Turo Review 2021: How Does Turo Car Rental Work?
Looking for an alternative to conventional car rental companies? perhaps you want something special to drive, or would you like a better deal than the big businesses can offer?
Founded in 2009, Turo is a car rental marketplace where you can rent any car you want, wherever you want it, and when you want it.
Owners of the cars can earn extra money when they’re not using their car which can then be used for anything they want.
Pros and Cons of Turo
Pros
- Easily list your car to make extra money when you’re not using it
- Turo provides insurance and takes of all the transactions
- Higher-income potential for unique cars
Cons
- Does require some work and coordination to deliver and pick up vehicles
- Depending on your market, you may not have a high volume
How Does Turo Work?
Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing company formerly known as Relay Rides. They are the first to make car sharing in a private party, a reality.
They offer renters the ability to lease exclusive cars that typical rental companies don’t have. In many circles, Turo is also known as “the Airbnb for cars”.
However, it’s a pretty simple process and is broken down for people who want to rent a car or want to list their car.
Renting a Car
After creating an account, your identity and eligibility will need to be confirmed before you can rent a car. Once you’re approved, find a car by searching dates, location, price, model, features, etc.
After finding the perfect car, book it! Owners still have up to 8 hours to approve the booking, but there are instant bookings available.
Once accepted, a pickup location will be picked if it isn’t already determined.
Listing your Car
Once your account is set up, you’ll need to describe your vehicle and upload images. Turo has guidelines for pricing, but it’s really up to you to decide what to charge.
You’ll want to keep your calendar up to date and respond as soon as you can to any requests.
Finding Your Perfect Car
Searching for a car is simple, whether you are using the Turo application or the desktop version. There’s a long search bar asking: “Where you’re going to rent the ca,””When you’re going to pick up the car and when you’re going drop it off.”
When you select your location and dates, click the search button to start browsing.
The top areas where you see the “Sort By” button, allow you to choose between Relevance, Prices Low to High, and Prices High to Low.
There’s a “Price” button from there that lets you choose your daily budget. This budget scale goes from $10 to $250+ per day.
The middle button is “Book Instantly“. This will allow you to search on the spot for vehicles that are rented without prior notice.
You can also press the “Delivery” button, which allows you to filter the vehicles that have custom drop-offs even further custom drop-offs.
The last button gives you access to ALL the other filtering options such as searching for a car by MAKE, MODEL, FUEL TYPE, FEATURES, and much more.
Turo Car Insurance
It’s important to note that both hosts (i.e. those renting the car) and guests (i.e. the renter) must carry insurance. If you’re a host, your personal car insurance policy will not likely cover any damage incurred while the car was rented.
That’s because your personal policy is designed for personal use – not for using your car as a service. In fact, in most states, your car insurance company can drop you if they discover you’re listing your car on Turo.
However, for guests, many insurance policies (and even credit cards) cover rental car usage.
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Car Insurance Options For Hosts
Turo has three levels of insurance options for hosts:
These insurance options are provided by Liberty Mutual. They all three offer $1,000,000 of liability protection and up to $125,000 in physical damage protection.
The difference in the plans is how much you pay – both on what you’re charged per trip, and also what you have to pay towards the deductible.
Basic: With the basic plan, you get to keep the most money each trip – you only pay 15% of your total trip to Turo. However, if there is an accident or claim, you’ll have to pay 80% of the $3,000 deductible.
You also don’t get a replacement vehicle while the car is being repaired, or wear and tear coverage.
Standard: With the standard plan, you pay 25% of your trip to Turo. However, if there is a claim, Turo will cover the full cost of the deductible.
You also get replacement vehicle coverage while your car is being repaired.
Platinum: With platinum, you pay 35% of your trip to Turo. However, this level of service also includes wear and tear coverage, as well as loss of income while your vehicle is being repaired.
Car Insurance Options For Guests
If you’re renting a car on Turo, you also need insurance. It’s important to note that Turo offers every user the state minimum in liability insurance when you rent a vehicle. If you “Decline” Turo’s insurance offers, you’re declining additional protections.
Before you consider Turo insurance options, you should know if your personal car insurance policy covers you.
You want to look for a “Non-Owner Vehicle Coverage” section in your policy. Many comprehensive insurance policies offer this. You can also look at our guide to car insurance to learn more.
Also, some credit cards offer a “Loss Damage Waiver” for rental cars (especially high-end cards like American Express or Chase). However, some of these may not include peer-to-peer car services like Turo, so you need to check.
With that being said, you can opt to buy insurance from Turo. They offer three plans:
Minimum: This plan includes the state minimum liability coverage, but also covers you if the car is damaged or stolen. This plan includes a $3,000 deductible and costs 15% to 25% of the trip cost (varies by location and vehicle type).
Standard: This plan includes $1,000,000 in liability coverage, and has a $500 deductible if the car is damaged or stolen. This plan costs 40% of the trip price.
Premier: This plan includes $1,000,000 in liability coverage, and has no deductible if the car is damaged or stolen. It also includes flat tire coverage to help you. This plan costs 60% of the trip price.
Turo Cancelation Policy
Life happens, that’s why knowing the cancelation policy is important. Turo makes it clear how the renter can get a full refund. Below are guidelines to getting your money back:
- 25 hours or more before your strip starts, you can cancel and get a full refund.
- You book a trip less than 25 hours before the trip starts, you must cancel within 1 hour after booking.
Simple and straight to the point.
Turo is probably best off for travelers who are able to “go with the flow” a little — you’ll need some schedule wiggle room in case things don’t go to plan and you should be a confident enough traveler that you can handle a hiccup if one comes up (something that most Turo car rental reviews overlook).
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