Zipcar

A couple of years ago we had a very bad experience with zipcar. We went out of way to get a pickup truck at two different locations and waited around. We called customer service and the ppl that had it said they would be back soon but wasn’t and the rep honked the car twice and finally they stopped answering. Customer service promised they would reimburse us if we got a U haul which we did and then we got a huge runaround every time we called to get reimbursed or went in to their office in mount Vernon. So we were done and canceled our membership.
Then Avis bought them and I found myself in need of a car to get around in the city from time to time. If there was another competitor I would have gladly used them instead but they are the only game in town and my university subsidizes my membership. They are expanding now and i see zipcar stations popping up all the time.
I use zipcar a whole bunch these days to get around to appointments. Rates and car availability are good by where I live. I’ve had very few problems. Once the driver before me was late 10 mins and I had to wait a few mins. Didn’t know whether they were charged the late fee but it did enfringe upon my Rez.
I always time my Rez for the most bang for my buck. I constantly take advantage of the fact that I can get the car 14 mins early if no one has it before me and I always return the car 15 mins early so I don’t get dinged for the late fee.
There have been a few times where I’ve had to extend 30 mins to an hour via text because my appt was running late.
Sometimes there were system glitches where I’ve had to call in to extend it even tho there is not a person right after me. There was a time where i couldn’t depress the parking brake and they switched me out to another car. There was another time when I took a different zipcar than the one i reserved because it was 6 in the morning and I was groggy and they didn’t notice until an hour later and switched my Rez. I was surprised I was able to unlock a vehicle I didn’t have a Rez for.
These are pretty minor things and I’ve been happy with zipcar but it is pretty stressful if you are running late and don’t know if ur car is available for extension. I would also say it also sucks that if there is an issue like gas or Trouble with a parking brake it sucks into your time. They should at least compensate you with a 15 min credit or something. I’ll admit that I’m a bad zipper due to this so I’m always in a hurry so I’ve never refilled the tank ever. Incentives would really help in this area.
I would say as long as it’s relatively uneventful everything should be fine and it has been. I think if there would be a major issue, they would totally suck. The terms if you get into an accident are really bad and I imagine it would be a major hassle to settle with them and your insurance or credit card company.

Beware Zipcar, they are not trust worthy. I started month ago because my hospital has an agreement with them, and used it very often. I had a couple of issues before like finding almost an empty tank multiple times or being charged late fee once while I had parked 15 minutes before (they did return it after multiple calls), but the last issue was nasty. After a car came in the wrong direction I ended in the mean. My car had no external damage and everything worked (checked engine, brakes and sterling wheel) because I was almost stopped when it climbed to the mean but the car was stuck on top of a 6 inches high mean and needed to be pulled back to the road, so I called zipcar and they took care of it.
After 2 weeks I receive an email saying that the total cost of the reparation was +7000 and I will be charged the 750 deductive, and they terminated my account without any explanation. Contacted them multiple times to ask for the documentation I need for VISA credit car rental insurance and they have not provided all the documents requested after one month. Also I do not understand why they terminated my account given the accident was not my fault and my driving records are flawless. Now they intend me to pay 750 upfront because they are neglecting to provide me with the documentation. Also the photos they provided about the damage in the car are a joke, just a couple of minor scratches down the chassis which are not visible so they might even have been already there before. No mechanical damage was reported, so I asked a mechanic and he said there is no way that costs 7000. Anyway I informed VISA that zipcar might want to ripoff their insurance on my behalf so I guess they will take care of this if they ever send me all the documents I need. I suggest to switch to hertz ²⁴⁄₇. I discovered it thanks to my zipcar account termination but so far I can say they are cheaper and nicer.

When we picked up a Mercedes by Penn station, it was 2400 miles overdue for service, there was a
message that the tires were low on air, a message to check the left front
parking light, and the brakes squeaked terribly. I texted zipcar and they wrote back that I should have called right away. This was a major safety issue and unlike regular car rental agencies they don’t check their cars like the legacy car rental agencies. No more zip car for me

*Baltimore Travels*
*Yelp 365 Challenge x 2 #182/​365*
Let me share that I’m impatient at times and that although public transportation is great… it’s not for me.
It’s like that scene in Singles, when she tells her boyfriend who is promoting a rail system in Seattle, «I love my car.»
See, I love my car and right now, I miss my car while I’m on a business trip on the East Coast.
I missed it more when I found out that the malls are from 7 – 25 miles away from downtown Baltimore
I missed it even more when we caught the light rail to BWI and a taxi to Arundel Mills Mall.
Then, my co-​worker proposed the Zipcar and I did my research.
1) Apply online (There are different membership options. I chose the monthly)
2) Once approved, you are issued a card that is either mailed or you can pick it up at their office (Note: Baltimore Office on N Charles Street was so helpful and friendly!)
3) You can either rent for the whole day or a few hours
4) There is various locations throughout the city instead of only renting at the airport
5) Keys? It’s already in the car. You reserve the car either online or their app.
6) Walk to the location you rented from and scan your card on the windshield (this is what opens and closes the doors)
7) Gas? Gas card is also located in the car, which I wondered how is that possible and what if someone abuses it? They can’t. You have to input your card # and the odometer reading of the car before filling the car with gas. How cool is that?!
Let me share that I thought this was ingenious for someone to think of this concept especially because its so convenient for me to rent a car.
You do not know how excited my co-​worker and I was when I finally picked up my card because this meant that we both could shop for our families since our hubbies are holding down the home front!
Zipcar, you lifesaver, you!!!

This Zipcar location has two vehicles: VW Golf and Honda CR-​V.
I had a great experience renting the Golf. It was my first time using my Zipcar membership, and I am so glad that I got it. Even though I have a car at home, it’s hard when family visits because it is only a two-​door vehicle, so they have a tough time getting in and there isn’t ever room for their luggage. After realizing that Zipcar has SUVs and larger cars in its fleet, in addition to the hot hatches and city cars, I decided to spring and get a membership for a year to test it out.
This on-​street location was about a 7-​minute walk from the Hilton Downtown where I am staying. It’s a really quiet area because it is mostly hotels and offices, and I felt safe on the walk back at 11 pm.
The car was all set up as it should have been. I swiped in, found the key, adjusted my mirrors and seat, and headed off! The car has an EZPass in case you need to take a toll road, but I didn’t have to make use of it. This car also had a Bluetooth system, which again I didn’t try. I did preset a bunch of radio channels, though!
It was my first time driving a Golf, and I loved it! Great car to rent, especially if you currently drive a hatchback. Smooth ride and easy handling. When I picked up my car at 7, the CR-​V was in the spot next to it, but when I returned it at 11, the CR-​V was gone. They have a neat way to extend your reservation by text if you want to keep it longer. I didn’t have to fill it up with gas, since it was at ½ tank, but there’s a gas card in the car if you do need to fill it up.

This particular location sucks! First of all you have to dial in to get inside of the building. The girl that was working the front desk was rude, not helpful and just didn’t even seem to care. I was asking questions because I was new to the Zipcar thing and was not even given the correct answers! Do it online because they won’t help you here!

I’ve been a zipcar member for over two months and this is my first rental outside NYC. With gas and insurance prices going to the roof, I surmised that car sharing plans are the way to go versus car ownership. Zipcar trumps the other competitors like ConnectbyHertz and Mint by virtue of the number of cars emplaced conveniently throughout the city center; especially near transit modal stations.
I traveled via Boltbus from Newark to the MARC Penn Station and found my reserved Mini Convertible parked a few steps from the bus stop. Alas, the weather was windy and rainy so I hadn’t had any use for the drop top. Yet, the upside was I had a really fun car to drive down to Silver Springs. The «keys» on the Mini was a round disk fob that I inserted in the slot. I pushed the brake down and pressed the start button. Neat. Welcome, George Jetson.
After I finished my appointment, I drove back to Baltimore but a worrisome item occurred. I had to extend my reservation a little longer because I was lost. My android phone lost power (I forgot to pack my car charger) so I wasn’t able to extend my reservation via zipcar’s website nor access google navigation. So, I had to whip out my laptop and dial up the site to extend my time. Whew! By the time I arrived back, I had 15 minutes to spare. Thank goodness for reserved street parking. Bonus.