When Christina Nygård (37) and the family landed at Evenes this summer, they got an unpleasant surprise.
– When we landed, my husband in the app saw that the car was canceled. Shortly after, there was an email that we had to go into the app to find a replacement car. But at Evenes, the selection is very limited, Nygård tells DinSide.
The family of five, with three young children, thus stood without a car. They were going to the cabin three hours away.
– We were totally dependent on a car. There are buses, but only to nearby cities, and not where we were going. The alternative was a taxi, but it would be even more expensive, she says.
Read on to see what Getaround responds to the criticism.
The commuter dream crushed: – was too tiring
From 11 000 to 32 000 kroner
The original order via Getaround cost NOK 11 772. At Avis car rental, which had one free car suitable for the family, they had to spend NOK 32,371.15 for two weeks.
– We had no real choice. We had to take the car, even though it cost us over NOK 20,000 more than planned. For a toddler family, it is a huge additional cost, says Nygård.
They received NOK 5,000 in compensation in addition to the money for the original lease. Before booking the new car, they were in contact with Getaround who recommended contacting the insurance company.
– We recommend that you contact your private travel insurance, as it may be that they cover such extra expenses, it says in e-mail correspondence that DinSide has seen.
At the insurance company, however, they should have been rejected as the journey had already started and that the rental of a new car was not considered an additional cost.
– It feels sour, and we were put in a vulnerable situation. We ended up spending NOK 15,000 more than budgeted, and in expensive time it feels, she says.
Parents are worsts
– a matter of principle
For the family, the case is about more than just the money.
– We have used Getaround before, and it has worked fine. But this time we were left without safety. We believe that companies that offer car rental must have a responsibility to ensure that customers actually get a car – without costing tens of thousands, she says.
She fears that more people may end up in the same situation.
– It is unsafe for families with children to risk standing without a car in a place with few alternatives. We are not going to use Getaround again, says Nygård.
The family has now decided to use traditional rental companies in the future, even if it costs more.
– We were lucky that Avis had a large enough car in the middle of the high season. Next time we would rather pay a little extra in advance, than risk being in the same situation again, says Nygård.
Expert: – The difference scare
– important to know who you are actually renting from
Consumer lawyer Nora Wennberg Gløersen in the Consumer Council explains that Getaround is not a traditional rental car company, but a platform that connects car owners and tenants.
– When you use Getaround, you rent the car directly from the landlord. Getaround is not a party to the lease itself, she tells DinSide.
Gløersen says that the conditions state that when cancellation, the customer gets a full refund, and Getaround will try to obtain a replacement car. If they do not succeed, you can rent from another player – but then Getaround covers only up to 2000 kroner.
– There are short deadlines to report claims, so you should do it right away, she emphasizes.
Now it happens
Require directly against the car owner
She points out that in theory it is possible to direct claims directly to the car owner who canceled.
– If you can document that you have had large extra costs because the landlord broke the agreement, you can claim the loss covered. But in practice, it can be difficult to get the money back. Then you must first contact the landlord, and possibly proceed to the Conciliation Council, says Gløersen.
When it comes to insurance, the advice is clear:
– Contact your travel insurance. Whether the additional costs are covered depends on the conditions of the insurance, she says.
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– very regrettable
The general manager of Getaround Norway, August Grønli, says the company understands that the cancellation created major problems for the family.
– We have a great understanding that a canceled journey can present challenges, he writes to DinSide.
He explains that it was difficult to find a replacement car that fit a family of five, especially because Evenes is a place with very high demand for rental cars during the summer months.
Grønli emphasizes that Getaround is a marketplace and that they therefore have limited control over cancellations.
– We have mechanisms to prevent this from happening, but in some cases it is inevitable. In this case, the landlord canceled far later than we consider acceptable, and it is of course very regrettable, he writes.
The Terms of Use state that if a landlord cancels less than 24 hours before the lease starts, the customer will be refunded the full amount.
– We normally cover the merger up to NOK 2000. In this case, we chose to increase the amount to NOK 5,000, given the circumstances, Grønli writes.
