Au Pair Car Accidents-How to Handle?
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Anonymous
| Au pair banged up car. Our handbook specifies that she is responsible for first $500 (our deductible is $1000). She thinks the estimate our garage gave is too high ($800) and is resentful about having to pay her portion. We told her to bring cash or her card to the garage when we pick up the car, and have continued to reimburse for her other expenses and pay the stipend as per usual. We are still getting a lot of attitude (she blames the other driver/our cars’s back-up camera, etc.). We tried to have an adult conversation with her and she began complaining how expensive DC is and she thinks NY is cheaper (ha!). Considering we are paying for her room & board, phone, car insurance, gas, parking, gym membership, I think she means entertainment and studies are expensive- can’t really argue with her there...How to handle? |
Anonymous
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Since you are not having to pay the typical 1k deductible, I think at very least you should split the difference. Either have her pay $400 instead of $500, or pass the full savings on to her $300 instead of $500. $500 is an insane amount, I would not go beyond 2 weeks pay.
Our deductible is $500. She pays for $200 of it. |
Anonymous
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Involve your LCC immediately to talk to her and explain that you are being reasonable.
If you are getting good child care from her and otherwise like her, set up a $50/week payment plan (or similar). Giving her the benefit of the doubt, seems like maybe this behavior is stress/$$ related. If she is only so-so or you dont really like her, have an in person meeting with LCC about attitude. |
Anonymous
| I agree $500 is very high, and you assume she has that much saved? Talk to her about what she feels she can pay now and what later, and if you want to keep her around think about graciously reducing the $500 to $400 or $300 as PP suggests |
Anonymous
| Ultimately, you should ask yourself if $200 is worth the remaining year of resentment or a potential re-match. For me, it definitely would not be worth it (and $200 to her means a lot more than $200 to you). |
Anonymous
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Was she working at the time or on her own time?
If she was working I don't think she should have to pay anything. You should have a lower deductible imo. |
Anonymous
| She’s got savings. But based on the above, we will split the cost with her ($400 each). |
Anonymous
| Op: nope, she was taking the car out with friends. |
Anonymous
| Au pair car insurance is super expensive. You might need a high deductible just to make the payments manageable. |
Anonymous
| My previous AP agency (EurAupair) had in their agreement that the AP should not pay more than $250 deductible regardless of the situation. I agree that for an AP, $500 is very high. So I will do less but tell her she will pay full deductible if she get into another accident. I know some family give a first warning. Also be happy the damage is not that high and you don't have to go through your insurance (i.e. No premium increase!) |
Anonymous
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AP deductible varies by agency. Some are higher ($500) and some are lower ($250).
If yours allows for $500, then AP should pay $500 for the damages. They took the car out in their free time and are 100% responsible. |
Anonymous
| I didn’t know you could force APs to spend so much? Our AP got in an accident recently and we didn’t ask for anything, in part because we bake car accidents into our AP costs. |
Anonymous
It may be agency by agency-- CCAP allows $500. I know because both of our APs got into (minor) car accidents. We made one pay $200 --we believe she was on her phone at the time and if we could have proven it we would have made her pay the full $500. We absolutely adored the other AP and didn't charge her anything. |
Anonymous
I just checked my agreement with APC and it says AP can't pay more than $250 per accident! |
Anonymous
| APIA allows for $500. |