My Honest Review of BelkaCar: A Car-Sharing Service That's Saved My Life

Hello there!

I'm writing this review a bit differently today. It's not your typical, straightforward tech review. But I think it's worth sharing my thoughts and experiences with you, so I can help others make informed decisions.

All the photos and screenshots in this review were taken by me on my phone and in my app.

A bit of backstory... feel free to skip this if you're in a hurry! I've had my trusty old car, a DAEWOO MATIZ, since 2010. It's been with me through thick and thin, and I've got some amazing memories of our adventures together.

From our epic road trip to Nastoyashchee Nashestvie in the summer of 2011, to our romantic getaway to St. Petersburg the following year, to our wedding day in Suzdal... Masia's been with me through it all. I remember when I first got her in 2007, I was so excited to hit the open road and explore. And explore we did - we'd drive for hours, singing along to our favorite songs, and just enjoying the freedom of the open road.

But Masia's more than just a car to me - she's a part of my family. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I've got a bit of a soft spot for her. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was driving her to the hospital in the middle of the night, and I was so grateful to have Masia by my side.

So, what happened? Well, my trusty old car finally gave up the ghost. Okay, not exactly - she's still running, but I couldn't afford to fix her. And that's when I discovered BelkaCar, a car-sharing service that's been a lifesaver for me.

Let's get to the point. Car-sharing, in my words, is short-term car rental. It works through an app on your phone, which is easy to download and install. You can find the app in the App Store or Google Play, searching for BelkaCar.

In Moscow, there are several similar services, and I've currently got 4 on my list, with three of them tested. I'll share my experience with the others and do a comparison later. But today, it's all about my first and most thoroughly tried car-sharing service, Belka.

I wanted to mention a few more important things. If someone's really interested in this topic, don't believe every single review in this thread. Before writing my own review, I did a bit of research, and I'm planning to reach out to the website's customer support after publishing my review.

I didn't want to bore you with a long intro, but I came across one review that was just ridiculous - someone claimed that after providing their personal info, they started getting weird calls, and they even got a credit card taken out in their name. What a wild tale!

Yes, you will need to provide some documents. Here's what you'll need to send:

- Two pages of your passport, with a photo and your address

- Marriage certificate (both sides)

- Bank card details for payment

- A selfie with your passport (this was the hardest part for me - we couldn't fit both of us and the passport in the frame)

The requirements for registration for KIA Rio/KIA Rio X-Line are: you need to be at least 21 years old and have at least 2 years of driving experience.

The requirements for registration for Mercedes-Benz CLA/GLA are: you need to be at least 25 years old and have at least 5 years of driving experience.

One more tip (someone already mentioned this, but I'm repeating it). If you're planning your first ride, register in advance, as the verification of your documents might take some time (about an hour or two, based on my experience). Before you start working on the app, you might even be late. But still, I think the procedure is quite simple and fast: 5 photos, your card number, and you're good to go, you can book a car and hit the road!

Again, from what I've managed to understand, the prices for rides are roughly the same across all car-sharing services. Around 7-10 rubles per minute on average for a regular car. There might be different tariffs depending on the time of day. Belka doesn't have that.

Yeah, you'll often see a bunch of affordable foreign cars and one 'premium' car with a higher price tag in the car-sharing fleet. For Belka, that's a Mercedes. I haven't driven it yet, but I'll definitely give it a shot.

So, let's move on to the actual rides. I'll try to walk you through it step by step.

First, you need to get in the car and open the app. Then, you find the nearest car and tap on it to view the details.

You can see the car's make, the price per minute, and how much fuel is left (how many more kilometers you can drive).

When everything checks out, you click 'book' and off you go to the car. You've got 20 free minutes to get there. If you miss it, the booking gets saved, but it'll cost you around 2 rubles - you can see the prices on the screen.

The route is mapped out on a map, so you can find the car easily. If there are lots of cars in the area, you can use the 'flash' button to get the car's attention - it'll flash its hazard lights and sound the horn.

Once you get to the car, you click 'start inspection'. This is the most important part. You need to check the car for any damage or dirt, take photos of anything that's not right, and use the inspection form to document it all. It's a bit of a pain, but it's worth it to make sure you're not getting a lemon.

As well as checking the exterior (bodywork, wheels, etc.), you need to assess the cleanliness of the interior (and whether there are any lingering cigarette smells), make sure the charger is working, and check that all the necessary documents are in the car (including the car's registration, insurance, and fuel card).

I should note that I've never actually filled up a car-sharing vehicle before, so you'll have to look elsewhere for that info - but I'm pretty sure it's not rocket science.

So, assuming everything's in order (or you've noted some issues, but you can still make do – like a dirty mat), you sign the rental agreement, acceptance form, and hit the road. Time starts ticking, and the clock's counting down.

I'd recommend sorting out the seat and mirror adjustments, buckling up, and turning on the heater if needed, before the clock runs out.

The downside: you have no idea what, where, or how anything works in a new car! For me, these Kia models were a bit of a mystery at first, only becoming more familiar after a few drives (although my dad has a Kia Rio, so I'm not exactly a newbie).

It was even more interesting when I couldn't figure out how to use a VW from another car-sharing service – but that's a story for another time. Luckily, I managed to find a familiar Belka-Kia soon after.

So, let's get to the first con of car-sharing – getting used to a new car (or rather, not getting used to a new car). I can drive my trusty Matiz with my eyes closed, switching gears and whatnot without breaking a sweat. But that first drive in a new car was like retaking my driving test all over again.

I'm not a fan of sedans, I love small cars, and I'm only considering hatchbacks for my next purchase. I can squeeze into any parking spot and feel like I'm in a tank. Thanks to Belka, they offer hatchbacks, and the Solyaris sedan didn't impress me in terms of size. I get it, though - a friend who switched from a huge SUV might find it uncomfortable, if not worse.

Next up, let's talk about the free booking time. If you're walking down the street and decide to go for a ride, no big deal. But if you're walking with a slow 4-year-old, it's a different story. And if you're at home on a cold winter day and need to take your kid out, forget about it. My daughter would spend the first 10 minutes of the free booking time asking what shoes to wear, and the next 10 trying to escape the hat . In short, speed isn't our strong suit, and we still need to get to the car... 'Oh, puddle, oh, leaf, oh, snowflake, oh, cat, oh, I fell down...'. So, it's best to book the car when you're down to your last layer of clothing and need to toss your kid on your husband's shoulders and make a run for it.

One more thing! I wish the creators at Belka would take note of my review. I'd love it if they could include child car seats in their cars. If we're heading to visit friends, no problem - we bring our own. But if we're just going for a stroll in the park? Four hours at the VDNH, for example, can be a real challenge. Yeah, I'm ashamed to admit it, but sometimes we have to break the rules... a cushion-shaped toy under the bum, a seatbelt, a parent by the kid's side... But I really want more safety and comfort for my little one.

I've had my daughter with me on some of these trips, and I have to say, it's not exactly convenient to hold her hand, check out the car, and take photos while trying to get her in the vehicle. Plus, there's the issue with the seats, which I mentioned earlier.

Now that we've covered the trips, let's talk about the financial side of things. My rides have been pretty affordable, mostly within the neighborhood, or to pick up stuff from old apartments. I've been paying around 150-250 rubles per trip. Everything has been smooth sailing, and I even get a detailed report and a receipt via email.

I think this screenshot could even serve as proof of payment.

I've got a weird story to share. I recently got a brand new KIA RIO X-LINE, straight from the dealership with only 150 km on the clock. It seemed like something was still off, though. I took it for a spin around the city, covering about 18 minutes of distance. But instead of the usual 140-160 rubles for the ride, I got charged way more – over 300 rubles! I knew something was up, so I called customer support to ask why the charge was so high. They told me the system said I'd traveled 117 km in just 18 minutes. 117 km in 18 minutes? That's like being a real-life Schumacher! I was skeptical, to say the least.

But here's the thing: they promised to look into it, and within the hour, not only did they refund the money to my card, but they also sent me a formal apology. That's some top-notch customer service right there!

I've had my fair share of mishaps, and one of the first was a trip that never happened. I was supposed to check the car thoroughly, but I completely missed the fact that the windshield wipers didn't have their brushes. I started the booking, turned on the car, and decided to clean the grimy windshield - it was a typical autumn mess. I didn't even think to check the wipers beforehand. The trip didn't happen because the only exit from the courtyard was blocked by a furniture delivery, and I wasn't about to pay for waiting. I quickly parked, finished the booking, and called customer support. They noted the issue and politely asked me to call them next time in situations like this before completing the booking. Well, 'first pancake is always a flop', but it was still a learning experience.

The next time, I didn't notice the crack on the windshield in the dim light, and it was already snowy and slushy. I called them along the way, and they asked me to call back once I arrived. I didn't complete the booking, and they transferred me to the 'inspection' mode. I took a photo of the crack, and that was it. No penalties for my carelessness - thanks again!

This is a funny story. One time, the operators themselves called me to ask if I had found a black man's hat in the car. I remembered that I hadn't even left the house the previous day, let alone gone for a ride. I had used the cars twice the day before, but not the previous day.

Availability of cars. I don't usually keep track of the white cars, but sometimes I just check in. At night, they're usually in the area, but it's harder to find them during the day - maybe they're taken to the city center. I've taken screenshots over the past two months, feel free to take a look...

I've gotta say, sometimes they just congregate!

But only once did I see a bunch of white rabbits near my place, and that was when the first car I booked was blocked in by some guy who'd gone to the shop. I had to cancel that booking and grab another car right next to it, and as I was driving off, I saw the guy come back with his groceries!

Now, let's wrap things up.

The flexibility to use a car at any time.All the cars are automatic.The price is super reasonable.The foreign cars in the fleet are pretty decent.The app is really user-friendly.The customer support team is super friendly and helpful.I've never seen a car with a dirty or smoky interior.

There aren't many cars available, and they're not always nearby - at least not in my rural area. I wish they had more!The cars aren't equipped with car seats for kids! I'd love it if they fixed that.Occasionally, the app shows cars that have been abandoned without gas.The booking time is really short - I wish it was at least 30 minutes.But, on that last point, I'll clarify that Belkacar's 20-minute booking window is actually more appealing to me than my competitor's system, which calculates time based on distance and can leave you scrambling to get to the car on time. I mean, who wants to rush to get a car? It's a real pain!

So, the takeaway is this: I highly recommend car-sharing services in general, and Belkacar in particular. It's super convenient, and I'm glad these options are available! Of course, I still prefer having my own car, given the challenges I mentioned earlier. But Belkacar has been a lifesaver for me lately.

I'm giving it 5 stars, despite the drawbacks, and I hope it'll only get better with time.

PS. I was thinking, what else I should add. Sometimes people visit friends and they have to decide: drive or drink? (To be honest, it's not something I worry about, since I don't drink). Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I hope services like this will reduce the number of accidents where people think 'I'll just have a couple of drinks and drive home carefully, no big deal' (then they can take a rental car there and a taxi or bus back, whichever is closer).

Thanks a million for reading my review and staying safe on the roads!