Gatineau, Québec — In the name of wholesome competition and consumer choice, Canada’s Competition Bureau has ruled that Turo Inc. must terminate a terms of service policy that prevented users from listing a vehicle on multiple car sharing platforms at the same time it is listed on Turo’s platform.
In its Wednesday press release, the bureau calls this decision “good news” and suggests it is a step toward dismantling anti-competitive conduct in the car-sharing industry.
The bureau launched its investigation of Turo after receiving a number of complaints regarding its exclusivity policy. Users of Turo (referred to as hosts) who listed the same vehicle on multiple platforms were asked by the company to remove one of those listings. If they did not, then the host may have been subject to sanctions from Turo, including removal of the vehicle from its platform.
When the bureau began its investigation in the summer of 2021, the policy applied to hosts in all countries where Turo operates.
The bureau then notified Turo that it had opened a formal inquiry under the Competition Act and identified its concerns. Shortly thereafter, Turo stopped enforcing the exclusivity policy within Canada and updated its terms of service as of January 17.
Turo will continue to be monitored for an undisclosed period of time to ensure the policy is not reinstated, according to the bureau.
