P2P car-sharing comes to Australia

Few things please us more here at Springwise than seeing a good idea spread, and recently we had occasion to observe just that. Similar in many ways to RelayRides, which we covered earlier this year, DriveMyCar is bringing the P2P car-sharing concept to Australia. DriveMyCar is an online rental marketplace that facilitates private car rentals for a weekend, a week, a month or even a year. Car owners begin by listing their car online—the fee is AUD 25 per car per year, and each listing can include up to 5 photos as well as specifying the minimum acceptable driving history for prospective renters. Those seeking to rent a car, meanwhile, can join for free and immediately begin browsing through the hundreds of options available throughout Australia. When a prospective renter books a car, the owner receives a booking notification via email and SMS; he or she can then view the driver’s profile—which includes a record of their driving history—and accept or reject it. If the request is approved, DriveMyCar automatically generates a lease-out agreement. Renters pay an AUD 20 booking fee when their request is accepted, while owners are responsible for a 15 percent commission on the total rental value, which varies with the make, model and year of the car; that commission and the cost of DriveMyCar’s motor fleet insurance are both included in the advertised rental price. Renters pay owners directly for use of the car, but DriveMyCar is available to intervene in cases of accidents or nonpayment. Owners can also rate drivers following the rental period; the better a driver’s track record, the lower the insurance rates he or she gets charged next time. Sellsumers have already begun looking to their other possessions as sources of income, so it makes perfect sense to see their cars included. Who will be first to establish peer-to-peer car-sharing in *your* neck of the woods? (Related: Site helps neighbours share tools & equipment — Parking operator launches car-sharing service — More ways for consumers to rent out unused space.) Spotted by: Jeremy Colless