Are You Good at Sharing?

As a kid I didn't like to share very much. As an adult, I like to think that I am a little more open to sharing than I was back then. Need to borrow a tool? No problem. My phone? Sure, for a quick call. A bit of cash? If I have any on me I can usually help someone out. But my car?

Car-sharing programs are springing up in cities all over the world. The biggest one in France right now is called 'OuiCar'. The program allows members to put their car up for rent on their website at the price they choose. You list the make, model, and year of your car, along with additional details on the car and the price per day you are asking.

Through the website, people who are interested in your car contact you  directly. Once you agree to a price and length of time, you receive a contract with the details of the rental by email. The big plus of the OuiCar program is that you don't have to concern yourself with insurance: the renter must sign up for insurance through the website. In case of an accident, your personal insurance is not affected; it is the renters insurance that comes in to play.

As for payment, OuiCar keeps 30% of the total, leaving you with 70% of your asking price in your pocket.

Even with the safety of the insurance built in to this program, I hesitate. It is common knowledge that people don't always take good care of rental cars. Even if the car doesn't come back with visual damage, it would worry me to not know what someone got up to with my car. That said, there are many reviews online of OuiCar and other car sharing programs, and despite the occasional upset user, it would seem that most experiences are positive.

So am I ready to share my car? Vacation is coming, and I won't be using it very much. Perhaps I will give it a try. Feel free to comment if you have any experience, good OR bad, with this sort of car sharing program. I'm curious to hear what people have to say, and if they recommend it or not.

And to finish, this is the scene I imagine when I think about sharing my car, from the movie 'Days of Thunder':

Is this how YOU treat a rental car?