Woman who rented from Tribecar ends up with over $10k in repair fees after accident

A woman was left shocked when she had to fork out $10,650 in repair fees after getting into an accident involving a rental vehicle with car-sharing firm Tribecar. 

The 26-year-old driver, Joey Chok, posted a TikTok video on Jan 6 recounting the incident. 

The accident occurred on Dec 30 at around 1.30am while she was driving onto a merging lane and heading towards an expressway. 

Dashcam footage from Joey's rental car showed the 26-year-old making a wide left turn when she is hit by another car driving from the right onto the merging lane. 

Surprised by the exorbitant repair fees 

Following the accident, Joey contacted Tribecar support staff via their emergency hotline and provided the necessary photos and information via email. 

"As this was my first time being involved in a traffic accident, I was unsure of what to do next and contacted Tribecar to find out the appropriate next step," she said. 

She was later told to extend her booking to 8pm and pay an additional fee of $137.99 for the rental period. 

She also had to pay for a tow truck to transport the damaged vehicle to an Tribecar-authorised workshop. 

"Following the incident, I was directed to communicate primarily with the appointed reporting centre/workshop and the vehicle owner's representative (Rentnow Leasing) regarding repair costs, payment and documentation.

"I felt stressed and anxious because it was a significant amount to pay within a short time," Joey told MS News. "I also had difficulty sleeping because I felt there was limited room for clarification, negotiation or installment options." 

Joey told AsiaOne that she was initially shown the repair cost as a "lump-sum package" instead of an itemised invoice and was told to pay $4,800 for repairs, $700 for loss of use and $5,450 for third-party excess. 

After further discussion with the reporting centre, the costs were adjusted to $4,600 for repair, $600 for loss of use and $5,450 for third-party excess, amounting to a total of $10,650 — which she has paid in full.

"While payment was made on Dec 30, I only received a breakdown of the repair details on Jan 6, several days after payment had already been completed," she said. 

Joey said that she has accepted the consequences of the accident but seeks clarity on whether the charges were reasonable, reported MS News. 

She questioned why the repair costs were presented as a "package" and why she had to communicate with Rentnow Leasing instead of Tribecar, despite renting from the latter. 

In another TikTok video posted on Jan 10, Joey clarified that she did not intend to damage Tribecar's reputation and simply wanted to share her experience as a consumer and seek clarity about the process and what she felt was lacking. 

"I acknowledge my role in the incident and have complied with all required steps and payments," said Joey, adding that a Tribecar spokesperson had reached out to her to explain the processes related to Tribeshield. 

Tribecar says it doesn't gain from accidents

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, Tribecar said that it is aware of the TikTok video and the incident involving a Tribecar-managed vehicle. 

It confirmed that Joey, the hirer, paid $10,650 to the authorised workshop of the vehicle supplier and clarified that Tribecar would not receive any portion of payment. 

"Said payment to the vehicle supplier is part of the hirer's insurance obligation. When a hirer gets into an accident, he or she must file an accident report and pay the insurance deductible — commonly known as insurance excess — that is required by the insurer of the vehicle," said Tribecar. 

"Tribecar absolutely does not profit from accidents and does not gain in any from this accident."

In a statement on Jan 9, Tribecar said that it had reached out to Joey to "better understand the issues surrounding the incident" and apologised for "not delivering the high quality of care".

It added: "We believe it is important to provide clearer context to our members and the wider public on how car-sharing, insurance obligations, and protection riders such as Tribeshield work. 

"These clarifications are intended to address misconceptions and help the community better understand the processes involved, especially in situations involving accidents."

Tribecar also emphasised that its insurance policy, Tribeshield, works for bona-fide claims. It is an optional add-on protection plan that reduces a hirer's out-of-pocket costs by reimbursing a substantial portion of the insurance excess in the event of an accident.

The company added that while all vehicles are covered by motor insurance, hirers remain liable for insurance excess if an accident occurs. For example, new drivers may be required to pay up to $10,900 (including GST) in excess. 

A successful claim under Tribeshield may ensure a reimbursement of up to $9,919. 

Advising hirers and road users to exercise care and drive responsibly, Tribecar said: "While much of the discussion has focused on financial aspects, this incident also involved physical injuries. The safety and well-being of all road users remain our top priority and should always come before any monetary considerations."

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esther.lam@asiaone.com