Bad experience with Sixt at LAX Airport

Earlier this summer, I rented a vehicle from Sixt at LAX Airport. The pickup process felt rushed—the staff handed me the keys at the counter and pointed me toward the parking area without doing a proper walkthrough. When I got to the car, I noticed several scratches and dents, but since they told me everything was “already documented,” I trusted that it was all noted in their system. A few days after returning the car, I received a bill claiming I had caused new damage: - Rear bumper – deep scratch more than 8 cm - Left rear door – paint damage down to the primer They’re charging me just over $1,200 for repairs, but when I looked at the invoice, only a portion was listed as repair costs. The rest was lumped into vague “administrative” fees with no explanation. I know for certain that I didn’t cause this damage. If anything had happened while the car was in my possession, I would have reported it right away. I even paid extra for full coverage insurance, which apparently doesn’t protect against this kind of situation. When I asked them for photo evidence with timestamps, they dodged my request and instead offered a small “goodwill discount” if I agreed to settle the bill. The problem is, the photos I took at pickup weren’t very good—the parking garage was dimly lit, and most of the scratches blended into the shadows. Their photos don’t prove anything either, but they’re insisting the damage is on me. After some research, I found that there are entire forums and Facebook groups full of people with nearly identical experiences at this location. It feels like a pattern. Now they’re threatening to send the case to a debt collector if I don’t pay. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I’d really appreciate advice on the best legal steps to take—or even just hearing from others who’ve gone through the same mess.