I’ve been renting my car out on Turo for a while. If you’re not familiar, it’s like Airbnb but for cars. Most of the time, it’s a breeze: meet your guests, exchange keys, earn some extra cash, and the car comes back just as you left it. No fuss, no drama.
But then Madam G came along.
I rented my car to G for two days. All seemed fine until she returned it. Something caught my eye—a scratch, and not just any scratch, a big one, right on the front. Oddly enough, G didn’t say a word about it. Maybe she didn’t notice? Or maybe…?
I messaged her right away, and G insisted she knew nothing about it. “No incidents during my trip,” she said. “It must’ve happened while it was parked.”
Now, I wanted to believe her, really. I’ve always been someone who trusts in others' good intentions. But the car was in her care when it happened, so she was responsible. Turo’s policy is to work things out privately if possible, so I thought, Okay, let’s be fair and handle this ourselves. I was still feeling generous.
And then came the estimate: $1,800. My jaw hit the floor.
Turns out, it wasn’t just a paint scratch—the bumper was scratched too, and fixing that meant replacing the entire front piece. A complete headache. I didn’t want to burden G with the full cost, so I figured I’d be kind and let the bumper slide - after all it was a scratch and it probably won't affect the function of the bumper. I’d only charge her for the paint repair, which would be around $700.
Generous, right? - That's what I thought at least.
I messaged her the new plan, and she gratefully agreed. All was set. She said she’d transfer the money by the end of the week.
Then… silence.
A week passed, on Saturday night, she messaged me back. This time, it was a different story. G decided she no longer agreed to our deal. Now she wanted a second opinion—from a different mechanic of her choice.
I felt a rush of frustration. Here I was, trying to be fair, and now she was pushing back on my generosity. All my friends said I was too nice for even letting her off the hook for the bumper. And now she wants more? I was losing patience, and fast. What would you do?
I explained that revisiting the whole process would only cost her more. Plus, I’d have to charge her for my time, gas, and everything else involved. But G wasn’t having it. She claimed it wasn’t about the money (umm... really?), but that she wanted a second quote.
To be honest, I could see the logic. But what really got to me? Her timing. Why wait until after agreeing to the deal to change your mind? Why not mention a second opinion when I first sent the estimate? It’s that lack of commitment that really rubbed me the wrong way.
Back and forth we went. Each time, she’d take days to respond, and each time, it was another pushback. Eventually, I ran out of patience. I didn’t want to waste any more of my time or energy. So, I escalated the case to Turo. Let them deal with it.
And guess what? The moment I told G that I was involving Turo, she suddenly switched back to our original agreement—now willing to pay the $700. But by then, I was over it. Too late. I had moved on.
Two days after the escalation, Turo reimbursed me the full $1,800. Their customer service was excellent, by the way. In the end, I didn’t lose anything, but the whole situation left me thinking.
Here’s the thing. I’ve always believed in the concept of “善有善报，恶有恶报”—that what you put into the world comes back to you. Oprah once said it beautifully: “The energy you give off is the energy you receive. It’s a circular exchange.” It’s something I live by. I strive to be kind, to offer generosity, hoping that the world will repay that kindness in time.
But sometimes life doesn’t play by those rules. You give, and in return, you’re met with selfishness. You try to be fair, and you get taken advantage of. It happens more often than I’d like, especially nowadays. Why is that?
I think, at an individual level, it’s about cultural upbringing, family values, and personal awareness. People who exploit others often do so from a place of insecurity or ignorance. Maybe they’re not malicious, just lost. But to make a change, they need to be the one that take the first step.
On a larger scale, I feel like we’ve lost trust in one another more often and more severe . Everyone’s protecting themselves, afraid that someone else might take advantage. In trying to protect ourselves, we hurt each other—putting the cart before the horse. So, how do we break out of that cycle? I’m not sure. Maybe the best I can do is keep showing up as my best self, no matter what. And hopefully that would influence a larger crowd in the most positive way.
Well, that's what I'm trying to do with this brand.
How do you handle conflicts? What do you do when you feel you’ve been wronged or taken advantage of? I’d love to hear your thoughts...