How has COVID-19 changed the way Turo operates?
COVID-19 has greatly impacted how companies must operate, including Turo. As of June 1, 2020, hosts* are required to follow Turo’s Cleaning and disinfection policy. This policy offers guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your vehicle and stipulates that guests can cancel their trip free of charge and without documentation, if upon inspection of the vehicle they’re concerned that it hasn’t been cleaned and disinfected. If you’re a guest, please read COVID-19 practices and FAQs | Guests.
To help educate you about COVID-19 and how best to clean and disinfect your vehicle, Turo has created a training module. Read more about host training below. Hosts who are unwilling or unable to adhere to the Cleaning and disinfection policy should snooze or unlist their vehicles. If you cancel a trip because your vehicle doesn’t meet cleaning and disinfection standards, we’ll charge you a fee as per Turo’s Cancellation policy. Repeated cancellations will negatively impact host metrics.
Are there any geographic restrictions that impact Turo?
The Governor of Hawaii has issued a Proclamation related to the COVID-19 emergency. Under this proclamation, Hawaii hosts are not allowed to share their cars with guests who have not completed a mandatory 14-day self quarantine. Hosts who need to cancel trips associated with this proclamation must contact Customer Support and can do so without penalty or metric impacts. If a host shares a vehicle with a person subject to the self-quarantine, the host may be subject to penalties, as imposed by the government.
What’s Turo doing to support hosts during this time?
We’ve created an in-app host training course to give you disinfection information and instructions compiled from the EPA, CDC, WHO, and car detailing experts. You can access the training on your Vehicles page and move through the course at your own pace – it should take about 15 minutes to complete. Hosts who successfully complete the training will receive a badge on their profile page and on all active vehicle listings. The badge lets guests know that you’re educated about best practices for disinfecting your car to keep them safe. We’ll also allow you to update your buffer times between trip bookings. The course is available to hosts now, and we’ll apply badges and allow for buffer time changes beginning July 31. After that, we’ll apply a badge and unlock buffer time settings in Trip preferences as soon as a host finishes the training course. Hosts who don’t complete the training or who list a vehicle after July 31 will be auto-set to a 72 hour trip buffer time until they’ve completed the course.
Has Turo seen a decline in business due to COVID-19?
Turo initially experienced a decline in guest demand. Domestic and international travel were most heavily impacted; local trips less so. As states lift stay-at-home orders, we anticipate more guests will want access to a car for commuting to work, running errands, or visiting nearby relatives or friends. Turo hosts can help support these types of trips by providing instantly bookable cars in their area.
What can I do to get more trip requests?
There are several things you can do to increase guest convenience and confidence. We recommend the following:
- Adjust your advance notice settings to accept short lead time bookings (<1 day).
- Adjust your minimum trip length settings to accept shorter trips.
- Enable Book Instantly.
- Facilitate remote key hand-offs by enabling Turo Go digital (Los Angeles and San Diego only; nationwide coming soon) or offering contactless check-in and checkout.
- Be proactive about your health by washing your hands often, practicing physical distancing, and covering coughs and sneezes. If you’re scheduled to meet a guest but feel under the weather, stay home and consider having your custodian/co-host go for you.
What are my options for reducing contact with guests?
We strongly encourage eligible hosts to enable Turo Go digital. Turo Go digital pairs with a vehicle’s smartphone app. You won’t need any additional hardware or installation. If your car is eligible, just sign up and turn it on. Learn more about Turo Go eligibility and registration.
If you don’t have access to Turo Go, we recommend using a lockbox for a remote key handoff. See our contactless check-in guide for a list of preferred lockbox products and best use practices as well as guest verification guidelines.
What if a guest has an expired license due to COVID-19-related closures of motor vehicle departments?
If a guest’s driver’s license has expired, don’t immediately cancel the trip. The expiration may be due to COVID-19 closures at the motor vehicle department in your guest’s state or territory and an extension may be in place. Check the motor vehicle department website for your state to verify whether your guest’s expired license is still valid. If the guest is from out-of-state, follow the guidelines posted for your area. Canadian provinces are providing automatic extensions for expired licenses, so hosts in Canada should not cancel a trip if a guest presents an expired license. See the chart below for links to motor vehicle department websites where you can find information about driver’s license renewal extensions due to COVID-19.
As always, it’s your responsibility to verify your guest’s license information. If you have questions about a guest’s license or identity, contact us. English-speaking hosts in the US and Canada can chat with a Verification agent. French-speaking hosts in Canada can call 1-888-391-0460.
What happens if a guest can’t return a car due to a change in government policy or other COVID-19 related reason?
Please contact our customer support team at 415-965-4525. Press option 1 for roadside assistance if a guest is unable to return a car for a reason related to COVID-19. We’ll do everything in our power to ensure that you’re supported if a guest can’t return a car.
Has Turo lowered the booking volume or earnings criteria for All-Star Host and Power Host status in light of COVID-19?
We plan to reassess Power Host qualification criteria at the end of June and will notify hosts of the new standards. However, we’re not planning to reassess qualification for All-Star Host status, which is assessed once every quarter. The evaluation looks at host metrics and behavior from the previous 365 days. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments if needed.
Has there been change in support offered by Turo?
Read about the different ways to contact Turo.