ok, so the boy and I are on vacation at Pismo Beach. Yesterday we rented atvs, and today we rented a rail buggy. Not cheap, but I gre up riding/driving buggies out in the desert, so I thought it would be fun for us. They take a $300 damage deposit (on amex). We got the orientation, did a walk around, and headed out. Turns out that the boy really wasn't digging it as it was could and a pretty rough ride. I did a bit of cruising through some bowls, but he wasn't digging that, so we ended up pretty much putting up and down the sand highway, only staying out for an hour. I never was at wot, didn't jump it, or hammer it at all...the boy just wasn't into it.
When I came back the guy noticed the toe was funny (so did I once he mentioned it. Further inspection revealed a bent tie rod end and support member. I didn't notice it before we went out and neither did he. But I didn't whack *anything*. This was strictly normal operating conditions and below. The tire wasn't flat or off the bead either. The bent part was very rusty, and I couldn't see any "fresh" metal at all. Black paint was cracked off, but it was rusty underneath.
So they're holding the $300 cc deposit to "talk about" whether to charge me for the damages. My counter argument was that I didn't abuse the thing, and I have an expectation that I'm not renting a POS that will bend under light driving conditions.
So what do you guys think? Does this look like damage that could happen without really pushing the buggy? I know what hard driving is both on track and in the dirt, and I literally was at about 3/10s with this thing. If I'd actually abused it or done a big hit, I'd have no issue with paying the damage deposit, but...
the right front
the left front
