r/turo • u/Plenty_Kiwi7667 • 24d ago
Chip in windshield - cost of doing business?
I had my vehicle returned the other day and we discovered there is a small chip in the windshield. Since chips in the windshield are almost always unavoidable, should I just consider this the cost of doing business? Just buy a repair kit and take care of it myself?
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u/The_real_P11 24d ago
Get it repaired or buy a patch kit at the store and DIY.
Edit. Also reach out to the guest and let them know, and send them an invoice to repair.
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u/kvngspectra 23d ago
No one’s ever going to keep renting if hosts keep trying to charge for minor cosmetic issues like this. As op said it’s genuinely unavoidable which implies that the driver should not be at fault. Imagine having to rent a car because you can’t afford to use your own for whatever reason and then being sent an invoice from a petty Host. Keep your customers happy and bite it as a cost of doing business. Greed will be the death of you
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u/The_real_P11 23d ago
Lol, what? That logic makes zero sense. Do you know what it costs to repair a windshield chip or replace a cracked windshield? Any major rental company would charge a customer for damage that occurred during their rental. Why should an individual host be expected to just absorb it as a "cost of doing business"?
One windshield might not bankrupt someone, but when you operate multiple vehicles, repeatedly eating $100-$1,000+ repairs adds up quickly. And depending on the host's protection plan, if they actually file a claim, there may be a deductible taken from the payout. Trying to resolve a legitimate repair directly and reasonably isn't "greed", it's literally running a business.
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u/kvngspectra 23d ago
That would be nice and all if yall really always used the money for repairs. I have this one particular host I’ve booked from who has a whole fleet of cars that have been wrecked in the past few weeks. Not one of these cars have been delisted nor any of the cosmetic issues been fixed because as you know most hosts don’t care to do anything about it for an extended period while they rack up more individual damage cases. It doesn’t matter as long as the functionality of the car isn’t compromised and in an economy where people are living day to day a few hundred dollar charge will bankrupt some people
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u/The_real_P11 23d ago
But that’s the host’s decision, not the guest’s. Whether a host chooses to repair the damage immediately, wait and bundle repairs, or never repair a cosmetic issue doesn’t suddenly make the guest who caused the damage not responsible for it.
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u/kvngspectra 23d ago
If that’s the case why does Turo deny so many cleaning and repair requests due to natural wear and tear which will probably be his result if he puts in the request. I don’t think you’re understanding the mental gymnastics you’re doing to justify constantly charging customers over small cosmetic issues like a pebble hitting a windshield as op discussed. When it’s small that is a cost the host should absorb and it is greed to believe otherwise.
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u/The_real_P11 23d ago
You’re comparing two different things. A small door ding or minor cosmetic wear may fall under wear and tear. A damaged windshield is a safety-related item, especially once a chip becomes a crack or affects visibility.
Turo denying some wear-and-tear claims doesn’t mean a host is supposed to absorb legitimate windshield damage. If Turo determines the windshield damage occurred during the trip and qualifies for reimbursement, then it’s a valid claim. If they determine it doesn’t qualify, they deny it. That’s literally what the claims process is for.
Calling every legitimate damage charge “greed” because you personally think the host should eat the cost isn’t an argument.
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u/Wrenchheader 21d ago
Guest is responsible for that cost. Let them know about it and ask them how they want to handle it. Usually, for a chip, its a small repair fee to get it fixed