For travelers on a budget or people seeking a unique and interesting vehicle instead of the standard rental car, Turo is often recommended as an option for getting the transportation one needs at a price they can afford.
For context, Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing service, advertising itself by saying that one can “rent just about any car, just about anywhere.”
While this may be the intention, both renters and rentees have shared issues with the service. One internet user said they rented out their Tesla only to have it return with significant damage. Another Turo user said that her car rental was repossessed while she was at lunch.
Now, a user on TikTok is alleging that a Turo user may be attempting to fraudulently charge her almost $2,000 after seemingly fabricating an incident.
Why did Turo charge this woman almost $2,000?
TikTok user Tommi (@tommimakay) says that she rented a car via Turo for a trip to San Diego about a month ago. The total cost of the rental was $218.
However, a few days after returning the car, she says she got a notification saying that she was being charged $600 by the host for damages to the vehicle, a Toyota Prius.
“Mind you, I did not cause any damages,” she explains. “I am the most cautious driver. There was no situation once where I was like, ‘Oh, I might have bumped something.’”
She says later learned that the alleged damage was a scratch on the bumper that the TikToker says was not her doing. She further states that, while she took photos of the car before and after, the nature of the scratch was such that it wasn’t easily captured by the photos.
Frustrated, she says she filed a dispute with Turo—which was promptly rejected. She then received another charge; she says she is contesting all of the charges with her credit card.
“So my initial trip to San Diego turbocharge went from $218 to $2,000,” she says. “Luckily, I’m handling it with my credit card at this point. If anything, I’m never using Turo again. When this is done, I’m fully canceling my account. … Don’t use Turo.”
In a follow-up video, she speculates that the host is simply trying to get her to pay up to her deductible limit of $3,000.
What happened next?
In a further follow-up video, Tommi explains that she reached out to her bank, Chase.
“I called my bank. I was like, ‘Can we block this charge from coming through?’” she recounts. “The bank was so amazing. They were so helpful, and she made me feel a million times better immediately.”
The bank informed her that they would be canceling her credit card number. Chase also said it was issuing her a new card in order to prevent any further charges. The reason the bank had to do this, Tommi learned, is that Turo charges are listed as “recurring charges,” which allows the bank account to be charged even when a card has been frozen. Other internet users have complained about this issue in the past.
Through doing this, Tommi also noticed something interesting about the alleged damage claim. According to Tommi, the photos that the host sent showing the initial damages differ significantly from those they are now showing of the alleged damages. Tommi states that the current photos show a bigger scratch than the original photos.
“That’s how I know this is just totally, like, schemy, fraudulent,” she explains.
To conclude, Tommi says that she is prepared with a dispute via her credit card company and that she is working with Turo on a second dispute.
What should you do if a Turo host makes a fraudulent damage claim?
According to Turo, if a host provides an invoice to a renter for alleged damages incurred over the course of their rental, the renter can dispute it within the app, as Tommi appears to have done.
However, if Turo decides to still side with the host, the company’s website appears to not offer recommendations about what renters can do next if they believe these charges to be fraudulent. And there are other internet users who have made claims similar to Tommi’s.
Exact solutions depend on one’s situation. However, one can follow the steps taken by Tommi while also employing other institutions if necessary. For example, one can extensively document their car before and after rental. They can dispute all charges through Turo if they arise and work with their credit card company or insurer to void charges. Or, if needed, they can file a claim with the Better Business Bureau or in small claims court.
@tommimakay This was my 2nd experience, renting a vehicle with Turo and it will be my LASTTTT. This experience has opened my eyes to how easily a host can scam a renter and the company will side with the host the majority of the time and find any reason to. It seems like every loophole possible has been pulled on me by the host. And last but not least THANK YOU CHASE BANK FOR HELPING ME
♬ original sound – tom bat
Commenters weigh in
Tommi’s video now has over 366,000 views. In the comments section, users shared their thoughts about Tommi’s experience.
“Will never use Turo. If they charged me 2K in damages the owner is gonna wake up to 2K in damages,” wrote a user.
“Turo tried to charge me 300 extra dollars for ‘drug particles’ I told them that I’d take them to court and suddenly they looked at when the pictures were taken,” alleged another. “Should’ve done that from the jump.”
“Gotta rent through major companies that don’t have a personal connection to their car,” stated a third. “Turo cars have an individual owner that wants a car returned better than it was given out.”
The Daily Dot reached out to both Turo and Chase via email. We also reached out to Tommi via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
Update 9:03am ET, May 8: In an email to the Daily Dot, a Turo spokesperson shared the following statement:
“We’ve carefully reviewed all evidence and timestamps, confirming the damage occurred during this rental period. Damage caused during a trip, while unfortunate, is ultimately the responsibility of the guest. For additional context, the guest documented the car thoroughly at the beginning of the trip, but left out the damaged area at the end of the trip. Turo is committed to fairness, and any guest wishing to dispute a claim can request neutral third-party arbitration, in accordance with our Terms of Service, though this guest hasn’t done so. To avoid similar situations, we strongly encourage everyone to follow our Trip Photo Guides to document their trips at both pickup and return.”
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