Earlier this month, we reported on a spoilt 22-year-old son who deliberately damaged a brand new BMW by scratching a key along the bodywork to try and force his father to buy it for him. A similar incident also recently happened at a dealership in Guilin, China, in which a three-year-old child scratched the pristine bodywork of ten brand new Audis using a small stone.

According to local reports via AsiaOne, among the vehicles that were damaged included an Audi Q3 and a brand new 2020 Audi Q8 flagship SUV, which starts at $67,400 in the US.

Some of the scratches measured as long as four inches, and most vehicles were defaced with multiple scratches. Unsurprisingly, the child's car-scratching spree resulted in a hefty repair bill for their parents.

Initially, the car dealership demanded 200,000 yuan ($38,650) from the parents in compensation for the damage caused by the three-year old. The dealer argued the damaged cars could no longer be sold to customers as new cars, even after new paint jobs.

This meant the damaged cars could only be sold with a reduced price as the dealer could be reported for fraud if buyers found out about their condition. The parents refused to pay for the damages, and so the case was taken to court.

In the end, a judge ordered the couple to pay the dealer a one-off sum of 70,000 yuan. That's around $13,500, which made this a very expensive mistake. According to Asia One, the court reminded the couple that excuses such as, "the child is still young," and, "the child doesn't understand," are not valid mitigating factors and advised the couple to keep a close eye on their child and "help her learn how to treasure the things around her better."

Parents: maybe the next time you decide to go car shopping with your child, perhaps consider a babysitter.