Lawsuit?? Is it possible?

[AMD Lover]

I recently fixed an iPhone 6S for a friend. A couple weeks later the backlight started messing up on one corner of the screen. I bought another screen of a different brand but it did not solve the problem, I offered to actually buy her a new phone. I felt bad that it could have possibly been my fault. The next day after she left my house that night before I noticed something was missing off my desk. I hadn't touched the thing in forever and knew that it was there before she came. I messaged her about it and she immediately denied knowing anything about it and said if I didn't give her $600 that she was going to file a lawsuit. Could that even be a thing???

[AshleyAshes]

From context I'd ASSUME she's going to sue you over the phone but you don't actually state that.  And, well, maybe?  You expose yourself to potential liability when doing repairs should you do more damage than anything.  This is why there are terms and refund policies in repair agreements.  Though as you offered to REPLACE the phone, then, if she's refusing to have you replace it (Or pony up the replacement cost) it'd be tricky to bring a small claims suit to completion.

 

As for the stolen item, with no proof that she stole it, you're kinda SOL there.

[TetraSky]

Is the thing that's missing important? Is it worth anything? Could it be used against you in a blackmail sort of way, like "pay me or whatever I took is gonna get it/be posted onto the internet"

 

Also, lets be honest here, if she went to you to repair it instead of going to the apple store or a third party repair shop, she herself was taking the risk of it breaking in your hands.

The fact that it lasted a few weeks after repair might also indicated that it broke at no fault of yours.

Not only that, but you've offered to buy her a new phone (and that 6S is certainly NOT worth $600 anymore, it's closer to $150 to $200, even lower depending on how badly "damaged" it is, it's like all apple products are designed to break easily isn't it),

so even if she sues you(which is unlikely, would cost her a LOT more money to sue you than it would to buy a new phone, it's more likely to go in Arbitration), she'd probably end up losing.

You've already went above and beyond for her.

[Guest]

Push your luck and see what happens. I sell faulty items sometimes (as described so) and then I get people complaining and wanting a refund, so always ask them to go through the site and be polite etc. I don't sell stuff anymore though its just not worth the hassle - but people try and swindle you out of money because they couldn't make a quick buck (I've just gotten so sick of it and I don't like hearing people being let down supposedly by me and the situation is usually always complicated). 

 

Always have a standard policy set and use the Consumer Guarantees Act (You might have one in the US - but i'm not sure) where if your service is faulty within a reasonable timeframe (1 year usually for tech) you have to repair, refund or replace it. Something like that. 

[Mooshi]

lol yeah sure, a real attorney would eat way more than $600 in fees alone. Call her bluff and dare to hire an attorney and wait for her to backout.

[dizmo]

Sounds to me that:

1. She's at least a little suspect. Who threatens to sue and has a number in their head immediately upon confrontation?
2. You have a shitty friend selection process. This needs to be improved.

Honestly? Call her bluff. This doesn't sound to me like it's an actual business agreement or anything (which most people for some reason seem to be drawn to), and small claims court costs both time and money. Most people threaten it, few pursue. If you have proof that you offered her a replacement, you're better off. $600 is too much for an iPhone 6s, as it's used and has depreciation to factor in.

5 minutes ago, Mooshi said:

lol yeah sure, a real attorney would eat way more than $600 in fees alone. Call her bluff and dare to hire an attorney and wait for her to backout.

Small claims court...

[RoyalGamer1]

9 hours ago, Mooshi said:

lol yeah sure, a real attorney would eat way more than $600 in fees alone. Call her bluff and dare to hire an attorney and wait for her to backout.

Lol you realize that’s only for federal cases. With a small claim like this you just go to small claims court that is a civil court meaning you don’t have an attorney it’s just you and the defendant talking to the judge and the judge rules all on what she thinks based off what she’s told and gets from the reports.

 

it still has fees but it’s like 10’s of dollars not thousands 

 

haven’t you ever seen judge Judy? Or one of the many other judge shows? That’s a small claims count. 

[AshleyAshes]

1 hour ago, RoyalGamer1 said:

haven’t you ever seen judge Judy? Or one of the many other judge shows? That’s a small claims count. 

Actually, it's not.  While "Judge Judy" and those other shows give the appearance of court, they are actually arbitration rather than court, it's a private arrangement overseen by an arbitrator rather than a civil court.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitration

[AresKrieger]

5 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

Actually, it's not.  While "Judge Judy" and those other shows give the appearance of court, they are actually arbitration rather than court, it's a private arrangement overseen by an arbitrator rather than a civil court.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitration

Doesn't matter small claims court still exists and you don't actually need a lawyer to sue

 

 

I'd ignore the threat and say I had security cameras but since you already had discussion with her the bluff to illicit reaction is off the table, regardless I still wouldn't care and a 6s isn't worth 600 bucks regardless.

[RoyalGamer1]

4 hours ago, AshleyAshes said:

Actually, it's not.  While "Judge Judy" and those other shows give the appearance of court, they are actually arbitration rather than court, it's a private arrangement overseen by an arbitrator rather than a civil court.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitration

I have been to civil court and its exactly the same, so just stop. you are just annoying at this point and no one cares okay? ill ask you next time I would like your input. 

[AshleyAshes]

2 minutes ago, RoyalGamer1 said:

I have been to civil court and its exactly the same, so just stop. you are just annoying at this point and no one cares okay? ill ask you next time I would like your input. 

Except it's not court.  It's not a court at all.  It's a private arbitration with a lady dressed up like a judge for the sake of television theatrics.  All I'm saying is that a lot of people mistake Judge Judy for being some kind of court room (Reasonably so, after all, they literally CALL it her courtroom in the narration) but yeah, that's not court.

 

Though I don't see why you are becoming emotionally upset for having it pointed out to you that Judge Judy is not, in any way, a court or any form of litigation.

[wasab]

Yeah, it’s your responsibility. You will need to give her, her phone back

[Canada EH]

Judge Judy type shows are all staged, and the people are actors. Just like Jerry Springer, Dr. Phil and so on.

[fringie]

Doesn't sound like a friend at all, either way after this issue is done with never speak to her again (for your own sake). Best of luck.