Trying to blame me for pre-existing damage

<p> <br />Trying to blame me for president existing damage<br />by tysonj 14<br />Hired a car from Tempest Car hire in Capetown, took the keys at on 13/08/2016 at 12:40, after all the paperwork we managed to locate the car by 12:45, no representative from tempest came with to inspect the car with me. Before driving out the lot i walked around and took photos of the hire car. </p> <p>Returned the car on 15/08/2016 at 13:10, drove into the returns bay and the receiving guy instead of walking to me directly as i had keys in hand he proceeded direct to the front passenger side of the car and pointed out a small cut and rim damage on the front of the car that I was now to be liable for. I then went back to the pictures I took on Friday and the damage is very easily identifiable on the photo. I proceeded to the office to speak to the staff to show them the pic and to ensure that even though I had tyre cover I was in no way responsible for the damage. They assured me it wound be taken care of. So I left and flew home that afternoon. Now I get an email with a claim against me on my name for the damage. I have phoned head office of tempest but no one on a senior level is available to talk to me, so im left with the responsibility on my name. I have to add that I had tyre insurance so even if I was responsible which I wasn't i wouldn't be paying for the damage, but its not morally correct to blame me in any way or put my name against anything related to damage that i did not cause. I have photos with date stamps and this is not good enough for Tempest Car hire. I even emailed the pictures to them the same afternoon so they have copies of the picture I took. </p> <p> </p> <p>They are trying to blame me for damage I never caused so that they can claim for repairs on my name which I am not in any way happy with. </p>