One woman’s discovery in her Turo rental did not go as planned, drawing the ire of several TikTok viewers.
In a viral video, a Turo customer films the trunk of her car rental as a beeping noise can be heard.
TikToker Naomi (@nooms20) gets closer to the beeping, until she discovers an Apple AirTag tucked in a compartment inside the trunk. She pulls out the small tracking device and shows it to the camera.
What is an Apple AirTag?
An AirTag is a small tracking device from phone manufacturer Apple. It’s often attached to oft-misplaced items like wallets or keys but a lot of folks tend to add it to their luggage when traveling or to their pet’s collar. The device uses Bluetooth technology so you can track it via the FindMy app on iPhones. When an AirTag that isn’t yours is found traveling with you, your iPhone notifies you. It then gives you the option to find the device itself by making it beep.
So when Naomi discovered the device in her car, alarm bells started ringing.
“POV: you find an AirTag in your Turo rental,” she writes in the text overlay. Naomi’s clip was popular enough to earn half a million views as of writing. However, she didn’t expect it to be controversial.
Viewers aren’t on her side
The majority of Naomi’s viewers chastised her for making a big deal out of the tracking device. To them, the car owner had done nothing wrong.
“As they should it’s their vehicle and people are shady,” one user wrote.
Another top comment read, “God forbid the owner wants to keep track of THEIR vehicle.”
“They tracked their own vehicles in case you steal them,” one user said.
However, Naomi’s concern wasn’t whether the owner was tracking them.
When a viewer said they found nothing wrong with it, Naomi said, “But how am I supposed to know it’s his and not a previous guests? he did not disclose to me & did not reply when I asked. Besides, AirTags are against Turo policy.”
But are they really?
Are tracking devices allowed on Turo?
According to Turo’s website, they are.
“Turo permits hosts to use tracking and technology devices in order to track and protect their vehicles,” the site states. “These include, but aren’t limited to GPS, aftermarket vehicle tracking technology, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices, cameras, and telematics devices.”
Notably, the car rental site points out that “Turo requires hosts in some locations to disclose their use of tracking and technology devices in their vehicle. Turo also requires hosts in all locations to disclose certain kinds of technology devices to guests.”
While, it makes no mention of AirTags, Turo issued a press release earlier in March stating that AirTags are no longer allowed on Turo.
“They can create a negative guest experience and are unreliable as GPS trackers,” the release reads. “Please make sure any AirTags are removed from your vehicles and adjust your scheduled messages as needed.”
When it comes to Turo, one can understand why the company would allow tracking devices. Unlike other big car rental companies like Hertz or Avis, Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental platform, much like Airbnb. Folks can sign up and list their personal cars for rent to make some extra money. And given the horror stories many Turo hosts face, some don’t think tracking your car is so far-fetched.
@nooms20 guess someone didn’t read the GPS rules before hosting, AirTags aren’t allowed in Turos ? // #turo #airtag #rental #tracking #gpstracking #rentalcar ♬ original sound – Naomi??
In March, two people were arrested after allegedly trying to steal their Turo rental. In another incident, one host had her car repossessed while she was renting it out. One man had customers crash his car and drive it for 200 miles before dropping it off. These are just some of the incidents involving customers and Turo rentals.
The Mary Sue reached out to Turo via email and Naomi via TikTok direct message and comment.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
