Turo is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. In response to concerns, here are some tips, updates for staying safe during your Turo interactions, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Please note, canceling trips due to COVID-19 falls under Turo’s extenuating circumstances policy. You can read more about the policy below.
If you’re a guest, please read COVID-19 policy and FAQs for guests.
Be proactive about your health
- Wash your hands often. Wash your hands with soap and hot water. If you’re not near a sink, use hand sanitizer.
- Practice social distancing.
- Be mindful of cleanliness. Cover your coughs and sneezes. Try not to touch your face. And when in doubt, wash your hands again.
- Hosts, stay home if you feel sick. If you’re supposed to meet a guest but feel under the weather, stay home and consider having your custodian/co-host go for you.
Disinfect your car between trips
Hosts, clean and disinfect your car after each trip with disinfectant wipes or spray. Wipe down the steering wheel, door handles, trunk latch, keys, and any other surfaces that are touched frequently. Here’s a helpful guide for disinfecting your car’s interior without damaging any surfaces.
Turo’s extenuating circumstances policy
Turo’s extenuating circumstances policy is designed to address situations like this. If you’re concerned about upcoming trips because of COVID-19, you can cancel them without penalty. You won’t incur fees, and your metrics won’t be impacted.
Please be sympathetic and supportive if your guest or host decides to cancel a trip due to health and safety concerns.
For more details, please review the extenuating circumstances policy.
If you’re a host whose trip had Book Instantly turned on, you’ll be prompted to provide a reason for canceling. Select the option to cancel because “I'm uncomfortable with this trip” and type COVID in the notes section. For trips that are not booked instantly, you should contact customer support as detailed in the policy.
FAQs for hosts
Does the extenuating circumstances policy apply if a guest doesn’t show up and says it was because of COVID-19 concerns?
The trip must be canceled in advance of the trip start for hosts and guests to be covered by this policy.
What if I followed the extenuating circumstances policy and still see a cancellation penalty and a cancellation review impacting my performance metrics?
We apologize if any of these things happen. Removing these items is a manual process, and sometimes mistakes happen. Please email our customer support team and we’ll remove the penalty and the review as quickly as possible.
Is Turo seeing a decline in business due to the evolving COVID-19 situation?
As more and more of the world practices social distancing and self-quarantining, like most other businesses, Turo is experiencing a decline in guest demand. Domestic and international travel have been most heavily impacted, whereas local trips have been impacted to a lesser degree.
During this time, some guests still need access to a car. They may be essential workers like health care providers or first responders, or they may need a car for getting groceries or supplies. Turo hosts can help support these types of trips by providing instantly bookable, nearby cars.
How can I better support guests seeking access to cars locally?
- 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 using a lockbox.
Will Turo lower the booking volume or earnings criteria for All-Star Host and Power Host status in light of the current COVID-19 situation?
We are indeed planning to reassess Power Host qualification criteria at the end of this quarter. We’ll inform hosts when we’ve updated criteria to announce. However, we are not planning to reassess qualification for All-Star Host status.
As a reminder, All-Star Host eligibility 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.
How can hosts offer a contactless key exchange?
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.Turo Go digital is currently available to eligible hosts in San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area.
For hosts who don’t have access to Turo Go, we recommend using a lockbox for a remote key handoff. Many Turo hosts use a KeyGuard Pro lockbox.
For remote handoffs, please follow remote verification guidelines. Remember to collect verification photos from your guest at trip start.
What should hosts do if local governments institute a shelter-in-place policy?
Please comply with any containment measures set by your local government. Prioritize the health and safety of yourself and those around you. If it is in compliance with local containment measures, remote hosting may be an option for you. Consider enabling Turo Go digital or facilitating a remote key handoff with a lockbox. For remote handoffs, please follow remote verification guidelines. Remember to collect verification photos from your guest at trip start.
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.
I can no longer host on Turo due to a change in government policy. What should I do?
Please follow the extenuating circumstances policy. The customer support team can assist you in canceling any upcoming trips.
Will Turo stop all bookings?
We’re monitoring the evolving situation daily. We currently have made no decision to prevent bookings. We ask our hosts to comply with any containment measures set by your local governments. Please prioritize the health and safety of those around you. If you need to cancel, you can use our extenuating circumstances policy.
Will there be any change in support offered by Turo?
We’re working tirelessly to support the Turo community. Read about the different ways to contact Turo.
Will promotion codes be refunded to guests in cash or travel credit if the cancellation is related to COVID-19?
Promotion codes will not be refunded or turned into travel credit in these cases.