Problem: Last August 1, we rented a GL Grandia van for a 3-night stay in Bacolod for travel. It was for self-drive use. Unfortunately, I scratched it because I accidentally parked in an area with a plant box in a blind spot, which I wasn’t able to notice. I came from an intersection, and the area was very dark. (We took a photo of the plant box the next day.)

We immediately reported the incident to the owner of the car rental. To our surprise, instead of explaining what needed to be paid, they just gave us a cost. By the way, I wasn’t asked to sign any contract—possibly because this was already my second time renting from them. Still, in good faith, I know I am accountable for the damage.

They asked us to visit an auto shop in Bacolod, where we were given a quotation of ₱14,500, plus a ₱1,800 per day charge for 3 days—the estimated time the unit would be in the repair shop.

We asked if the damage could be charged through their insurance. Instead, they required me to visit Toyota myself to get a quotation. I originally thought the unit was a 2024 GL Grandia. Toyota confirmed this and said that if insurance was used, there might be a participation fee of around ₱6,000, and the owner mentioned there could also be a 30% depreciation fee. I was curious, but I honestly don’t have much knowledge about how car insurance works, since I don’t personally own a car—my family does, but I’m not familiar with the details.

In the end, we decided to pay the ₱18,000 directly: ₱14,500 for the auto shop repair and ₱1,800 per day for 3 days. We chose this option instead of using Toyota because they said the repair would take longer if done through insurance. Initially, the owner asked us to pay ₱20,000, but after we requested a lower amount, they agreed to ₱18,000. We were left with no choice and agreed.

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I just have a few questions:
	1.	We felt obliged to pay because I know we are accountable for the damage. But is it reasonable for us to pay ₱18,000 for just minor scratches?
	2.	Is it really necessary for us to pay a depreciation fee if we go through insurance—on top of the participation fee of ₱6,000? No panels will be replaced. They only need to order a sticker, and Toyota even mentioned that repainting might not be necessary. The minor dent can also just be repaired.
	3.	I know there was no contract, but we still felt obliged to pay the amount they asked. Was ₱18,000 a fair amount?
	4.	Is it okay for them not to push for insurance coverage? Why have insurance in the first place if they won’t use it? They said it takes longer, but I don’t believe it would really take 7 days to repair such minor damage. Insurance would’ve at least allowed them to maximize their coverage.
	5.	Is it legal for them to demand payment from us without a signed agreement? We were willing to pay, but we hoped the price would have been more reasonable.

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I’m okay with paying—I just want to get your thoughts if you also feel something isn’t right here. There were already scratches on the panel in the same area we damaged. I’m quite sure they’ve already charged previous renters for it. They could have at least charged us a bit lower.

By the way, they mentioned Standard Insurance, but I’m not sure if the agent I spoke to was legit. The person said there is indeed a depreciation fee, which is why we didn’t push through with claiming insurance. We were told the total might go even higher than ₱18,000 due to that 30% depreciation fee and the supposed 7-day repair time. So we just decided to pay for the direct auto shop repair without using insurance

NEED LEGAL ADVICE - car insurance