Aviod Pricey Parking With Peer-to-Peer Rental Services

Traveling is expensive, especially if you opt to fly. But it’s not just airfare that hurts; parking your car while on vacation for a week can cost a small fortune. Car-sharing services could be the answer to this problem.

Two companies are working on a solution to parking fees. FlightCar and RelayRides are moving into the nation’s airports. They’re pioneering something known as peer-to-peer rentals. What’s that and how does it work? Well, instead of getting a vehicle from Hertz or Enterprise customers actually rent someone else’s personal car. This eliminates the need to pay for parking and could actually allow the vehicle owner to make a few bucks while they’re on vacation.

FlightCar has operations at two airport locations, San Francisco and Boston. Users drop their 2001 or newer vehicle off at the company’s parking lot – for FREE – and other travelers can rent their car.

The newer the vehicle the more likely it is to get rented. Vehicles that are newer than 2008 earn the owner $10 for each rental. If the car is newer than ’09 you get $10 per day; luxury cars are worth 20 bucks each day. It ain’t a get-rich-quick scheme but it does eliminate the sting of a pricey parking bill.

Best of all there’s no need to worry. FlightCar coves the vehicles being rented out: $1 million for bodily injury and property damage.

Unfortunately (and not surprisingly) there’s controversy around this business model. Municipalities are not happy with FlightCar. The city of San Francisco is suing the company, alleging that it’s skirting certain fees other rental companies are required to pay.

Despite the legal friction FlightCar is growing. Typically they rent out about 30 cars per day from their San Francisco location.

Source: The Detroit News