropped the camera, the warranty does not cover impact
damage (dropping the camera would likely result in impact damage), so
really what part are you not clear on?

Step up to the plate here. Instead of teaching your child how to get
around things and short cut their way through life, how about teaching
some responsibility, like we are responsible for our actions. That
means if you drop your camera, instead of throwing a hissy fit/temper
tantrum like a toddler would, you have to do without your camera and
save up your allowance or get a part time job to replace it.

Things are not always someone elses fault. Bad things happen, teach
your daughter how to deal with it. It is amazing how much more
careful people (especially young people) are with things that they
have to/had to pay for.

That is all.

More and more people are taking less and less responsibility for their
own actions, its kinda scary if you think about it.

Personally, if the fine print of a contract or whatever I'm about to
purchase is too small to read, then chances are that I wont buy it.

This is why you read contracts very carefully before signing
them...small print and all. If you don't understand the contents of
the contract, inquire, take notes, and have some kind of written
proof.

This is also the sound of personal responsibility dying. Is it not
well understood that a warranty for defective merchandise has nothing
to do with a warranty that allows you to be careless with your
expensive electronic toys?

Anyone else notice this camera was purchased 6 months from now?
Sounds like this is a problem for an episode of the X-files (cue eerie
music).

"The sales person told me it would be covered if dropped because I
distinctly asked him about that."

Kodak probably doesn't care what the employee told you, but Target
might. If the sales person gave you the wrong info about the warranty,
it might be better to go back to target and talk to the manager.
Maybe they could do something about it there.

I purchased a new cell phone in February of this year, a flip-phone,
and have the warranty on it. I accidentally dropped it and the hinge
that attaches the 2 halves broke, leaving it in 2 pieces. I wasn't
entitled to a replacement or free repair either, because I caused the
damage, and it wasn't some defect in the phone. However, I was able
to get a repair for $98, much less than what a new phone would cost
me.

Same thing applies here - the warranty only covers defects in the
camera, not damage caused by the user, unfortunately. Just curious,
how much was the camera when you bought it? Was the repair cost that
unreasonable? I agree that the situation sucks, but they did nothing
wrong.

The OP wants a clause about dropping the camera put into the
warranty.

There is a clause about dropping the camera. The OP quoted it.
"Damage...caused by...any physical force or object that is external,
whether accidental or intentional.". Basically, if it is hit by
something (like a floor), even accidentally, the warranty does not
cover it.

The size of the print is irrelevant. I imagine it could be size 20
font with flashing neon letters and consumers would still insist they
were cheated.

As to why the consumer would purchase an extended warranty that does
not cover impact damage, only she would know. However, it appears she
did so and it happened because she failed to read the warranty.

Unfortunately it is your responsibility, as the consumer, to
understand the terms and conditions of the extended warranty you
purchased.

Unless your warranties (regular and extended) cover damage caused by
the user, you're out of luck. I dropped my brand-new digital camera
last month (I'd had it less than 3 weeks) while on vacation, and I
sure don't expect Canon to ship me a new one.

You seem awfully self-entitled.

Excuse me?? Your daughter dropped the camera and you think it should
be fixed under the extended warranty even though it specifically says
impact damage is not covered. I just can't believe that!

Take (and show your daughter) responsibility and accept the fact that,
no matter what, this is not covered under the warranty. I can't think
of any electronic item that would be.

This whole thing has been handled in accordance to the extended
warranty you purchased.

I'm confused. What did the fine print say? There's something missing
from your quote. Did they say the INCLUDE or EXCLUDE accidental
damage?

If it says "exclude" then it's exclude. That means that you don't get
a free repair or gift card. The $29, in your case, was a waste of
money. But it was your decision to buy the warranty. No one can bail
you out of that.

On the other hand, if you were told that drops would be covered (and
they aren't), you can make a complaint that the warranty was sold to
you fraudulently. I, myself, have experience where I was told a lie
about a warranty and was denied access to the written warranty until
after I'd paid. I was able to get a refund of the warranty. But that
was only because the consumer affairs department DID find sufficient
proof that the salesperson fraudulently represented the warranty.

Most service plans do not cover damage caused by the owner, even when
they're only 15.