Renting a car can be an expensive ordeal, not only are there lurking, hidden costs but it can also be a frustrating experience when having to wait in line at airports to collect your keys. Imagine if all that could be taken away. Imagine a car rental company that connected readily available cars to drivers hassle-free? Imagine a cheap car rental company that didn’t cost you an arm and a leg. Welcome to RentMyRide. South Africa’s solution to affordable and easy peer-to-peer car hire.
RentMyRide is now in its second year of commercial operation and is gaining traction in the rental industry as increasingly strong competition to conventional car rental companies. Following an R 8 million funding process, the business model is not only vastly different to that of traditional rental agencies but has also employed top industry executives from both the tech and car sectors. Director David Sieff, ex marketing director for Kia South Africa recently joined the RentMyRide team bringing with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of the local car industry. Hailing from the Netherlands is Sieffs partner, Sebastian Brokmann, whose experience in tech start-ups started with Fruitful, a Dutch fruit company that brought fresh fruit to over 100 000 Netherlanders weekly. His experience in developing incubator projects and returning fully operational companies is highly sought after especially in South Africa. Brokmann explains: “RentMyRide was conceptualised based on following the global trend of collaborative consumption, the theory that borrowing, swapping or renting idle resources in a peer-to-peer environment made for an alternative way for entrepreneurs to create revenue and develop a sharing economy. Similar companies such as Uber and Airbnb make use of this model and it has proven extremely successful in the South African economic environment.”
The business model is not a new concept, Turo in the United States and Snappcar in Europe are already large and successful businesses proving that the concept of peer-to-peer car rental is a an exponentially growing industry. In 2017 Turo reached unicorn status after receiving $250 million in funding and is now a household name throughout America.
How Does It Work?
Hiring a car on Rent My Ride is simple and easy, all paperwork is done online and verification is done in one simple step. It takes no longer than 3 minutes to sign up and rent a car. First you start by choosing your area, then your budget and then your vehicle type. This is a great solution for those with different needs, for example you may be moving to a new house and need an SUV, panel van or bakkie for the weekend or you may just want to take the family camping up the coast for the weekend. If you’re travelling for work, you may want to downscale and save money on a smaller hatchback.
The benefits of renting with RentMyRide are that they are up to 40% cheaper than most other car rental companies. An added advantage is that their systems allow for flexibility between the renter and the car owner through their online communication system which means no long calls to a call centre and you can talk directly to the car owner to make your pick-up and drop-off arrangements. Payment is made securely online and registering to rent a car is free, the whole system makes for a simple and pain free experience with no queues and no paperwork. Insurance is covered by Old Mutual and is standard to make sure that you and the owner are protected. Registered vehicles listed on the RentMyRide platform have had rigorous background checks ensuring that cars are road worthied and reliable. Similarly, customers renting vehicles go through a strict screening process to ensure they have a valid driver’s license and pass a fraud, identity and credit check.
The platform is also a great starting block for first time entrepreneurs or those wanting to earn an extra income. If you have an extra vehicle or don’t use your car every day of the week then RentMyRide is the perfect way to put some extra cash in your pocket at the end of each month. You can go online and find out exactly how much you could be earning by renting your car out by using the RentMyRide calculator https://rentmyride.co.za/earn-with-your-car?retail=100000 .
When hiring from Rent My Ride all cars are owned by individuals, so if you are worried about using a used car, there are plenty of reviews from previous renters who can put your mind at ease. Rent My Ride also has a 24-hour help desk for any issues that you may experience, so you know you are always just a phone call away.
Get Renting:
To try out the platform and rent a car for either business or pleasure go online and register at https://rentmyride.co.za/signup.
If you would like further information on car registration, signing up as a renter or how the process works don’t hesitate to call our customer care line on +27 21 461 0609 or contact on https://rentmyride.co.za/contact
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