Turo is accusing me of causing $1,200 in damage. But I didn't do it!

"Turo, which is like Airbnb for cars, should have ensured the host followed its own policy requiring vehicles to be clean at pickup. A dirty car prevented you from documenting preexisting damage, violating the company's terms (Turo's guidelines state hosts must clean the vehicle before each trip). 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 preexisting 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 and Turo's failure to mandate one tilted the process unfairly."

"He rented the car out again immediately, and Turo backed his $1,200 claim despite mechanics saying the scratch was minor. Turo ignored my evidence and raised the charge by $400 for hidden damage found after other renters used the car."

The renter collected a muddy vehicle, preventing documentation of preexisting damage. The host later accused the renter of causing a scratch, refused an in-person inspection, and rented the car out again immediately. Turo accepted and paid a $1,200 damage claim, later adding $400 for additional hidden damage identified after subsequent rentals. Mechanics described the scratch as minor, while evidence supplied by the renter was dismissed. Alberta consumer-protection obligations and Turo's cleaning policy indicate the host and platform should have ensured a clean vehicle and a fair inspection process. The renter acknowledged mistakes: accepting a muddy car, not securing a written waiver, and dim drop-off photos.

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