Life Outside the Inbox

One of the bickering points Carl and I had prior to this San Francisco trip was blaming each other as to why the car rental hasn’t been booked 2 days before we left. This was because I said I would do it (oops!). So I scavenged the web to find a car rental place that worked for our budget (we tried Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia) and by then, they were either not available or way above $80/day for a compact car.

We then stumbled on RelayRides from the San Francisco airport website. The prices were more than reasonable and what an innovative service! While locals are away for travel, they can park by the airport for free and make money renting out their car that would otherwise be sitting in the lot. Of course, you’d be a more trusting person and expect the car to be returned in the same condition. As a renter you should also be respectful of the owner’s car.

Prior to even booking the car, there are 4 items you have to submit. Specifically for Canadians you’ll need:

• A picture of your drivers license
• A picture of your face next to your drivers license
• A picture of your face next to your passport
• A copy of your driving record (you can get the un-certified official copy from the MOT after office hours for $12 online)

Their response time was quick even for the Christmas holidays. We submitted our form on Dec 25th and was approved the night of Dec 26th. Much like AirBnB, you can see the owner/RelayRides’ response time and rating. But you can only submit an inquiry after approval. There were a variety of cars to choose from, from Toyota Prius from $26/day to Porsche 911s from $100/day. We ended up with a BWM 3 series well below the $80/day price tag and we had the car for 24 hours.

From the San Francisco airport, take the Westin Hotel shuttle where RelayRides’ car lot is. There is an attendant on site who will process your car rental for you. You then make your own inspection and they will also send you an inspection report. That’s it and you’re good to go. Upon return (to the same location or I believe you can negotiate for a drop off with the owner), you sign the app and you’re on your way.

I was really excited to share this post with you guys. I’m always looking for good deals and this was truly a great find. I can’t wait till they expand to Toronto. I don’t want to be too biased though, so you can also read other reviews on Yelp. Would love to hear your experience too!