Guest protection plans including insurance | UK

Overview

Turo has arranged its motor insurance with Allianz Insurance plc via Turo broker Aon UK Limited. Allianz and Aon are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Those protection plans address three important concerns: Third-party auto liability insurance; Financial responsibility for Physical Damage to the Shared Vehicle; and Additional Services (like Roadside Assistance). This article focuses primarily on Guests. Host-specific items are discussed in this detailed explanation of host protection plans. 

Terms to know

• Guest - Refers to the primary guest tied to the trip booking. We also use it to refer to any Turo-authorized secondary drivers. 
• Physical Damage - Any damage to the Vehicle, including Mechanical Damage and Interior Damage. 
• Related Costs - These include all costs and fees resulting from damage of any kind to the Vehicle during the booked trip. Cost and fees include but are not limited to:
  • estimation or appraisal costs
  • storage fees
  • towing fees
  • repair or replacement costs
  • registration or transfer taxes
  • claims processing costs and all similar or associated costs, minus any residual salvage value that’s collected.
• Vehicle - Refers to the vehicle booked during the applicable reservation.

Third-party auto liability insurance  

All protection plans include coverage under a third-party automobile liability insurance policy arranged by Turo broker Aon UK Ltd. and provided by Allianz Insurance plc. 

1. Allianz Insurance plc is an insurance company that is part of the Allianz Group. Subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions, the Allianz Policy provides Guests with the following kinds of coverage while they are driving the booked Vehicle during the booked trip.   
   • Bodily injury and property damage to third parties:  
     • The Allianz Policy insures Guests against liability to third parties for property damage resulting from the use of the booked Vehicle during the booked trip, up to £20,000,000. This coverage cannot be declined. Note, however, that it does not apply to Vehicles that are booked on Turo from a Commercial Host.
     • Under UK law and the Allianz Policy, accidental death of or bodily injury to a third party receives unlimited coverage. 
2. The third-party liability insurance coverage provided to Guests under the Allianz Policy is always primary to any other applicable insurance the Guest may have (such as a motor vehicle insurance policy covering vehicles owned by the Guest).  

Financial responsibility for Physical Damage to the Vehicle 

Protection plans made available on Turo also address the primary Guest’s financial liability for any damage to the Vehicle that takes place during the booked trip. 

Guest responsibility

• The primary Guest is responsible to return the Vehicle on time and in essentially the same condition it was in when they first received it. 
• The primary Guest is financially responsible for all Physical Damage or theft to the Vehicle, as well as Related Costs. The primary Guest is financially responsible regardless of who is found to be at fault for the damage. 
• Claims processing costs vary but are typically up to £250 per claim. If a third party accepts total fault for the claim and that third party’s insurer processes it on behalf of the host without substantial processing by Turo’s third-party claims management vendor, we’ll refund the Guest the claims processing fee.
• For example, if there’s Physical Damage to the Vehicle during the period of the booked trip, the primary Guest will be financially liable for the costs of repair, plus Related Costs.
• As another example, if there’s Physical Damage to the Vehicle that results in it being a total loss, then the primary Guest will be financially liable for the actual cash value of the Vehicle, plus Related Costs, minus the salvage value, if any.

Mechanical or Interior Damage. The contractual limitation of liability available under the Premier, Standard, and Minimum plans doesn’t apply to damage caused to the interior of the Vehicle or mechanical damage caused during the booked trip (not normal “wear and tear”). Regardless of which protection plan the primary Guests chooses, the primary Guest is financially liable for the full cost of the repairs or replacement, as well as Related Costs, for interior damage or mechanical damage caused during the booked trip.

Primary Guests can protect themselves against an allegation that damage to the Vehicle occurred during the period of the booked trip. To do so, they should document with photos the condition of the Vehicle, including any existing damage, at the start of the booked trip. They should upload the photos to Trip Photos at the start of the trip.  

Guest’s responsibility for damage to the Vehicle

Primary Guests can contractually limit the amount that they’re legally obligated to pay out of their own pocket in the event there’s Physical Damage to the booked car. Primary Guests may choose from three (3) options.

1. Premier plan:  Under the Premier plan, the amount of excess that the primary Guest is liable to pay for Physical Damage (other than Mechanical or Interior Damage) to the reserved car during the reservation, plus Related Costs, is contractually limited to £250.
2. Standard plan: Under the Standard plan, the amount of excess that the primary Guest is liable to pay for Physical Damage (other than Mechanical or Interior Damage) to the reserved car during the reservation, plus Related Costs, is contractually limited to £750. When damage is reported, the primary Guest will be charged the full £750. If the costs of the damage, plus all Related Costs, minus insurance collected, are less than £750, the difference will be refunded.
3. Minimum plan: Under this plan, the amount of excess that the primary Guest is liable to pay for Physical Damage (other than Mechanical or Interior Damage) to the reserved car during the reservation, plus Related Costs, is contractually limited to £2,000. When damage is reported, the primary Guest will be charged the full £2,000. If the costs of the damage, plus all Related Costs, minus insurance collected, are less than £2,000, the difference will be refunded.

The contractual limitation of liability included in the Premier, Standard, and Minimum protection plans:

• only apply if the primary Guest and each approved secondary driver abides by the Terms and Conditions;
• only apply to the amount the primary Guest is obligated to pay in excess of insurance that is available and has been collected; and
• only apply to Physical Damage that is not Mechanical or Interior Damage.

Important considerations   

No coverage via credit card

• Credit card companies typically don’t cover peer-to-peer car sharing reservations, even where they cover rental car trips. 

Terms of Service violations

For the Premier, Standard, and Minimum plans, if the Guest or any of their approved secondary drivers violate the Terms of Service, engages in any Prohibited Uses or otherwise intentionally, recklessly, or with wanton disregard, misuse the car, the contractual limitation of liability is void and does not apply. That means that the primary Guest will be fully liable for Physical Damage, including up to the actual cash value of the car, in addition to all Related Costs.

Commercial Host trips

If you’ve booked a vehicle from a Commercial Host, none of the above applies, and you won’t be offered a protection plan at checkout. Please refer to the listing or contact the Commercial Host for information about any insurance or protection available to you, including any related fees. 

If you have questions about selecting among these options, please consult your insurance professional. You can also contact us at support.turo.com.