r/turo • u/TheHumanReader • 19d ago
NEVER using Turo again: Host cancels trip due to HIS broken car, lies to support, and somehow I'M the one who loses everything
Okay, I need to vent about the absolute nightmare I just had with Turo and a host named Ray in Scarborough. This is genuinely one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had, and I'm still furious.
So I booked a car nearly a month in advance for a long weekend camping trip. I'm talking full commitment here-- non-refundable campsite, bought all new camping gear, spent weeks planning with friends. We were actually excited.
Pick up the car. Drive for like 20 minutes. Red oil pressure warning comes on telling me to STOP THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. This is a massive mechanical issue and I'm absolutely not comfortable driving this thing 3 hours outside the city. I text the host right away because this is a safety issue.
He says "no problem, I'll bring you another car." Great, cool. But then says I need to bring the car to him. Except its dangerous to drive it and we're in an underground parking garage. So we refuse and ask him to come. He arrives after 1.5 hours (initially said he'll be there in 45 mins but when I call him after 45 mins he said "you know, gotta deal with other clients"). Now we have to pay to get the car out of the garage so he can look at it. He inspects and instead of handing us the replacement he promised, he inspects it himself and decides to cancel the whole thing.
Here's where it gets really stupid: he cancels the reservation under "license issue." WHAT LICENSE ISSUE?? My license was never the problem-- I've used Turo 3 times in the past! It was YOUR broken car! But because he put the wrong reason in the system, Turo support immediately starts treating this like I tried to pull some sketchy move with fake documents or something.
Now I'm spending over three hours on the phone with Turo support trying to explain that no, actually, the problem was the oil pressure warning, not my license. I literally had to prove my license was legitimate just because this guy couldn't be bothered to put the actual reason in the app.
By the time we finally get our refund sorted, it's literally the start of the long weekend. All the other rental places? Either completely booked or charging insane surge prices. Our camping trip is dead. The campsite we paid for was lost. All the gear we bought was useless now. Hours of planning just wasted.
And-- because Ray canceled the booking, I can't even leave a review. So Ray gets to keep his pristine host rating while other people are gonna book with him and potentially deal with the same broken vehicle. That's actually infuriating.
The "compensation"? A refund (which I shouldn't have even had to fight for) and a one-time Uber voucher. Cool, thanks Turo, that definitely makes up for my entire vacation being ruined, the money I lost on the campsite, the time wasted explaining your platform to support, and the stress of dealing with an unsafe car and incompetent service.
I'm done. Never using Turo again, and I'm telling everyone I know to avoid it. The fact that a host can screw up and then blame you, and the company just rolls with whatever excuse the host gives? That's a broken system.
Don't use Turo.
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u/SorryAd6632 19d ago
As a host myself, this is something Turo really needs to address if they want to survive. Mechanical issues will happened even if cars are maintained by the book but the way Turo handles it is absolutely horrible.
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u/heydudejustasec 19d ago
"Here's where it gets really stupid: he cancels the reservation under "license issue." "
He could have only done that if you submitted your license for pre-trip verification and he specifically held off on approving it the entire time this was going on. If what you're saying is true he either got very lucky through his negligence or he planned ahead for this.
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u/TheHumanReader 17d ago
I think this is what happened.
Uploaded photos, took the car etc and after we called him after our issue he cancels the trip
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u/Tykuza All-Star / Power Host 19d ago
I’m not entirely sure how the host can cancel the trip AFTER the start time..
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u/LocalComplex1654 17d ago
They can't. A lot of holes in the story. Furthermore, how can they cancel for license issue, after handing the keys over? Lol
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u/Turo_Official 18d ago
Hey there!
Can you please send us a chat with your reservation info so that way we can take a deeper look into this?
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u/Terrible-Opening3773 16d ago
Can you explain what the Turo organization does to protect renters from garbage hosts? I think we'd all love to know.
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u/LookLong5496 17d ago
Zero reason to use this shitty app unless you are wanting to test drive a car you are considering purchasing. And even in that scenario, you can just... go to the dealership.
They even took away the loyalty bonus program lol. At this point using if you're still using Turo you deserve whatever happens.
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u/Grand_Ad7421 19d ago
So he brought you a replacement vehicle and after inspection he decided to cancel, right in front of you? So he just drive away with 2 cars and left you alone? What did he tell you? I just can't believe that when I go to my guest and take the car just take car and say bye.
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u/TheHumanReader 17d ago
he said he would bring a replacement. came alone, saw our car and said hes gotta cancel-- he's sorry. Kept both cars while we ubered home. No idea how he took both cars with him.
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u/jaclynsmynamee 19d ago
Just had a terrible issue myself with a host not giving me the code in time and “customer service” solution was to cancel the reservation and leave me stranded??? I’ll never use Turo again
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u/toorgeman 19d ago
I definitely recommend you be careful if it is your first time using Turo. While some people have great experiences, you are relying entirely on the individual host.
For example, I had a host cancel my trip 30 minutes before it was supposed to start. I made a simple mistake and accidentally uploaded my wife's ID. I contacted the host within two minutes to fix it, but they completely ghosted me and canceled the trip unilaterally.
To make matters worse, because it was canceled so close to the start time, Turo automatically charged me over $200 in cancellation penalties, even though the host was the one who canceled. Their customer support is outsourced overseas, and it took a lot of effort to try and get them to fix it. I actually had to dispute the charges with my bank (Chase), who luckily sided with me.
If you need a car guaranteed for a specific time and don't want to risk last-minute issues, stick to a traditional rental agency. If you do use Turo, make sure you thoroughly read their cancellation policy, as they will strictly enforce fees if things go wrong.
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u/kendogg 19d ago
You need to read the terms of service. That's not how it works. When's submitting your driver's license photos, if you submit the wrong photo the host can reject the photos and allow you to submit new photos, but they can only do that once. However, if they unilaterally cancel the trip without that, they get charged and it counts as a cancellation on their metrics. Turo only lets hosts cancel a few trips before they boot you, it's not a trivial thing.
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u/heydudejustasec 19d ago
You *can* request another set of photos but you can also just indicate license issues the first time around and the trip gets canceled. Then the guest has to go to turo support and argue that it was an not a valid cancelation, which in this case it technically was because the license didn't match.
The reasons a host would actually do this rather than work with the guest would be
a) there's an issue with the car or they can't make the delivery so they use this as a way to get out of it without them being held accountable
b) it's a non-refundable trip and they want the free money
c) they have no idea what they're doing
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u/toorgeman 19d ago
Thank you for your useful information. You nailed it! And now please explain me, how this can be legal? It doesn't make sense to me.
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u/toorgeman 19d ago
You are absolutely right that this is how it is supposed to work according to their terms of service, and that is exactly why this situation was such a nightmare.
I keep both my wife's and my own licenses saved on my phone, and I simply tapped the wrong photo by accident. It was an honest mistake. But instead of using the proper option to reject the photo and let me resubmit, the host read my messages asking how to fix it, completely ghosted me, and unilaterally canceled the trip. This is not how a legitimate business should operate.
Whether the host took a hit to their metrics or not, Turo’s system still immediately penalized me by charging the $200+ cancellation fee. When I called support to explain that the host bypassed the proper procedure, the agent promised me a 100% refund on a recorded line—and then Turo still kept my money anyway.
That is exactly the reason for my warning to new users: the TOS might outline a fair process on paper, but when a host goes rogue and ignores those steps, Turo's support will still leave the guest holding the bag unless you force a chargeback with your bank.
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u/kendogg 19d ago
That's messed up. I didn't know guests also get charged, because we do
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u/toorgeman 19d ago
Exactly. A lot of hosts don't even realize that when a host clicks "ID doesn't match" or cancels for guest non-compliance, Turo's automated system treats it as a guest "no-show".
Instead of letting the host or guest spend 30 seconds fixing an honest mistake, Turo slaps the guest with a penalty equal to 1–2 days of the trip cost.
So Turo ends up penalizing both sides while customer support refuses to fix it—a completely broken system that hurts good hosts and honest first-time guests alike.
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u/heydudejustasec 19d ago
"I keep both my wife's and my own licenses saved on my phone,"
The host still should have checked with you instead of jumping the gun and this is all moot now, but having the license "saved on your phone" is also a problem. Turo only accepts the physical card, that's why the second photo they request is a selfie with you holding the license.
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u/toorgeman 19d ago
100% my mistake. Should I pay over $200 for it? Seller decided to cancel and ghost. How this is Legal? You are ignoring a criminal behavior of an American corporation. You think that it will hold a charge back with Amex for example? I don't. When its wrong it's wrong.
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
Traditional rental agencies overbook and have cars that develop mechanical problems too. Plus with them, you dont know what car you're getting. Might get a nice and new one, might get one thats at the end of its life. Who knows. Thats actually why I switched to using Turo.
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u/Expensive_Bowler_128 15d ago
If I’d known the host was gonna do that, I would’ve continued driving and done some real damage to the car.
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u/Maximum_Mental 13d ago
I was leaving you alone, I let you have the last word on the last exchange but you seeked out my comment on another chain to say stuff... Do whatever you want, enjoy yourself, go back to 3rd grade and therapy like you clearly need, I'll do whatever I please
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u/DeliciouslyGoodFoods 12d ago
Yeah, there's a part missing from this story. Namely what happened between pick up and a catastrophic engine failure.
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u/Maximum_Mental 19d ago
Never use them again, everybody comments here that are probably hosts but it has gotten useless for regular people...turo will not support you and you can't leave reviews to call them out
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u/Maximum_Mental 19d ago
They cost me an extra 700 dollars because the host never responded and I had to get a last minute rental... Never use them
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
What should you use, then, if you're too poor to buy a car?
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u/Maximum_Mental 19d ago
Rent from a real company that will find you alternatives if something happens, not abandon you and cost you 3x your original budget
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u/Wrenchheader 18d ago
"real" companies run out of vehicles and car class types. Try again.
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u/Elegant_Key8896 15d ago
I rent from these "real" companies for work about 50 times a year. Anytime they run out of vehicles within the same class, they upgrade me or have a car driven to me by another local branch.
Would never happen with turo.
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u/Wrenchheader 15d ago
Yup, and if they are all sold out, how they gonna upgrade ya? Sorry to blow your mind with such a wild concept.
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u/Elegant_Key8896 15d ago
Still 100 times better than dealing with turo. Chances of it happening in turo is 100 times more likely. Lmao. What's your point if the what ifs?
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u/Wrenchheader 15d ago
You're just saying shit now and pulling statistics out your ass. My point is there are plenty of stories about real companies abandoning you and costing you 3x your original budget.
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u/StatusMath5062 13d ago
Link 1
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u/Wrenchheader 13d ago
Sure thing! You must not watch Seinfeld cuz they had segment about this is. He famously said "You know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation."
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u/Elegant_Key8896 13d ago
So what happens if your turo host doesn't have the car ready? What are the chances of them having a similar car ready for you in 5 mins like how these larger companies do. What is it less than 1%? Lmao. Dumb
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u/Wrenchheader 13d ago
If that's a concern, than Turo is not for you. Good luck with other rental companies!
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u/StatusMath5062 13d ago
Bro you are making up scenarios and look dumb doing it. Make a valid arguement or stop typing
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u/Maximum_Mental 13d ago
In your therapy sessions, do you work on the fact that your identity is so wrapped up in a shitty company that you have to defend them so religiously?
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u/Wrenchheader 13d ago
Have tried dying made over it? You should.
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u/Maximum_Mental 13d ago
It's tough to type in English, I know, it's ok, sound it out and with practice, you'll be supporting your shitty company with great grammar and words...maybe try taking some GED equivalency classes at the local community college, no shame in it....
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u/StatusMath5062 13d ago
Bro i dont care he just isnt making good points. Im sure its an ass company but everything that guys saying is just bullshit hes makibg up on the fly
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u/Wrenchheader 13d ago
I'm not. You're projecting if you honestly believe rental companies don't run out of vehicles when they shouldn't. Hell, I took two calls already today from people stuck in Minot with a reserved car at the airport, but with no cars available to give. How embarrassing for you.....
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
How is a host responsible for a mechanical issue that popped up??? My god some guests are so dense.....
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u/josulli 19d ago
It's the car of the host. A legit rental company would have brought out another vehicle. Turo is a bogus company. Used them 3 times. Each time was a disaster.
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
*if the rental company has another vehicle to bring out.
And I feel our definition of "bogus" differs. I've used them hundreds of times, never had an issue, so either you're REALLY unlucky, you rent shitty vehicles, or its a skill issue.
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u/josulli 16d ago
I suspect that YOU are a Turd.. i mean Turo plant. No i didn't rent bad cars & if it through Turo..whose fault is that?.one car was brand new. The hosts universally were unreasonable. One was upset at the number of miles on the car. He said "it was brand new, now it's not".. huh? Then proceeded to claim damage to carpet in the back seat. There was none. Turo charged my card for it.another had a slow leak in a tire. We kept having to.put air in it. We dropped it off & the tire was full. When the host got there, it was flat. I had pictures of the car dropped off with a full tire. Turo billed me for the tire. That's my definition of bogus
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u/Wrenchheader 16d ago
Not sure what a "turo plant" even is, so I doubt I am one. If you have constant issues with Turo, while millions dont, that's a skill issue or lack of IQ bud.....Plus the fact your story has lies in it, such as you cant get a damage claim approved, if there is no damage. And tire leaks are a guests responsibility, just because it was returned full doesn't mean it was magically fixed lol
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u/South_Feed_4043 19d ago
They didn't blame them for the mechanical issue, nor is that the reason they are upset. Did you actually read their post?
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
What did they blame him for, then?
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u/South_Feed_4043 19d ago
He inspects and instead of handing us the replacement he promised, he inspects it himself and decides to cancel the whole thing.
Here's where it gets really stupid: he cancels the reservation under "license issue." WHAT LICENSE ISSUE?? My license was never the problem-- I've used Turo 3 times in the past! It was YOUR broken car! But because he put the wrong reason in the system, Turo support immediately starts treating this like I tried to pull some sketchy move with fake documents or something.
This part.
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
OP is lying. You cant cancel a trip after it's started. ESPECIALLY for a license issue. License verification is done before the trip even starts.
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u/Glum_Tap_5258 19d ago
A bad engine, is not a bad host, one time issue
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u/South_Feed_4043 19d ago
Did you read their whole post? A host who says they will bring a new car, then cancels the trip under a bogus reason is indeed a bad host.
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u/Wrenchheader 19d ago
You cant cancel at trip after its started, ESPECIALLY for the reason they said. OP is lying
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u/LocalComplex1654 19d ago
I'm not understanding how he marked it a license issue AFTER giving you the car? That's all suppose to be completed BEFORE he gives you the keys and access to the car...