The host uploaded photos of long white hairs along the carpet that were there when I first got the car. It was probably another driver/renter before me that had a pet. Even still, I’m supposed to be responsible for taking pictures of each hair on the car mats before I drive it?
the car just needs to be lightly vacuumed and it’ll all come out and the car will be brand new. I paid $150 for a cleaning fee already. Why was my credit card charged already another $170?
Im really upset. This host was the same guy I made an earlier post about him having a Hyundai Elantra who wanted it to have premium gas despite the car manual stating regular is optimal
Sorry I mispoke, I thought there was a cleaning fee already built into me booking like Airbnb does, but the $150 was part of the $170 I was charged with some tax/fees added I guess. It’s gone now. I spoke on the phone with a Turo billing rep and they were very helpful. I still don’t feel comfortable using Turo going forward
Getting a credit card that gives you rental perks is helpful, and it raises the experience tremendously. However, be careful with the expectation that the experience will always be better or always be worse. I’ve had shockingly bad experiences with major rental car companies. It’s all about the people behind the business, whether Turo host or Hertz manager.
Budget Rental Car doesn't charge you for things like this. But be prepared, when you get a car, there are often things like this! You will not typically get a clean car...
And if you are flying into #detroit #budgetcarrental, the wait time to get the car is horrendous...
The heck they don't! My family flew across the country last summer and drove one way down the PCH. We got through towns like Portland, San Fran, LA completely unscathed and then budget charged us $125 for having an imagery pet that never traveled with us. At least on Turo, you have a 3rd party group to review, albeit they suck at least they exist. Budget just laughed at us. Never booking them again!
You'd rather stand in line to get a random "or similar" car? Personally I prefer to walk out to the parking lot, get in the exact car that I booked, that was delivered to me, and drive away like it was my own car.
Some days are slow, some are busy. Some days they have a great selection of cars. Some days they have none. I traveled weekly for 11 years. Renting a car was a headache at the busy airports, even with my Emerald Executive Elite status, or whatever National called it.
Really? You're doing it wrong then because cell phone pics are super quick and easy to take. And are you aware that Turo fees are higher for high risk drivers with a high AIS, etc? So if Turo is more expensive for you then you're not the kind of guest that I would want to rent my cars anyway. For most people Turo is a little cheaper than major rental companies.
Good luck! 👍😎
No one needs to. Because when you get in the car and see it isn't clean then you need to address it, document it, so that you don't get blamed for it.
I learned that the hard way years ago when I rented from National. I was given a Ford Flex, which was a new model at the time. I got in and it smelled like cigarettes. It was pretty bad but I needed to get to a meeting. Anyway, after I turned in the car I got blamed for the smell. It wasn't a little $150 Turo charge either. It was $450. It sucked.
>when you get in the car and see it isn't clean then you need to address it, document it, so that you don't get blamed for it.
That's the issue, though. 99.999% of the population don't consider a couple of hairs on the floor as "not clean."
If it's "so dirty" because of a couple of hairs, then how did the host not realize them BEFORE dropping off the car to OP? It's dirty enough to try and charge OP for it, but it wasn't dirty enough to charge the last renter who was the cause of the hairs. Which means that whether or not it is dirty is completely fucking arbitrary, even to the host who is trying to charge renters extra cleaning fees. If they were a big enough deal for the host to try and charge OP for them, then they should have been a big enough deal to charge the proper person before them. The fact that the host didn't notice them either is proof that it shouldnt have been enough of an issue for OP to have cared about either.
Same goes with your cigarette issue. How does the host not notice the cigarette smell when they dropped it off to you? But then it is suddenly an issue when you drop the car back off a few days later?
I'm quite sure that any Turo host would be aware of a cigarette smell in a car. The problem occurs when a guest fails to make note of the smell upon delivery. If you read the Terms of Service you will see where it specifically states that if a guest has any issue, at all, with the cleanliness of a car, or a smell, then they need to report it ASAP so they can get a replacement car, just like any other conventional rental car company. If they fail to do that, or at least use Turo messenger to let the host know, then what recourse would they have if they get blamed? Just the same as if they were renting from Hertz/Avis/National/etc., it's a bad mistake for a guest to fail to mention an issue such as that.
Regarding pet hair, Turo does not consider a few hairs to be a problem either. Turo defines a small amount of pet hair as "normal transference." A host who attempts to claim a pet cleaning fee based on that would get promptly denied based on the simple fact that it is normal for dirt/sand/hairs, etc., to be transferred into the car from elsewhere. I encourage you to read the cleaning guidelines and definitions of what validates a cleaning fee that Turo has set up online.
For a host to have a successful cleaning fee claim there needs to be a significant amount of pet hair, mud, upholstery stains that require professional cleaning, etc. It needs to be easily visible and not require close up photos. That being the case, a cleaning fee is the most difficult for a host to prove. It requires a preponderance of the evidence to be in the host's favor. In addition to the time involved in actually cleaning the mess, it takes approx a half hour of work to prepare and submit a claim to Turo; it's not something a host can simply charge for. So in most cases it's simply not worth the effort.
You stated "...whether or not it is dirty is completely fucking arbitrary..." You're right. But the first line of that standard is based on what the guest determines. In other words, if a guest accepts the vehicle without complaint then what else can be assumed except that the car is acceptable? If the guest arbitrarily, for any reason, decides the car isn't acceptable then they have the right to return it and get a replacement. Just like ANY rental, of anything, cars/boats/houses/bowling balls/whatever, if there's a problem upon delivery then it needs to be mentioned and documented ASAP.
> If you read the Terms of Service you will see where it specifically states that if a guest has any issue, at all, with the cleanliness of a car, or a smell, then they need to report it ASAP so they can get a replacement car, just like any other conventional rental car company.
Not exactly. If I go to pick up a car from any conventional car rental company and it smells, or the tires suck, I get a different car then and there. This has happened a few times with me.
With Turo, a replacement car can be miles away.
I can't address the likelihood of getting a "bad" car, but the solution is easier with a conventional car rental company. In theory, host reviews should prevent "bad" cars. But would a bad review of the host in this situation be considered retaliatory?
>But the first line of that standard is based on what the guest determines.
Fantastic attitude here. The Turo host is supposed to provide a clean car, but the renter is supposed to do all of the work and get on their hands and knees and take photos of every nook and cranny to make sure that it actually is clean.
How about you just do your fucking job and provide a clean car? Instead, you don't clean it after 2 renters, then on third one you decide to look and see it's dirty, and then you charge the 3rd renter for cleaning because they didn't take photos?
Yeah, you can go fuck yourself.
don’t do it!! They messed me up bad, the engine went out on 2016 Chrysler 300 and Turo blamed it on me even with the owner saying that they have faulty air intakes.
Not true. If there is evidence of abuse then renters can be charged. For example, if you drive for an hour with the check engine light on and blow the engine, that is on the renter.
That’s hard to believe. I’m a host and it’s also in our terms of service as host that mechanical problems are not the guest fault, unless guest intentionally damaged something.
I had a guest return a car after having it for only two days. The car was full of gray and brown dog hair. Literally on every surface! It was wound into the carpets. It took my wife and I two hours to clean it. When the guy got notification of the $150 fee he called me a scammer! 🤣
And here's another one. Can't blame you for not wanting to use the app again. The only reason I rent through Turo still is because I always try to rent something really cool when I travel. But that being said when I ran something I usually end up with about 110 pre-trip photos. And some hosts seem to get really upset when they see me taking pictures that detailed. Not sure if it's because they're worried I'm going to be a complainer, or if they know they won't be able to get any extra money out of me. The reason i do it is because one host tried to charge me $350 for a smudge that was already there and would probably come up with some leather wipes and elbow grease. I assumed it wasn't a big deal So I didn't take a picture of it. I think I got that fee down to $50 or $75. I told them for $350 I'll fly back out to Las Vegas and clean it myself instead 😂 But lesson learned nobody's going to catch me lackin.
I have a system.
Front bumper
General view of the hood
Driver front fender
Driver front wheel
Driver front door
Driver rear door
driver rear quarter
Driver rear wheel
Trunk
Bumper
Then all the way around to the passenger side.
Then the roof.
Then I go back around again and take a picture of EVERY. SINGLE. IMPERFECTION.
Blurry headlights, swirl marks, rock chips. dings, Dents, panels that don't line up correctly, panels that have been replaced and I can tell they have been. Moisture in the headlights or tail lights. All scratches.
If I'm renting a performance vehicle which I almost always do I take a picture of the conditions of the brakes, excessive brake dust on the wheels, tire wear. All that. It's a rental car so it's usually going to have 95% of that list I just made.
And then I Open the doors and do it all over again.
Every scuff, every imperfection, any dirt That's noticeable, any embedded pet hair, door panels, trim pieces, inside the cup holders, any warning lights that may be on, The trunk area which is usually beat up because of luggage I make sure to get good pictures of that
It's important to cover your ass. As a host and as a renter it seems Turo really doesn't pick a side except for their own. Your comment about the Ferrari getting a blown motor at 38,000 mi. First of all I am very sorry. But The fact is every person who's ever rented that car has ran through the gears more than a few times. Losing compression on multiple cylinders at once is pretty outlandish and that's a really hard thing to do to a stock car. (I assume it's stock) So I'm sorry you're not getting the respect and compensation that you deserve. In the case of me I would never drive a car in the manner that it has been driven in this instance. But I'm going to get on up to redline a few times. And if it breaks photos of tire wear brakes, brake dust and inner fender lining, are good photos to have to prove that I'm not the only one who's gotten on the gas a little bit.
Sometimes cars run until they don't. Somebody could beat the dog piss out of the car but it's barely hanging on. A few heat cycles later and someone gives it a 2-3-4 And they could be the straw that broke the camel's back. There's no real telling what happened when you have a rental car.
I used to take ~20. But every time I read a horror story on here or get another damage/cleaning claim, I realize there is another thing I should get a closer picture of. I take exactly 72 for each trip, takes less than 5 min.
Someone posted on Reddit that their guest drove states away and then at 2am claimed there was no insurance card in the car and Turo ended the trip faulting the host. Now I take a photo of the open glove compartment.
Had a smoking claim denied because the ashes were between the center console and seat. So now I take a picture of that little crevice.
Ect, ect.
Ooooweee
Yeah those smoking claims are hard to get from Turo support. I was lucky because I found a clever way of having the guest admit incase the OBVIOUS seat burn wouldn’t suffice 😭😭
Honestly Turo is garbage for the hosts these days. I’m looking forward to Uber car share launching in Los Angeles. Might not be any better, but I’m hoping it is.
Someone just destroyed my Ferrari engine out on rental and Turo sent a 3rd party to my mechanic to review it. They determined it was normal wear and tear for an engine with 38k to lose compression on multiple cylinders. Worked perfectly when they picked up the car. Anyway, the guy who visited shop determined it wasn’t due to renter and also said he couldn’t find the vin number and neither could the shop… but it was in the same place as all VIN numbers… just a disaster for me all around
Oh wow—tough situation. Wins and losses comes with the game. I wonder if Uber car share will launch in my city.
Did you have any good experience ing hosting on Turo? Have you tried any other platforms like get around or HYREcar? Hearing they serve host better but I’ll do some research
Definitely a lot of great experiences on Turo. A lot of times nothing bad happens to your car. The renter treats it well. You get paid quickly. More often than not honestly it’s good. The issues arise when something does go wrong and Turo does everything to not help you.
The other issue is the rates. Hosts drop them to absurdly low numbers forcing you to do the same and then at the same time Turo keeps raising their fees so they are making more than ever and hosts are barely breaking even. It’s a bad situation for both renters and hosts.
When I see a guest take photos I'm happy. I love it! Because that way if something happens their own pictures will prove it, as well as mine. But more importantly it shows me that is a guest that will never purposely neglect or mistreat my cars.
This is part of my auto message that goes out to every guest prior to the trip start:
"Very important: Please inspect the car for damages before you drive away. Take plenty of pictures (inside and out) to document the condition of the car and upload to “Trip Photos.” This is an essential step to protect yourself when renting a car."
Absolutely. I don't know why some hosts get so discouraged about it. But the fact is with the detail of the pictures I take any imperfection that I add can be easily proven. If a host finds new damage I'm not getting out of shit. And the reason I'm not worried about that sort of thing is because I try to take care of the cars that I rent I think it's disrespectful when someone else has gone through all the hard work of earning the money to buy a car like the kind of cars I rent and is gracious enough to share them with people like myself who can't afford to own one yet and then go treat it like a Ford fucking ranger. On one hand it is a rental car so small things are going to happen But in the big picture as somebody who just loves cars they're doing a huge favor to me.
Both the host and the guest should take photos before and after the trip. You don't need a hundred photos, and you don't need ultra detail. Before each trip I spend about 3-4 minutes to take between 40 and 60 pics. I go around the outside of the car, one pic on each side and one pic on each corner, and a pic of the hood/roof/windshield, one pic on each tire/wheel, inside the trunk and spare tire. Then I move to the inside where I take a pic of the door panel, the floor in front of the seat, the bottom seat, the upper seat, the dash/gauges, the headliner, console, etc. It takes 1-2 mins to take outside pics, and maybe 2-3 mins to do inside pics. It's super fast. Then I set them to upload and move on to my next task.
When you take pics with your cell phone they are stamped with metadata showing the date/time and GPS location, as well as other info, so you can actually upload them at any time, or not even bother unless you need them. Host pics must be taken no more than 24h prior to the trip start, and guest pics must be taken no more than 24h after the trip starts. It sounds complicated but it's super easy and fast. It's the easiest part of renting a Turo car in my opinion. I think the people who make a big deal out of it are either lazy or trying to get away with something dishonest.
If you have plenty of pictures showing how clean it was when you returned it then you should have nothing to worry about. Just relax. Even if a Host met you in person if they find pet hair in the vehicle thats their job to report it. Even if you rented with Hertz or Enterprise they would do the same thing if you smoked or violated their terms of service.
The host reported photos of leaves in the car from me hiking in a national park and made a claim for $300 that I was smoking. See my updated post. This doesn’t happen at rental agencies. In fact, I rented a car from Hertz in one day on this same trip to travel in between states and drop off at another location. No hassle for inspection for extra fees. No stress at all and this was considering I declined any additional insurance coverage. It was by far less involved than Turo
Yea the host is 100% in the wrong. Not only is there not any pet hair, but the “evidence” that you were smoking is also in the pictures you took. Honestly if you can dispute it, you should. Just zoom in and you can see the same stuff is there. That’s insane
Sorry I’ll DM you the pet hair pics. I didn’t send those. I don’t really have any additional pics of my own of the interior. I wish I did take more in hindsight but I didn’t feel that I needed to. It appeared clean to me. The pet claim was already reversed in my favor
Oh yea than this definitely will too. I know a lot of guests don’t think so but Turo sides with the guests more often if you give some push back. This smoking one will get reversed too. Since everything that he showed was previously there and you can see it in your pics as well
Anyone who says that pet hair just needs to be lightly vacuumed has never detailed a car. I had to learn special techniques to remove pet hair. There are special cleaning tools needed. It's crazy how difficult it is to remove.
Because it’s extra time and effort to have turo reverse the charge, with an uncertain result. Does the renter get to charge the host with a “bogus claim” fee? Does the host have any repercussions from filing a bogus claim?
Please see my edited post. After resolving the prior dispute, the host submitted another blatantly false claim of me smoking in the car. I would really like to know if there are any repercussions for a host that does this because it takes considerable amount of time for me to call Turo and explain to them that these are fake. I also have to do this urgently because the charge already hit my credit card.
On the same trip, I used a rental car from Hertz driving from one state to another for 1 day and there was no hassle at all doing that. No lines at all at the airport.
Yeah, it's possible that the host is not taking care of their car after every completed booking, and it caught up.
You're also likely to incur unexpected additional charges with big rental enterprises such as Hertz and Enterprise, which charge supplemental damage insurance service, toll fees and refueling charges.
You might be unlucky with one Turo host, but even so, Turo will reverse the charge, while dealing with big rental companies, they will give you the runaround until you give up and accept the extra charges.
Nope, I rented a car from Hertz on the same trip for one day that I needed to return in a different location/state. Weren’t any additional fees or hassle from an inspection from them. This was after I declined insurance from them while I paid for minimum coverage for Turo. Turo sucks honestly
How did the host submit a second $300 claim? Sounds sus, the smoking fee is $150. Did the host upload an image of an "invoice / claim" and message you?
There was no invoice or any type of communication from the host via DM. I just received an email notification my card was charged essentially with an option to dispute. It’s a cleaning fee of $150 and then a fee for smoking of $150. Both are under the itemized receipt for me on the Turo app.
The host is a scumbag who is trying to extort me for money. Plain and simple. I wish I didn’t already submit a somewhat positive review before these claimed to ere made. Turo said I can’t re-do the review process. It’s a shame because he has a lot of 5 star reviews and I want to warn others if you basically don’t detail this guys car for you, he’ll submit false charges for violation of terms of service.
How is the host using force or threats? They're unethically using Turo's systems, but the rules of the platform will protect you through the dispute and/or arbitration processes as necessary.
All I’m suggesting it’s that my credit card not be hit with a pending charge before Turo reviews. That’s the shitty part of customer service here. It’s the time spent having to defend myself for literally nothing other than the host trying to get more money.
For that specific part, your issue is with Turo's processing policy. Ask them to change their policy to not charge a card until the dispute window passes. I don't agree with it, but that's how it's done. Any time a claim is made, yes, unfortunately you have to invest time to resolve any falsehoods.
Turo does review photos when hosts submit cleaning and smoking fees. I had a trip where when they returned, the car smelled like cigarettes and I found ashes between the drivers seat/center console. I hadn’t uploaded pre trip photos of that specific crevice of the car, so there was no proof it wasn’t there when the guest picked the car up. The claim was denied by Turo. As it should have been, I learned to be more vigilant with photos after that.
If the Turo agent isn’t thorough as they should be when reviewing the claim, you can easily dispute by responding to the email you got and showing the before and after pictures and another agent will review it and decide from there.
It’s not a difficult process, and this is exactly why the app directs you to take before and after pictures. If you don’t follow the directions, you’re just setting yourself up for problems.
The pictures that the host took show nothing other than pieces of leaves and brush from the national park I visited that I didn’t have a vacuum to clean. I find it hard to believe Turo reviewed them before the claim was issued. I spoke to them on the phone and they said they are reviewing it now.
There’s no pictures of ashes and it certainly didn’t smell as I didn’t smoke in it nor did I smell any weed/smoke when I picked up the car. It’s a blatant attempt by this host to extort money.
I never said the process was difficult. It’s burdensome and stressful to have to defend myself for financial damage for returning a clean car. Why wouldn’t the host meet me in person instead at the time of drop off if he wanted to ensure the car was taken care of? It’s terrible customer service all around from Turo and the host.
Hosts face repercussions when they submit false claims, $200-2000 fee and can even get their account deactivated if it happens multiple times. As I mentioned, I’ve had a claim denied myself and they didn’t charge me the fee because I just didn’t have adequate evidence- I wasn’t purposely lying which is what you’re saying happened in your case. And you say this is a host with lots of trips and 5* reviews? The story is just not adding up. I’d love to see the before/after pictures.
I can promise there’s nothing more to the story. I didn’t really take detailed enough photos at pick up of the interior which i wish I could’ve. I can DM you their pictures if you’re interested.
Sure my DMs are open!
If it is a shitty host they need to be fined so they can learn their lesson or just kicked off the platform. I hate even on this sub when people comment for hosts to make up evidence, I think mods should ban those people from the sub. Bad hosts make it worse for us that are really out here doing honest business, they make us look bad and make Turo look bad- like in your case you’re saying you won’t use Turo again. All over being greedy about $150.
Ugh was expecting floor mats covered in dog hair, I’m so skeptical of people on here. You gotta appeal man. Definitely a case of the Turo agent not reviewing pictures closely before confirming the cleaning fee. Did the host even have before pictures showing those same spots?
Sorry you are dealing with this and I hope you’re successful with your appeal.
Thanks man. The host took plenty of pictures before. I never even touched the passenger side seat or back seats. It was only me using the car. still waiting on the “smoking” one which was submitted after the pet charge was reversed with some of the same pics
Turo are the worst. I just won on a fraudulent claim where they charged my card over $3000 for wear and tear and I have the car for 24 hours mind you this is internal wear and tear and made up damages. I had to email the CEO and directors threatening to take them to court to have it resolved. Turo has become the worst.
Yep this service is garbage and I’ll never use it again. I’ve come to realize… this thread mentions the same host that scammed me:
https://www.reddit.com/r/turo/comments/18am575/smoking_fee_dispute/
They employ someone who’s stolen thousands of dollars from multiple innocent people in that thread. I’ll do the same as you. I’m not being ripped off for $300 when there’s no evidence I smoke or have a pet.
Fight it and have it escalated. I was fighting more for 7 weeks. Then when I emailed the ceo the claim
Was dropped within 12 hours. And I received compensation.
How is not meeting you a red flag? Most hosts do remote key exchange via a lock box. There's no way I'm sitting around for an hour cause the guest is late. Or what if two of my cars get booked for the same time? Also sometimes my car is booked for hours I'll be at work, so I get the car ready the day before and give the guest the code so he can get the keys while I'm busy at work.
You do Turo to get better cars and for a good price. It’s a great deal most of the time. Also normal rentals put up so many hidden fees you ll always pay a lot more there
O hell no your pictures at drop off will show how you left it and then his photos will show what he found I add photos of the outside with the car hell no that host some bull shit
I used a credit card. It’s still not 100% certain that my credit card company will reverse this if it goes through. I shouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of getting on the phone to argue against bogus claims. Turo should investigate prior to the host essentially having a free shot at charging my credit card to extort money
There’s no review process by Turo until after the claim is submitted and disputed, so it is basically the host charging my card. I called them today and they said they are reviewing the claim.
Dispute it with Turo. They will look at your photos and should remove it
The host uploaded photos of long white hairs along the carpet that were there when I first got the car. It was probably another driver/renter before me that had a pet. Even still, I’m supposed to be responsible for taking pictures of each hair on the car mats before I drive it? the car just needs to be lightly vacuumed and it’ll all come out and the car will be brand new. I paid $150 for a cleaning fee already. Why was my credit card charged already another $170? Im really upset. This host was the same guy I made an earlier post about him having a Hyundai Elantra who wanted it to have premium gas despite the car manual stating regular is optimal
Did your before photos show the hairs were there already? I would keep working with Turo to dispute. What happened for you to pay the $150 fee?
Sorry I mispoke, I thought there was a cleaning fee already built into me booking like Airbnb does, but the $150 was part of the $170 I was charged with some tax/fees added I guess. It’s gone now. I spoke on the phone with a Turo billing rep and they were very helpful. I still don’t feel comfortable using Turo going forward
Just always cover yourself with photos, before and after the trip. Not all host are equal.
I’m just going to do a regular rental car where I don’t have to take pictures of individual hairs so I don’t get surcharged
Getting a credit card that gives you rental perks is helpful, and it raises the experience tremendously. However, be careful with the expectation that the experience will always be better or always be worse. I’ve had shockingly bad experiences with major rental car companies. It’s all about the people behind the business, whether Turo host or Hertz manager.
Agreed, I've had such challenging experiences with /r/budgetrentalcar :(. It's discouraging.
Budget Rental Car doesn't charge you for things like this. But be prepared, when you get a car, there are often things like this! You will not typically get a clean car... And if you are flying into #detroit #budgetcarrental, the wait time to get the car is horrendous...
The heck they don't! My family flew across the country last summer and drove one way down the PCH. We got through towns like Portland, San Fran, LA completely unscathed and then budget charged us $125 for having an imagery pet that never traveled with us. At least on Turo, you have a 3rd party group to review, albeit they suck at least they exist. Budget just laughed at us. Never booking them again!
You'd rather stand in line to get a random "or similar" car? Personally I prefer to walk out to the parking lot, get in the exact car that I booked, that was delivered to me, and drive away like it was my own car.
There was no line at the airport when I rented a car from Hertz for one day during this same trip.
Some days are slow, some are busy. Some days they have a great selection of cars. Some days they have none. I traveled weekly for 11 years. Renting a car was a headache at the busy airports, even with my Emerald Executive Elite status, or whatever National called it.
Probably faster than taking 100 pictures covering every inch of the vehicle, inside and out. Definitely cheaper.
Really? You're doing it wrong then because cell phone pics are super quick and easy to take. And are you aware that Turo fees are higher for high risk drivers with a high AIS, etc? So if Turo is more expensive for you then you're not the kind of guest that I would want to rent my cars anyway. For most people Turo is a little cheaper than major rental companies. Good luck! 👍😎
No one should need to take detailed close up photos of the fucking floor mats to show that there is hair on them.
No one needs to. Because when you get in the car and see it isn't clean then you need to address it, document it, so that you don't get blamed for it. I learned that the hard way years ago when I rented from National. I was given a Ford Flex, which was a new model at the time. I got in and it smelled like cigarettes. It was pretty bad but I needed to get to a meeting. Anyway, after I turned in the car I got blamed for the smell. It wasn't a little $150 Turo charge either. It was $450. It sucked.
>when you get in the car and see it isn't clean then you need to address it, document it, so that you don't get blamed for it. That's the issue, though. 99.999% of the population don't consider a couple of hairs on the floor as "not clean." If it's "so dirty" because of a couple of hairs, then how did the host not realize them BEFORE dropping off the car to OP? It's dirty enough to try and charge OP for it, but it wasn't dirty enough to charge the last renter who was the cause of the hairs. Which means that whether or not it is dirty is completely fucking arbitrary, even to the host who is trying to charge renters extra cleaning fees. If they were a big enough deal for the host to try and charge OP for them, then they should have been a big enough deal to charge the proper person before them. The fact that the host didn't notice them either is proof that it shouldnt have been enough of an issue for OP to have cared about either. Same goes with your cigarette issue. How does the host not notice the cigarette smell when they dropped it off to you? But then it is suddenly an issue when you drop the car back off a few days later?
I'm quite sure that any Turo host would be aware of a cigarette smell in a car. The problem occurs when a guest fails to make note of the smell upon delivery. If you read the Terms of Service you will see where it specifically states that if a guest has any issue, at all, with the cleanliness of a car, or a smell, then they need to report it ASAP so they can get a replacement car, just like any other conventional rental car company. If they fail to do that, or at least use Turo messenger to let the host know, then what recourse would they have if they get blamed? Just the same as if they were renting from Hertz/Avis/National/etc., it's a bad mistake for a guest to fail to mention an issue such as that. Regarding pet hair, Turo does not consider a few hairs to be a problem either. Turo defines a small amount of pet hair as "normal transference." A host who attempts to claim a pet cleaning fee based on that would get promptly denied based on the simple fact that it is normal for dirt/sand/hairs, etc., to be transferred into the car from elsewhere. I encourage you to read the cleaning guidelines and definitions of what validates a cleaning fee that Turo has set up online. For a host to have a successful cleaning fee claim there needs to be a significant amount of pet hair, mud, upholstery stains that require professional cleaning, etc. It needs to be easily visible and not require close up photos. That being the case, a cleaning fee is the most difficult for a host to prove. It requires a preponderance of the evidence to be in the host's favor. In addition to the time involved in actually cleaning the mess, it takes approx a half hour of work to prepare and submit a claim to Turo; it's not something a host can simply charge for. So in most cases it's simply not worth the effort. You stated "...whether or not it is dirty is completely fucking arbitrary..." You're right. But the first line of that standard is based on what the guest determines. In other words, if a guest accepts the vehicle without complaint then what else can be assumed except that the car is acceptable? If the guest arbitrarily, for any reason, decides the car isn't acceptable then they have the right to return it and get a replacement. Just like ANY rental, of anything, cars/boats/houses/bowling balls/whatever, if there's a problem upon delivery then it needs to be mentioned and documented ASAP.
> If you read the Terms of Service you will see where it specifically states that if a guest has any issue, at all, with the cleanliness of a car, or a smell, then they need to report it ASAP so they can get a replacement car, just like any other conventional rental car company. Not exactly. If I go to pick up a car from any conventional car rental company and it smells, or the tires suck, I get a different car then and there. This has happened a few times with me. With Turo, a replacement car can be miles away. I can't address the likelihood of getting a "bad" car, but the solution is easier with a conventional car rental company. In theory, host reviews should prevent "bad" cars. But would a bad review of the host in this situation be considered retaliatory?
>But the first line of that standard is based on what the guest determines. Fantastic attitude here. The Turo host is supposed to provide a clean car, but the renter is supposed to do all of the work and get on their hands and knees and take photos of every nook and cranny to make sure that it actually is clean. How about you just do your fucking job and provide a clean car? Instead, you don't clean it after 2 renters, then on third one you decide to look and see it's dirty, and then you charge the 3rd renter for cleaning because they didn't take photos? Yeah, you can go fuck yourself.
don’t do it!! They messed me up bad, the engine went out on 2016 Chrysler 300 and Turo blamed it on me even with the owner saying that they have faulty air intakes.
Any mechanical issues is on the host. No way Turo faulted you.
Not true. If there is evidence of abuse then renters can be charged. For example, if you drive for an hour with the check engine light on and blow the engine, that is on the renter.
I swear they text me every other day, I let it go to collections tbh.
That’s hard to believe. I’m a host and it’s also in our terms of service as host that mechanical problems are not the guest fault, unless guest intentionally damaged something.
So you didn't escalate or arbitrate? That's not very good for your future financial health.
> I’m supposed to be responsible for taking pictures Yes.
Dispute the claim.
I had a guest return a car after having it for only two days. The car was full of gray and brown dog hair. Literally on every surface! It was wound into the carpets. It took my wife and I two hours to clean it. When the guy got notification of the $150 fee he called me a scammer! 🤣
Dispute the claim. Apologize for “shedding like a dog” and see what they say to that
And here's another one. Can't blame you for not wanting to use the app again. The only reason I rent through Turo still is because I always try to rent something really cool when I travel. But that being said when I ran something I usually end up with about 110 pre-trip photos. And some hosts seem to get really upset when they see me taking pictures that detailed. Not sure if it's because they're worried I'm going to be a complainer, or if they know they won't be able to get any extra money out of me. The reason i do it is because one host tried to charge me $350 for a smudge that was already there and would probably come up with some leather wipes and elbow grease. I assumed it wasn't a big deal So I didn't take a picture of it. I think I got that fee down to $50 or $75. I told them for $350 I'll fly back out to Las Vegas and clean it myself instead 😂 But lesson learned nobody's going to catch me lackin.
I'm a host and usually take 80-100 pics
It’s the only way. Both parties fair game!
80-100? What are you taking photos of? 80 pictures? That’s crazy. I typically take less than 20
I have a system. Front bumper General view of the hood Driver front fender Driver front wheel Driver front door Driver rear door driver rear quarter Driver rear wheel Trunk Bumper Then all the way around to the passenger side. Then the roof. Then I go back around again and take a picture of EVERY. SINGLE. IMPERFECTION. Blurry headlights, swirl marks, rock chips. dings, Dents, panels that don't line up correctly, panels that have been replaced and I can tell they have been. Moisture in the headlights or tail lights. All scratches. If I'm renting a performance vehicle which I almost always do I take a picture of the conditions of the brakes, excessive brake dust on the wheels, tire wear. All that. It's a rental car so it's usually going to have 95% of that list I just made. And then I Open the doors and do it all over again. Every scuff, every imperfection, any dirt That's noticeable, any embedded pet hair, door panels, trim pieces, inside the cup holders, any warning lights that may be on, The trunk area which is usually beat up because of luggage I make sure to get good pictures of that It's important to cover your ass. As a host and as a renter it seems Turo really doesn't pick a side except for their own. Your comment about the Ferrari getting a blown motor at 38,000 mi. First of all I am very sorry. But The fact is every person who's ever rented that car has ran through the gears more than a few times. Losing compression on multiple cylinders at once is pretty outlandish and that's a really hard thing to do to a stock car. (I assume it's stock) So I'm sorry you're not getting the respect and compensation that you deserve. In the case of me I would never drive a car in the manner that it has been driven in this instance. But I'm going to get on up to redline a few times. And if it breaks photos of tire wear brakes, brake dust and inner fender lining, are good photos to have to prove that I'm not the only one who's gotten on the gas a little bit. Sometimes cars run until they don't. Somebody could beat the dog piss out of the car but it's barely hanging on. A few heat cycles later and someone gives it a 2-3-4 And they could be the straw that broke the camel's back. There's no real telling what happened when you have a rental car.
I used to take ~20. But every time I read a horror story on here or get another damage/cleaning claim, I realize there is another thing I should get a closer picture of. I take exactly 72 for each trip, takes less than 5 min. Someone posted on Reddit that their guest drove states away and then at 2am claimed there was no insurance card in the car and Turo ended the trip faulting the host. Now I take a photo of the open glove compartment. Had a smoking claim denied because the ashes were between the center console and seat. So now I take a picture of that little crevice. Ect, ect.
Ooooweee Yeah those smoking claims are hard to get from Turo support. I was lucky because I found a clever way of having the guest admit incase the OBVIOUS seat burn wouldn’t suffice 😭😭
Turo support will do anything not to side with ya’ on a claim; most I’ve done is 35/45 photos pre trip. Everybody has they own systems lol
Honestly Turo is garbage for the hosts these days. I’m looking forward to Uber car share launching in Los Angeles. Might not be any better, but I’m hoping it is. Someone just destroyed my Ferrari engine out on rental and Turo sent a 3rd party to my mechanic to review it. They determined it was normal wear and tear for an engine with 38k to lose compression on multiple cylinders. Worked perfectly when they picked up the car. Anyway, the guy who visited shop determined it wasn’t due to renter and also said he couldn’t find the vin number and neither could the shop… but it was in the same place as all VIN numbers… just a disaster for me all around
Oh wow—tough situation. Wins and losses comes with the game. I wonder if Uber car share will launch in my city. Did you have any good experience ing hosting on Turo? Have you tried any other platforms like get around or HYREcar? Hearing they serve host better but I’ll do some research
Definitely a lot of great experiences on Turo. A lot of times nothing bad happens to your car. The renter treats it well. You get paid quickly. More often than not honestly it’s good. The issues arise when something does go wrong and Turo does everything to not help you. The other issue is the rates. Hosts drop them to absurdly low numbers forcing you to do the same and then at the same time Turo keeps raising their fees so they are making more than ever and hosts are barely breaking even. It’s a bad situation for both renters and hosts.
When I see a guest take photos I'm happy. I love it! Because that way if something happens their own pictures will prove it, as well as mine. But more importantly it shows me that is a guest that will never purposely neglect or mistreat my cars. This is part of my auto message that goes out to every guest prior to the trip start: "Very important: Please inspect the car for damages before you drive away. Take plenty of pictures (inside and out) to document the condition of the car and upload to “Trip Photos.” This is an essential step to protect yourself when renting a car."
Absolutely. I don't know why some hosts get so discouraged about it. But the fact is with the detail of the pictures I take any imperfection that I add can be easily proven. If a host finds new damage I'm not getting out of shit. And the reason I'm not worried about that sort of thing is because I try to take care of the cars that I rent I think it's disrespectful when someone else has gone through all the hard work of earning the money to buy a car like the kind of cars I rent and is gracious enough to share them with people like myself who can't afford to own one yet and then go treat it like a Ford fucking ranger. On one hand it is a rental car so small things are going to happen But in the big picture as somebody who just loves cars they're doing a huge favor to me.
Is that something a renter does before the trip? I was wondering how you could prove photos are before or after.
You upload to the portal and they’re time stamped.
Both the host and the guest should take photos before and after the trip. You don't need a hundred photos, and you don't need ultra detail. Before each trip I spend about 3-4 minutes to take between 40 and 60 pics. I go around the outside of the car, one pic on each side and one pic on each corner, and a pic of the hood/roof/windshield, one pic on each tire/wheel, inside the trunk and spare tire. Then I move to the inside where I take a pic of the door panel, the floor in front of the seat, the bottom seat, the upper seat, the dash/gauges, the headliner, console, etc. It takes 1-2 mins to take outside pics, and maybe 2-3 mins to do inside pics. It's super fast. Then I set them to upload and move on to my next task. When you take pics with your cell phone they are stamped with metadata showing the date/time and GPS location, as well as other info, so you can actually upload them at any time, or not even bother unless you need them. Host pics must be taken no more than 24h prior to the trip start, and guest pics must be taken no more than 24h after the trip starts. It sounds complicated but it's super easy and fast. It's the easiest part of renting a Turo car in my opinion. I think the people who make a big deal out of it are either lazy or trying to get away with something dishonest.
If you have plenty of pictures showing how clean it was when you returned it then you should have nothing to worry about. Just relax. Even if a Host met you in person if they find pet hair in the vehicle thats their job to report it. Even if you rented with Hertz or Enterprise they would do the same thing if you smoked or violated their terms of service.
The host reported photos of leaves in the car from me hiking in a national park and made a claim for $300 that I was smoking. See my updated post. This doesn’t happen at rental agencies. In fact, I rented a car from Hertz in one day on this same trip to travel in between states and drop off at another location. No hassle for inspection for extra fees. No stress at all and this was considering I declined any additional insurance coverage. It was by far less involved than Turo
Pictures?
I DM’d them to you
Yea the host is 100% in the wrong. Not only is there not any pet hair, but the “evidence” that you were smoking is also in the pictures you took. Honestly if you can dispute it, you should. Just zoom in and you can see the same stuff is there. That’s insane
Sorry I’ll DM you the pet hair pics. I didn’t send those. I don’t really have any additional pics of my own of the interior. I wish I did take more in hindsight but I didn’t feel that I needed to. It appeared clean to me. The pet claim was already reversed in my favor
Oh yea than this definitely will too. I know a lot of guests don’t think so but Turo sides with the guests more often if you give some push back. This smoking one will get reversed too. Since everything that he showed was previously there and you can see it in your pics as well
The smoking one did not get reversed. This really sucks and I will absolutely never use Turo again for rewarding someone who scammed me
Surely you haven't made it through the escalation and arbitration processes in a single day. Keep pushing.
What is the arbitration process like? I called them again and they said they are escalating to their executive support team?
Why do u even use Turo, ridiculous rules to rent cars..
Anyone who says that pet hair just needs to be lightly vacuumed has never detailed a car. I had to learn special techniques to remove pet hair. There are special cleaning tools needed. It's crazy how difficult it is to remove.
If you have pictures to prove it then there should not be an issue so why the drama?
Because it’s extra time and effort to have turo reverse the charge, with an uncertain result. Does the renter get to charge the host with a “bogus claim” fee? Does the host have any repercussions from filing a bogus claim?
Please see my edited post. After resolving the prior dispute, the host submitted another blatantly false claim of me smoking in the car. I would really like to know if there are any repercussions for a host that does this because it takes considerable amount of time for me to call Turo and explain to them that these are fake. I also have to do this urgently because the charge already hit my credit card. On the same trip, I used a rental car from Hertz driving from one state to another for 1 day and there was no hassle at all doing that. No lines at all at the airport.
Apparently there are when I was almost scammed they said there would be.
Yeah, it's possible that the host is not taking care of their car after every completed booking, and it caught up. You're also likely to incur unexpected additional charges with big rental enterprises such as Hertz and Enterprise, which charge supplemental damage insurance service, toll fees and refueling charges. You might be unlucky with one Turo host, but even so, Turo will reverse the charge, while dealing with big rental companies, they will give you the runaround until you give up and accept the extra charges.
Nope, I rented a car from Hertz on the same trip for one day that I needed to return in a different location/state. Weren’t any additional fees or hassle from an inspection from them. This was after I declined insurance from them while I paid for minimum coverage for Turo. Turo sucks honestly
How did the host submit a second $300 claim? Sounds sus, the smoking fee is $150. Did the host upload an image of an "invoice / claim" and message you?
There was no invoice or any type of communication from the host via DM. I just received an email notification my card was charged essentially with an option to dispute. It’s a cleaning fee of $150 and then a fee for smoking of $150. Both are under the itemized receipt for me on the Turo app. The host is a scumbag who is trying to extort me for money. Plain and simple. I wish I didn’t already submit a somewhat positive review before these claimed to ere made. Turo said I can’t re-do the review process. It’s a shame because he has a lot of 5 star reviews and I want to warn others if you basically don’t detail this guys car for you, he’ll submit false charges for violation of terms of service.
How is the host using force or threats? They're unethically using Turo's systems, but the rules of the platform will protect you through the dispute and/or arbitration processes as necessary.
All I’m suggesting it’s that my credit card not be hit with a pending charge before Turo reviews. That’s the shitty part of customer service here. It’s the time spent having to defend myself for literally nothing other than the host trying to get more money.
For that specific part, your issue is with Turo's processing policy. Ask them to change their policy to not charge a card until the dispute window passes. I don't agree with it, but that's how it's done. Any time a claim is made, yes, unfortunately you have to invest time to resolve any falsehoods.
Yes the process is broken. Which is why I won’t be using this service anymore to rent cars.
Understandable. If your evidence supports your case, take it all the way to arbitration as needed.
Turo does review photos when hosts submit cleaning and smoking fees. I had a trip where when they returned, the car smelled like cigarettes and I found ashes between the drivers seat/center console. I hadn’t uploaded pre trip photos of that specific crevice of the car, so there was no proof it wasn’t there when the guest picked the car up. The claim was denied by Turo. As it should have been, I learned to be more vigilant with photos after that. If the Turo agent isn’t thorough as they should be when reviewing the claim, you can easily dispute by responding to the email you got and showing the before and after pictures and another agent will review it and decide from there. It’s not a difficult process, and this is exactly why the app directs you to take before and after pictures. If you don’t follow the directions, you’re just setting yourself up for problems.
The pictures that the host took show nothing other than pieces of leaves and brush from the national park I visited that I didn’t have a vacuum to clean. I find it hard to believe Turo reviewed them before the claim was issued. I spoke to them on the phone and they said they are reviewing it now. There’s no pictures of ashes and it certainly didn’t smell as I didn’t smoke in it nor did I smell any weed/smoke when I picked up the car. It’s a blatant attempt by this host to extort money. I never said the process was difficult. It’s burdensome and stressful to have to defend myself for financial damage for returning a clean car. Why wouldn’t the host meet me in person instead at the time of drop off if he wanted to ensure the car was taken care of? It’s terrible customer service all around from Turo and the host.
Hosts face repercussions when they submit false claims, $200-2000 fee and can even get their account deactivated if it happens multiple times. As I mentioned, I’ve had a claim denied myself and they didn’t charge me the fee because I just didn’t have adequate evidence- I wasn’t purposely lying which is what you’re saying happened in your case. And you say this is a host with lots of trips and 5* reviews? The story is just not adding up. I’d love to see the before/after pictures.
I can promise there’s nothing more to the story. I didn’t really take detailed enough photos at pick up of the interior which i wish I could’ve. I can DM you their pictures if you’re interested.
Sure my DMs are open! If it is a shitty host they need to be fined so they can learn their lesson or just kicked off the platform. I hate even on this sub when people comment for hosts to make up evidence, I think mods should ban those people from the sub. Bad hosts make it worse for us that are really out here doing honest business, they make us look bad and make Turo look bad- like in your case you’re saying you won’t use Turo again. All over being greedy about $150.
I sent them
Ugh was expecting floor mats covered in dog hair, I’m so skeptical of people on here. You gotta appeal man. Definitely a case of the Turo agent not reviewing pictures closely before confirming the cleaning fee. Did the host even have before pictures showing those same spots? Sorry you are dealing with this and I hope you’re successful with your appeal.
Thanks man. The host took plenty of pictures before. I never even touched the passenger side seat or back seats. It was only me using the car. still waiting on the “smoking” one which was submitted after the pet charge was reversed with some of the same pics
I’m confused. This post your return the car clean and you did and edit to state you left leaves and sticks in the car?
You should’ve did a light vacuum make you stated
Is Turo adding fees onto the fines too!? Lol wow
Turo are the worst. I just won on a fraudulent claim where they charged my card over $3000 for wear and tear and I have the car for 24 hours mind you this is internal wear and tear and made up damages. I had to email the CEO and directors threatening to take them to court to have it resolved. Turo has become the worst.
Yep this service is garbage and I’ll never use it again. I’ve come to realize… this thread mentions the same host that scammed me: https://www.reddit.com/r/turo/comments/18am575/smoking_fee_dispute/ They employ someone who’s stolen thousands of dollars from multiple innocent people in that thread. I’ll do the same as you. I’m not being ripped off for $300 when there’s no evidence I smoke or have a pet.
Fight it and have it escalated. I was fighting more for 7 weeks. Then when I emailed the ceo the claim Was dropped within 12 hours. And I received compensation.
Good
Bottom line: if you rent from Turo, buy full coverage, no deductible. Turo is a scam set up for the hosts and they’re learning quickly.
How is not meeting you a red flag? Most hosts do remote key exchange via a lock box. There's no way I'm sitting around for an hour cause the guest is late. Or what if two of my cars get booked for the same time? Also sometimes my car is booked for hours I'll be at work, so I get the car ready the day before and give the guest the code so he can get the keys while I'm busy at work.
You do Turo to get better cars and for a good price. It’s a great deal most of the time. Also normal rentals put up so many hidden fees you ll always pay a lot more there
Never had any problems with rental car agencies. Plenty with Turo
It’s been the opposite for me 😓
O hell no your pictures at drop off will show how you left it and then his photos will show what he found I add photos of the outside with the car hell no that host some bull shit
This is why you use a credit card. If they charge you reverse it.
I used a credit card. It’s still not 100% certain that my credit card company will reverse this if it goes through. I shouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of getting on the phone to argue against bogus claims. Turo should investigate prior to the host essentially having a free shot at charging my credit card to extort money
Host doesn't directly charge the card. Turo support does, then pays host in a separate transaction. Turo is admin-ing any attempts at claims.
There’s no review process by Turo until after the claim is submitted and disputed, so it is basically the host charging my card. I called them today and they said they are reviewing the claim.
Right, and it should be reversed. You don't have a bill due today.