What is it actually like to share a car with your neighbours?
Find out what is really like to hire out your car, from those who have done it!
One thing we’ve noticed, as pioneers of neighbour to neighbour car sharing in Australia, is that people have really different pre-conceptions about it.
The concept strikes some people as completely logical. Why not make use of all those cars that sit idle 95% of the time, instead of adding more cars to the streets? If you don't own a car you can access one when you need it, and if you have a car of your own you can rent it out and offset the cost of ownership.
For others, it’s a pretty strange concept. “You mean people share their own cars with people they don’t know? How could that work? What if things go wrong?”
But the real test is what people think once they’ve actually started to use the service – by renting their car out when they’re not using it, or by sharing cars that belong to their neighbours rather than GoGet or another traditional car-share service.
Here are some insights from our members about what it’s like to be part of this new car sharing concept. You can see more of our members’ stories at this link.
Why do our members car share?
Most Uber Carshare borrowers use public transport, walk or ride their bike to commute to work or to get around locally.
People use Uber Carshare for a range of trips where the bike or public transport doesn’t work: shopping, picking up friends from the airport, going to Ikea, driving to the mountains, going on a date, or getting around to different sites for work.
What do our members love about car sharing with Uber Carshare?
“I love the ease of use – it’s really easy to track the cars down. The bookings have always been seamless. It’s just comfortable and easy, you know? Everything works. It works out perfectly for me – it’s just a logical solution for where I’m living.” – Craig (Borrower).
“I just like the fact that you can share your car with people! Someone can rent my car – its exciting to actually see it go. It’s the whole environmental part as well – you don’t have to have two cars on the road, you can have one car and share it.” – Eric (Car Owner).
“The thing I love about the service is that I only use my car once a week and I know this thing’s bringing in money. I was on an Antarctica cruise …. and it brought me in hundreds of dollars while I was sleeping, which is awesome! The Fred system’s really easy, it’s great not having to meet people for keys. It just seems to work seamlessly. I’ve got nothing to worry about.” Chris (Car Owner)
What would they say to someone considering car sharing with Uber Carshare?
“I would definitely say to give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose – everything to gain. I can’t really say anything negative about it, honestly!” – Craig (Borrower).
It’s a great new scheme. I would encourage you to go ahead with it. The biggest concern I had was that someone wouldn’t look after my car. I haven’t had a problem at all – everyone has looked after it. There’s nothing to get to worried about.” - James (Car owner).
“I pretty much never use my car for work - it’s pretty much always available during weekdays, so it’s perfect to put it on Uber Carshare.” - Eric (Car owner)
“I highly recommend the service, there’s no red tape.” – Neil (Borrower)
“If you don’t use your car all the time, then it’s definitely a great option. Most people treat the car like it’s their own, which is nice. It’s a great option – your car can make you good money when you don’t need it.” – JP (Car owner)
“I’ve got heaps of mates who catch the bus to work, and just leave their car sitting there wasting money. Just get the thing on Uber Carshare! I use my car about one day a week. If your car’s available most of the time, you might as well get on it and earn yourself some dosh. It’s a no-brainer.” - Chris (Car owner)
