Renting out your car.... Official MoneySavingExpert discussion

lsumal

Hmmm, don't know if I'm convinced that this will actually work! Surely, if I were getting a lot of bookings, I'd need to adjust my insurance policy for the extra mileage and it'd also bring my service intervals much closer. I reckon these extra costs would outweigh the benefits plus I'd be too paranoid about my car being left in a mess!

cubehopper

ribbonstring wrote: »

Do you think you are allowed to rent off your own family members? If so, I may have found a loophole to be able to rent cars of people from family and friends for very cheap!

I have just passed my driving test and my dad has a car which I am not insured on and therefore can't drive it. If I paid to rent it through whipcar, I would be covered on insurance temporarily if anything happened, and my dad could just hand me the money straight back, save the 15% transaction fee! Therefore, the days insurance would only cost me a few quid...is this right or have they put in measures to prevent people doing this??

In my owners welcome email it suggested hiring out my car to family and friends to make even more money. So yes, it's a pretty decent alternative to temporary insurance

InMyDreams

Wouldn't work for ribbonstring though as he's only just passed his test. You need to be 21 and (amongst other things) have held a full UK driving license (not provisional) for a minimum of 12 months.

http://www.whipcar.com/service-information/#am-i-eligible

Pommygirl

Just tried to register, and yep had that problem with the card - and thankfully not enough money in my account!! Ha! And then when I wanted to send a message they asked me to log into my facebook account, and allow access to all my info on facebook! Dodgy or what!!!:eek:

Mr_Thrifty

I can't fathom why on earth anyone with a shiney new car would risk letting someone thrash the engine, doing wheelspins, carting junk about in it and generally driving like a nutter for the sake of a few quid.

Let's be honest, most rental cars are driven like they are Formula 1 cars. They get THRASHED. As in gear changes at 6,500rpm or when the engine management system kicks in type thrashed.

All you need is some fool who thinks he's the next Nigel Mansell, or someone who can't use a clutch properly, or someone who wants your car so they can take a load of garden rubbish down to the dump, or someone who likes to drive around roundabouts at 60mph, and you're lovely 2 year old 7,000 mile motor is WRECKED. You may not notice it straight away, but that one day rental for £25 may end up taking 2 years off the life of your car and costing you hundreds at the next service.

I just don't get it.

Mr_Thrifty

Also, imagine all the hassle when you inevitably get the bailiffs chasing you for that outstanding parking fine you never knew about, or that speed camera ticket you receive. Ugh. For £30 odd quid? Is it really worth the hassle?

sdflkj

Hi. This does sound interesting, although me n the future wife are looking for something slightly different. We're heading off next year for 12 months and reluctant to sell the car as we'll need it when we get back. Is there something we could do, like give the car to a company who leases it out for the 12 months on our behalf? Anyone got alternative ideas would be considered to not let the poor girl sit in someones back garden all alone for a year, and get out in he real world to earn some cash..? Cheers

SailorSam

When i was on the cabs renting out your vehicle was the norm,Have you heard the expression 'night collar', well that's what it is.
Most owners would choose to do the easy day shift and find another driver to pay them 'settle', The settle being the rent for the cab. I don't know any who ever put things in writing but it would just be agreed if the driver ever had a crash he'd pay the insurance excess.
Some owners were just that, an owner they didn't drive themselves so may get two drivers, a day man and a night man, very often doing weeks about, or just one driver doing long collar so he had the cab full time.
The rates vary from parts of the country bur a day collar may be £150pw, a night collar £200pw, or a long collar of £300pw.

dave_wolves

thomo79 wrote: »

Hi Everyone
I just attempted to register with whipcar, but couldn't because of my car's history (but that's not my issue).
Please read this extract from there T&C's:

As part of the Vehicle Registration Process WhipCar will automatically search for the Vehicle against one a series of third-party databases (including MIAFTR and PITO) in order to check the Vehicle's age, model, registration, and accident history. The results of this check will be assessed by WhipCar and WhipCar may at its discretion refuse to register the Vehicle. In order to proccess this check a WhipCar owner must supply credit card details against which WhipCar will place a £100 pre authorisation to confirm that this is a valid card linked to the address supplied. For the avoidance of doubt - no money will be debitted from this card at any time.

I gave them my debit card details for this £100 'pre-authorisation' not expecting it to be actually debited from my account (as it clearly says above). But it was! I now have to wait 3 working days for it to be credited back. I was not happy about this and it's lucky I have no bills coming out over this 3 day period otherwise it would've got messy! Check your account if you register.

I have read and re-read their T's & C's and cannot find this extract anywhere, have they changed their policy or am I having what my wife would call a "man-look"?

dakotafly

Fancied doing this is since moving house I'm only driving 3 miles a day and frankly I should be riding my bike as I need the exercise! However, after looking through the terms and conditions this really doesn't look good.
I spotted a couple of loopholes and rang whipcar to check, basically if someone rents it, leaves the keys in it and it gets nicked then it's not insured and you'll have to try and get the money back off the renter. Also, if they continue to drive it after they've said they'll return it then again it's not insured by whipcar and you'll have to report it as stolen. Except your own insurance won't cover that because you've given someone the keys.

It's a lovely idea but I wouldn't trust someone I didn't know with a car unless it was pretty much worthless-and it wouldn't be as they have to be less than 8 years old!

If anyone has had a few good experiences let me know and I might reconsider.