I know it’s no consolation but i’ll share a story of revenge…
A certain Hire company tried to get in excess of three grand out on me when I returned a brand new Honda Civic I had broken a little. I drove it to an uplift at bringwood down the, at the time rather rough fire road, in the manner of a rally car and with the ‘you can do whatever the hell you like to a hire car’ attitude (much younger and slightly stupider).
Anyway turns out I aired it a little in to a large hole and destroyed most of the front near side suspension and cracked the top mount etc. Proper ****.
Limped it home, cleaned and polished the rest of the car and made it as shiny as possible and returned it to said hire place and parked it in the darkest corner of the underground car park with damaged corner next to the wall, went in at about 5 to 9 on monday morning when I knew they would be flat out busy. Guy took one look at it from the office and saw the nice shininess and sign it off as being returned as it left without a second thought.
Two days later phone call
Them – ‘ What the hell did you do to this Civic, there’s about three grand of damage to this vehicle you hired, you’ll have to pay for that’
Me – ‘Strange I have a document signed by your staff to say it was returned in the condition it left’
Them – ‘yes but you’ll have to pay for it’
Me ‘I have a document signed by your staff to say it was returned in the condition it left, I’ll see you in court if you want?’
Them – ‘Um’
Me – ‘Is that all?’
Them – Silence…
Never heard anything again and have subsequently used same hire firm without issue.