Fetch

What: Fetch is an online platform where you can rent out your truck or van

Expected pay: $10 to $25 per hour/$50-$150 per day

Husl$core: $$$

Commissions & fees: 20% to 30%, plus about $110 to buy and install a keyless device

Where: Select cities in Georgia, California, Florida and Mississippi

Requirements: A licensed and insured truck or van, model year 2009 or newer

Review:

Fetch is a marketplace for self-service truck rentals. The trucks are provided by side hustlers and fleet owners, who determine when their vehicles are available and what to charge for the rental. Fetch does suggest prices — $10 to $25 per hour/$50 to $150 per day. But, the actual rental rate is up to the owner.

Fetch arranges and collects rental fees, passing on the proceeds after deducting a site fee of 20%. There’s an additional 10% charge for those who don’t already have commercial liability coverage and want to buy it through the site. (You need commercial coverage if you rent out your vehicle, in addition to your ordinary personal liability coverage. That’s because standard auto insurance policies do not cover losses when someone is renting your car.)

Fetch provides a bluetooth-connected device that locks and unlocks your car doors and turns on the engine. This allows vehicle-owners to avoid meeting every renter with keys. However, the site charges a $49 deposit for the device and owners have to pay to have it installed.  Steinberg says installation costs about $60.

If you take the vehicle off the platform, you’ll need to pay to have the device taken out of your car, so you can return it to Fetch. If it’s not returned within 30 days, there’s a $200 fee. But you do get the $49 deposit back.

Fetch founder and CEO Adam Steinberg says vehicles that are available full-time generate about $1,250 in rentals a month. The site remits payments to owners twice a month.

Concerns

We have two concerns about the platform. The first is the need to buy and install the keyless device. The cost of the device and paying to get it installed will set you back $110 before you’ve ever booked a rental. If it messes up your engine, you’re on the hook for repairs. Fetch says the devices are trouble-free, but similar devices generate a ton of complaints at other platforms. (See our review of GetAround.) Since Fetch is a fairly young platform, it’s hard to say whether they’ll prove problematic here too.

We’re also concerned about the site’s insurance coverage. For the coverage to apply, you must file a claim within 24 hours of the rental’s completion. So, while you may not need to be there to drop off keys, you should inspect your car promptly after each rental. You also need photographs of the vehicle’s condition before and after the rental, to establish your claim.

The policy has a $1,000 deductible and a $25,000 cap on property damage. Steinberg says renters are responsible for paying for any damages, presumably from their own insurance. If they’re unable to pay, the site’s coverage kicks in. But that potentially leaves the owner shouldering the first $1,000. Steinberg says they get roughly one damage claim per 1,000 rentals.

These are significant risks, but if Steinberg’s estimates are accurate, the rental income is also substantial. As a result, we’ve given this opportunity a neutral Husl$core. However, if you use the platform, we’d suggest you look into buying your own commercial liability insurance rider.

Recommendations

Other sites that will help you rent your vehicle: Turo and Giggster. If you want to know all the things you can rent — watercraft, parking spaces, camera equipment, etc. — check out our post “8 Ways to Make Money Renting Your Stuff.”