Troubleshooter: Turo claims renter damaged car that was muddy at pickup

Q: I rented a car through Turo in Edmonton, Canada, and returned it in the same condition, but the host accused me of causing a scratch. The car was covered in mud when I picked it up, making it impossible to inspect for existing damage. At drop-off, it was dark and snowy, and my phone was dying, so my photos were too dim to prove anything.

The host admitted that the damage could’ve happened after I left the car in an unsecured parking spot. He refused to meet in person to discuss the alleged damage. He rented the car out again immediately, and Turo backed his $1,200 claim despite mechanics saying that the scratch was minor.

Turo ignored my evidence and raised the charge by $400 for “hidden damage” that was found after other renters used the car. As a student living on less than $2,000 a month, this fee is devastating. Did I just become a victim of a Turo scam?

A: Turo, which is like Airbnb for cars, should have ensured that the host followed its own policy requiring vehicles to be clean at pickup. A dirty car prevented you from documenting pre-existing damage, violating the company’s terms.

Alberta’s Consumer Protection Act also requires businesses to act in good faith, which Turo ignored by rubber-stamping blurry photos and refusing to address your evidence.

But you made a few mistakes, too. First, you shouldn’t have accepted a muddy car. If you had no choice, you should have spoken with your Turo host about the difficulty of documenting any pre-existing damage. (For me, knowing what I know about damage claims, I would have been highly reluctant to accept anything other than a written waiver from the host.)

You should have taken better photos at drop-off. But the host’s refusal to allow an inspection tilted the process unfairly.

But the evidence in this case was as muddy as the side of your Turo car. The photos were inconclusive. The company needed to take another look at your case.

I contacted Turo. The company admitted that the host’s photos were “unclear” and voided the claim. “We remind all hosts and guests of the importance of clear trip photos,” a representative told me.

Moral of the story? Never let a company pressure you into paying for damage that was not visible at the time of pickup — and always snap those pre-trip photos, even if it means borrowing a flashlight.