A tourist has somehow managed to get a refund on a rental car despite driving on the wrong side of the road and crashing it five minutes after leaving the depot.
They successfully used a fine print clause of the hire contract after the rental company refused to provide a replacement vehicle, due to concern for the safety of other drivers.
The tourist had just arrived in New Zealand and picked up a rental car on a 20-day hire for $1481 in advance.
She was seen driving on a roundabout on the wrong side of the road and soon hit a row of parked cars.
Because the driver was refused a replacement car, she lodged a claim for a refund for the amount paid in advance.
The Disputes Tribunal found the tourist was entitled to a $1293 refund, the 19 days remaining on the rental agreement.
The tourist claimed that the car had several defects and caused her to crash.
However after further testing and investigation, the tribunal found no evidence of a mechanical defect with the car, and that the accident was more likely due to driver error.
The hire firm said the agreement allowed it to refuse to provide a replacement car if it had concerns the driver could be a safety risk to other road users.
Because the accident happened within minutes of the hire, staff felt it appropriate for safety reasons to refuse the request for a replacement vehicle.
Despite all the evidence, the tourist was still entitled to get a refund.
