A father in Hong Kong was hit with a hefty bill after his son accidentally knocked over a life-sized Teletubbies sculpture worth over $6,000 in a toy shop.
The father, named Cheng, was outside taking a phone call when he heard a loud ‘smashing sound’ and ran back into the shop to find his son staring down at the broken golden Laa-Laa replica.
he shop staff informed Cheng that he would have to pay $4,280 for the 5.9ft-tall porcelain doll as his young son had “kicked it over.”
However, CCTV footage showed that the child had simply leaned on the replica accidentally.
Many stores have policies in place to protect their merchandise, and the cost of accidental damage can be significant. In this case, the father was faced with a large bill for something that was not his intention or doing.
However, it also highlights the importance of understanding that accidents happen, and it’s not always clear what caused them. In this case, the CCTV footage helped to clear up the confusion and showed that the child had not acted maliciously.
The father was charged a large sum of money after his son accidentally knocked over the life-sized Teletubbies sculpture. After watching the footage, he criticised shop staff for misguiding him and called on the shop, KK Plus, to issue him a refund.
Cheng also mentioned that the sculpture should have been labeled as fragile, however, the shop owners said that the sculpture had been displayed in the same location since November 2020 without any issues.
The shop owner released a statement:
“The decoration has been displayed at its current location since November last year and it did not cause any inconvenience to the customers.”
“The incident was dealt with immediately and completely resolved, and the payment was proposed by the owner. This large-scale decoration is actually a prototype of the first printing.
It’s also important to remember that these stores are businesses and they need to protect their investments and profits. At the same time, it’s also important to consider the financial burden it may put on a family, especially when it is unexpected.
It’s important for parents to be aware of their children’s actions and take responsibility for any damages that may occur. However, it’s also important for businesses to understand that accidents happen and not to jump to conclusions without all the information.
The incident took place on Sunday, May 22 in the city’s Mongkok district and Cheng said his son was ‘terrified’ after the incident and had to skip school.
He also said that his son asked him why the sculpture looked scary. The incident sparked backlash on social media, with many pointing out that it wasn’t the young boy’s fault. Some users even suggested setting up a GoFundMe to help Cheng recover the costs.
The store issued an apology and offered to refund the father, acknowledging that the incident caused inconvenience and trauma to the family.
This incident highlights the importance of labeling fragile items and the need for businesses to handle such situations in a fair and empathetic manner. It’s also important to remember that accidents happen and it’s important to have policies in place to handle such situations in a reasonable manner without causing undue burden on customers.
Who do you think is in the right?
