r/AskFrance • u/Moist-Somewhere-2840 • 17m ago
Auto/Moto Please help - dodgy car contract?
Hello,
I came to Martinique and I found a long term rental car. After less than 2 days the battery died and the owner blamed me , saying I must have left the lights on, but I didn't.
The car also had problems with going up hills, it was very old and very bad.
After only 10 days of using the car, I was driving down a steep hill when the steering started swerving extremely left and right very quickly and nothing I did with the steering wheel would stop it. It was as if the car came to life and started swerving. I also couldn't slow down very well because of the hill we were going down. Finally the car crashed into the side of the road. Luckily me and my passenger were both unharmed, but it could have been fatal.
Now the owner of the car is demanding €1000 from me. I don't think I should have to pay because it was the car that was dangerous and defective, not my driving. I have attached screenshots of the contract, which I understand I signed. But I was not made aware that the car would be dangerous when I signed it. There was nothing I could have done to avoid the crash.
I don't think it's fair for me to pay €1000 when I'm lucky to be alive in the first place thanks to her dangerous car. Please let me know if there's anything I can do. I'm really upset about the whole situation. It was very traumatic, I'm already out almost €1000 which paid for a month's rent plus the deposit, and now I might be out another €1000 as well on top of the traumatic near death experience.