Resolving damage with your guest

In many situations, the fastest, most cost-effective way to resolve physical damage to your vehicle is to work directly with your guest without Turo’s involvement. Resolving directly lets you control the timing and steps of the process and may let you save against your deductible, if your plan includes one. It allows your guest to avoid paying administrative fees, appraisal costs, and any amount greater than the out-of-pocket maximum tied to their protection plan. 

How do I work directly with my guest?

When you report damage, we’ll ask you to enter the estimated cost of the repair. Based on the estimate, your protection plan deductible, in any, and your guest’s out-of-pocket maximum, we’ll let you know if resolving directly with your guest could be to your financial advantage. If you choose to resolve directly, send all communication through Turo messaging so we have visibility if necessary. We’ll send you a suggested message you can use to get the process started, but the rest will be up to you and your guest. In some cases, your guest may have reported the damage and chosen a reimbursement path. If that happens, we’ll notify you. 

If you change your mind about resolving directly with your guest, you have 20 days from the trip’s end date to contact us to take over the claim. The most efficient way to do that is to reply to the original damage notification email and ask us to take over. If you can’t find that notification, you can email us at claims@turo.com (US), claims+ca@turo.com (Canada), or ukclaims@turo.com (UK). You might also want to involve Turo if: you haven’t heard from your guest in three days; don’t feel comfortable continuing to work with your guest; or want us to make a final decision based on Turo policies. Remember, if you file a claim with Turo and have a deductible  tied to your protection plan, you’ll be responsible for the deductible amount. Your guest has 20 days from trip end to contact us as well. If 20 days have passed or you’ve accepted any payment from the guest or their insurer, Turo won’t handle the claim.   

What’s the process for resolving directly?

You and your guest have the freedom to work together in whatever way suits you both. We recommend keeping all communication within Turo messaging and following a process similar to this:  

• Agree on what damage occurred during the trip. Review pre- and post-trip photos with one another. Share close-up and multi-angle views of the damaged area(s) so your guest has a full understanding of the damage.  
• Get a repair estimate and send it to your guest. Get an estimate—or more than one if you’d like—within 72 hours of contacting your guest to work together. US hosts can check out our vendor discounts, including a discount on Safelite auto glass services, which might help to keep costs down. Be certain the estimate is for the cost to repair only the damage that happened during your guest’s trip.  
• Give your guest time to review and respond. If your guest contacts you with questions or disagrees with the cost, connect them with your repair shop. That way they can get answers and/or request a better price.
• Ask your guest whether they want to use their personal insurance or their protection plan to pay for the damage. If you work with the guest’s personal insurance provider, refer the agent to clause 2.6 in the car sharing agreement. If your guest uses the protection plan they purchased through Turo, their plan’s out-of-pocket maximum is the most you can request that they pay you.
• Arrange for payment. We recommend using an electronic payment method such as PayPal, Venmo, or Square. We don’t suggest using cash unless you both can sign and provide copies of a receipt. If you’re presenting a claim to your guest’s insurance company, confirm with the carrier that the claim has been filed and work with the adjuster to resolve the claim. If the carrier needs information from Turo, contact us, and we can provide support.