A luxury peer-to-peer car rental scheme operating in the US has been forced to bring its high end car hire service to an end following a spate of thefts in which four premium cars were stolen.
Car sharing company, HiGear, focused on offering vintage sports cars and luxury cars for hire, however the service has been curtailed after a criminal gang targeted the company which resulted in four vehicles being stolen. It’s been reported that the thieves used fake identification documents and stolen credit cards to hire cars through the firm, which enabled them to sidestep the HiGear’s security checks.
The news that HiGear plans to withdraw its luxury car hire services has come as something of a surprise as the company had reportedly been trading well and had plans to expand the company from its base in San Francisco to offer luxury vehicle rentals in Los Angeles and also the San Diego and Portland areas of the States. The rental company was also projecting a 200% growth in business for the coming three months prior to the spate of automobile thefts.
HiGear say that they believe that their hire rates of between $125-$600 per day and $20-$40 daily vehicle insurance costs meant that they became an easy target for criminals due to the affordable rental costs. The criminal gang succeeded in stealing four cars worth a collective total of $400,000 although it’s been reported that some of the stolen cars have since been recovered.
