If you break it – do you really have to buy it?

Are you legally obligated to buy something you break?

Not necessarily - even if the store has a sign that says so. According to attorney Adam Freedman, there’s no statute on the books declaring “you break it, you buy it” in the United States. When a store displays a sign with such a rule, it’s considered a unilateral contract. That’s a contract proposed by one party and not necessarily agreed on by the other party – you.

If you’ve broken something while shopping, there are a few things that would need to be considered before you have to pay. Did you act negligently? If you were juggling that fine china in the store – a court would likely hold you liable for damages. If the store did not take reasonable steps to prevent breakage of something valuable, you might be off the hook. If you are found at fault for the breakage – you would most likely be responsible for the wholesale, not retail price of the item. If it’s a rare or irreplaceable item – you could wind up shelling out a lot for your negligence. Don’t touch that stuff.