Taipei MRT 'raingo' umbrellas returned late or damaged incur NT$799 fee

台北捷運‘raingo’雨傘逾期歸還或損壞需加收NT$799費用

If an umbrella is lost for 14 days, user must pay NT$799 to 'settle' total rental cost


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — People who rent an umbrella through the Taipei MRT's umbrella-sharing service known as "raingo" and return it late or damaged will incur a maximum fee of NT$799 (US$24), but this is not immediately apparent in the product's instructions.

The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) recently set up raingo shared umbrella rental stations at over 100 Taipei MRT stations and underground shopping malls. However, while the rental instructions mention the low rental cost, they do not remind renters that they are fully responsible for any damage to the umbrella, reported TaiSounds.

One lost or damaged umbrella costs NT$799 yuan. If the rental umbrella accidentally gets damaged during a typhoon, the result may be that "renting is worse than buying."

The rental regulations stipulate that if a person loses an umbrella for more than 14 days, or reports the loss of a shared umbrella even if they have not rented it for a full 14 days, they must pay NT$799 to "settle" the total rental cost of the umbrella. If a user finds and returns it within 14 days, the excess amount will be refunded after deducting the rental fee.

If a person finds it after 14 days, there will be no refund. However, individuals are still required to return the shared umbrella to "jointly promote the sustainable cycle of shared umbrellas."?

Taipei City Councilor Liu Tsai-wei (柳采葳) was cited by the news agency as saying that sharing is the future trend, but there is a need for stronger explanations from operators regarding issues such as liability for damages. She said clearer regulations would be more conducive to the sustainable development of the sharing model.

Users will be charged NT$19 for the first hour and NT$29 for the second hour, and the price for 24 hours is capped at NT$39. If a user does not return the umbrella after the first 24 hours, a fee of NT$20 per day will be incurred.?

It also offers the service of renting from one station and returning it to another. When compared with the current prices at convenience stores, where an umbrella costs about NT$70 to NT$79, the umbrella-sharing service?is relatively cost-effective when only used on a temporary basis.

If a person rents an umbrella for three or more days, they will have already spent the equivalent of buying one umbrella from a convenience store for NT$79. If they fail to return the umbrella for over 14 days or lose the umbrella, the user will not only accumulate a rental fee of up to NT$299 but also incur an additional late fee of NT$500, resulting in a total cost of NT$799.

The rental stand only displays the rental rates for the first three hours and the daily rental rates after 24 hours, with no mention of the higher penalty. Only when users open the raingo app's "Fee Rules" is it stated that renting for more than 14 days will cost NT$799.

While the "Fee Rules" in the app cover the matter of lost shared umbrellas, it does not mention anything about damage to the shared umbrella. Renters need to access the "Frequently Asked Questions" section to clarify this, and even in this section, the explanation of lost shared umbrellas is listed separately, making it difficult to deal with damage issues.

Under the "Rental Issues" section, it explains that if a person rents a malfunctioning shared umbrella and returns it to the same rental station within three minutes, they will not be charged. In the "Frequently Asked Questions" section, in response to "What if the raingo shared umbrella is damaged during the rental period?" it reminds users they will have to pay for damages.