We all make mistakes growing up, but none quite as costly as this one.

A three-year-old child reportedly went on a joy run through a car showroom in Guilin, China on Nov 24, managing to scratch 10 Audi cars with a small stone she wielded.

To make matters worse, one of them even happened to be the newest 2020 Audi Q8.

The car dealer initially demanded 200,000 yuan (S$38,650) in compensation for the damages incurred, which the child's parents found hard to agree to, reported the magazine China Xiaokang.

According to the car dealer, the damaged vehicles could no longer be marketed as new cars even after paint jobs. As such, the damaged cars could only be sold at a reduced price as the dealer could be reported for fraud should buyers find out.

Unable to come to an agreement, both parties took the case to court for mediation. On Dec 3, both parties decided to let go of the matter and the couple paid the dealer a one-off sum of 70,000 yuan (S$13,500).

The court also reminded the couple that reasons such as, "The child is still young," and, "The child doesn't understand," were not valid mitigating factors.

They did, however, advise the couple to keep an eye on their child and help her learn how to treasure the things around her better.

This incident happened one day before another similar incident in Jiangxi where a 22-year-old keyed a BMW in an attempt to force his father to gift him a new ride. He was later detained by the police.

rainercheung@asiaone.com