We had the opportunity to talk to Marc Von Romburg about Drive mate and car sharing in Australia. It turned out to be a pretty interesting discussion. Marc, from South Africa, calls Australia home for the last three years. He heard about Drive mate from his neighbour who was already renting cars from Drive mate. His neighbour wanted to rent Marc’s car over the weekend and introduced him to Drive mate. Let’s see what Marc has to say about car sharing and his experience with Drive mate so far.

How long have you been hosting your car on Drive mate?

I listed my car on Drive mate a year ago. Drive mate was fairly new in the market if I recall it right and I didn’t know them then. I was told about Drive mate by my neighbour when we were having drinks at my place. It did not take much thinking for me. Here is my neighbour whom I play football with telling me that he does not want to buy a second car, but prefers to rent when he needs one. He has been renting cars from Drive mate platform and was a happy customer. He wanted to rent my car the next Saturday and said why not create an account on Drive mate and become a host.  He showed me an opportunity to earn extra money while I rented out my car. Seemed pretty simple and straightforward. So I signed up.

Also Read: Revolutionize Family Travel: Top Benefits of Car Sharing in Australia​

How many cars have you listed on our platform? 

I only have one car hosted on Drive mate at the moment. I might consider adding more cars in the future because there has been a steady stream of revenue from the bookings I got from Drive mate.

Prior to Drive mate, have you hosted your car on any other car sharing website?

No. That is the funny thing. Although I was aware of car sharing as a concept and it is not new in Australia, I never explored that avenue to generate extra income. I guess what sealed the deal for me with Drive mate is that my neighbour who has become a good friend to me now vouched for it. I guess that worked as a brilliant testimony haha.

Want to know how to rent a car from Drive mate  car sharing, Australia? Read to find out.

How has your experience been with Drive mate so far?

Overall it has been a great run for the last one year. I would definitely recommend Drive mate to others.

​Although I cannot compare Drive mate with others based on my own experience simply because I have only tried out Drive mate as a host I can vouch for its excellent customer service. These people are available for you 24/7. Just amazing. 

Furthermore, the simplicity to renting out your own car, and the extra cash it gave in the last one year has made this platform extremely lucrative for me as a host to continue car sharing.

What is the kind of revenue you are able to earn with Drive mate?

I am not renting out my car for the entire month. I make the car available for rent for a few days every week or as and when I do not need it. Therefore the revenue generated for me may not be much. I earn approximately $400 a month. But I know that I can earn a lot more if I keep my car available for more days and time.

If there is one thing we need to improve, what would that be? 

As a host who lists the car on the platform, my primary focus will be to get more demand for my car. Therefore if there is one thing I want Drive mate team to work on, will be to generate more demand for my car so it gets booked out all the time haha.

What is the one advice you will give to car owners about car sharing?

Use a reputable site that honours their insurance commitments. Don’t share your car if you are overly precious about your car. If you look at your car as a means to earn extra money and also a vehicle that helps you get around and do your chores, then a platform like Drive mate will definitely help you.

What is your take on the environment and car sharing?

Car sharing as a trend is fast growing. This is the time to make the most use of it. The idea of sharing a car to offset some of my costs and at the same time having less cars on the road helps to reduce pollution, carbon emissions and is overall good for the planet I feel. I believe there is an opportunity to make car sharing a movement in Australia.

Why should guests rent your car from Drive mate?

With my experience of listing my car on Drive mate for the last one year, I can tell you that there have been no hiccups whatsoever. Any issue gets resolved by the team real soon. If you want a safe and reliable run around, consider Drive mate as a car sharing platform

Cars are way more affordable than regular car rental companies, well maintained and hey, you get to meet so many people and make friends too. Great concept and idea. Give it a go.

Conclusion

If you own a car in Australia and would like to make extra money, list your car for rental on Drive mate. There are hosts who earn over $2000+ every month by sharing their car on Drive mate.

If you are looking to rent a car in Australia, Drive mate offers a flexible, reliable and affordable solution compared to most car rental companies. Create an account on Drive mate today and support car sharing.

Want to know why is Drive mate the best car sharing app in Australia? Read how car owners benefit from listing their car on our app.


​See how to become a host

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