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[quote=Anonymous]Hi OP - it sounds like maybe her reaction to the issue, potentially lying about it, and other issues related to not being so happy with your au pair are coloring your feelings on this.  Unfortunately, I agree with others that, especially if you can't prove she did it, you have to let it go.  You can't make her pay $700 for a dent that doesn't affect the operation of the car.  She doesn't have that money and ruining her travel month just to prove a point will not make you feel better in the end and she was absolutely lose it.  Not to mention, I'm not even sure how you could make her pay since you're so close to the end of the program.

Lesson learned - if you're unhappy with your au pair, deal with it and don't let it fester until you're limping towards the end.  And clearly state up front the consequences of anything happening to the car.

She doesn't sound like a great au pair, and for mediocre au pairs (just like mediocre employees at my work), I don't give end-of-year bonuses anyway.  I'd skip the big celebration and gifting at the end of the year with this one, regardless of this incident.

This is one of the main reasons we stopped the au pair program actually - there are so many costs and risks like this one that it just didn't make sense anymore because it was stressing me out all the time worrying.  The car one is huge - we actually carried umbrella insurance while we had an au pair because I was scared to death she'd hit someone in the car and we'd be on the hook for tens of thousands, not just $700.  Driving a car is a HUGE responsibility that au pairs typically don't understand.  It's another reason why I get so frustrated with people on these boards and the au pairs themselves complaining about how low paid au pairs are.  They don't truly get the risk involved in having a young, foreign person joining your family.

Sorry, OP.  This sucks, but cut your losses and move on.  She'll be gone in two weeks and you'll feel like a giant weight has lifted from your shoulders.  You'll feel even better about yourself if you take the high road.[/quote]

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