Need a rental car? App allows people to rent a car from another car owner
PHOENIX - A new car-sharing app is offering travelers more options for car rentals at a time when such cars are hard to come by.
Related: Travel woes: Travelers waiting in line for hours to get a rental car in Arizona
Turo is like Airbnb for rental cars. Customers who need a rental car at the last minute say it's an easier process.
Charissa Stokka, who flew in from Minnesota one week earlier than she originally planned, says the rental car company she already booked with couldn’t extend her reservation.
"Coming here earlier, and at the last minute, I just booked it. I was shocked, there was just nothing," said Stokka.
She then made her first booking through Turo. "Typically, I rent the exotics at Enterprise, so the price is very comparable and even less," said Stokka.
Renting a Maserati costs around $500 a day, which is almost the same price as booking a luxury car at the last minute at the rental counter.
"It’s just so great. Everyone is personable and friendly. Drop off and pick up is super easy," said Stokka.
Meanwhile, car hosts say it's a simple way to make money.
In Tempe, Heidi O'Brien and another person began listing their three personal vehicles on Turo. The endeavor took off from there. "There was one booking, then another booking. Then we listed another car, then the same thing. Then we listed all the cars we had on there. Then we bought another car," said O’Brien.
Their fleet of exotic cars went from three to 13, after just eight weeks.
"They're taking the payments. They're taking the credit cards. They’re doing all that. They act as the mediators if there's any issues or claims," said O'Brien.
As for insurance, both the hosts and the renters can purchase insurance through the Turo app. Turo makes its money by charging hosts a commission.
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