About vehicle swaps
Hosts should give guests the vehicle they booked. However, if you need to provide the guest with an alternate vehicle, that vehicle must:
- be listed in good standing on Turo
- meet applicable requirements for driver age, vehicle type, and protection plan
- be approved by the guest
How to swap a vehicle before a trip starts
If you must swap out a vehicle prior to or at check-in, follow these instructions:
- Cancel the booked trip.
- This places the guest’s funds on hold for 24 hours, which allows them to quickly rebook with you.
- You must be the one to cancel. If the guest cancels, we’ll issue them a refund, which their bank could take up to 10 days to process. Having these funds tied up may make it impossible for them to rebook with you in time.
- Instruct your guest to book the replacement vehicle within 24 hours of the cancellation.
- As long as your guest rebooks with you within 24 hours, your metrics won’t be impacted and you won’t be fined for the cancellation.
How to swap a vehicle after a trip starts
The easiest and fastest way to swap a vehicle during an in-progress trip is for you to call Turo support. When you do, we’ll verify that the swap is eligible, and we’ll manage the swap for you, as needed. We highly recommend working with customer support if you need to swap a vehicle mid trip.
What if I need to swap a vehicle outside of support hours?
It’s always best to reach out to support when performing a swap to ensure you’re covered. If you have to conduct the swap outside of support hours, you must follow the requirements listed below before swapping the car. If you fail to follow these requirements, it’ll void your protection plan and that of your guest.
- Vehicle must be already listed on your account and be in good standing on Turo.
- Whenever possible, swap your guest into a vehicle that’s of a similar year, make, model.
- If the swap is not performed by a customer support agent, Turo will only protect the trip up to the value of the originally booked vehicle.
- You must verify your guest’s age to ensure they meet Turo’s age requirements.
- You may swap a guest into a Deluxe or Super Deluxe vehicle only if the guest is already driving a Deluxe or Super Deluxe vehicle.
- You may swap a guest into a vehicle that has a manual transmission only if the guest is already driving a vehicle with a manual transmission.
- Your guest must agree in Turo messaging that they accept the vehicle swap, including any changes to pricing, mileage, etc.
- If you later swap your guest back into their original vehicle, you must document that swap in Turo messaging.
Can I swap my guest into a more expensive vehicle?
If the vehicle(s) you have available for a swap are more expensive than the one your guest has booked, you may offer it to your guest. However, your guest must agree to the higher price. You can also change a vehicle’s price to match the price of the guest’s originally priced vehicle. It’s entirely up to you. If you change a vehicle’s price, you must do so before the guest books the replacement vehicle.
Do I have to take new vehicle photos?
You must take before and after photos of the replacement vehicle. Without them, you won’t qualify for any potential post-trip reimbursements or be eligible for damage coverage.
Troubleshooting
If a guest can’t book the replacement car, it typically means:
- we’ve placed a hold on the guest’s account, and they’re ineligible to book
- the guest doesn’t qualify due to a vehicle requirement tied to age or vehicle type
Allowing a guest to use a vehicle for which they don’t qualify will void the protection plan for you and the guest.