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How does Zipcar work? Is it really worth it?
Zipcar is a great option for people who want the flexibility of having a car to drive without actually owning one. It's a car share program with cars available throughout NY and NJ, as well as several other cities throughout the US. Anyone who is 21 or over with a license and a clean driving record can become a Zipcar member after paying a one-time application fee of $25. There are several different ways to have a membership, including Occasional Driving Plans ($50 annual fee and $100 deposit) as well as Extra Value Plans (10-15% driving discount, $50-$250 monthly commitment, and the higher commitment plans include rollover).
We have the Occasional Driving Plan, which has proven many times over that it is worth it. Cars can be reserved either hourly or per day (from $10/hr and $69/day), and with every car you get gas, insurance, reserved parking, XM radio, and 120 miles. Any additional miles are billed at $0.30/mile.
What we have found really makes this worth it is the free gas. As we all know, gas prices have skyrocketed, and this is really a bonus. Zipcar doesn't just offer small cars - they have everything from Mini Coopers, to Toyota Prius' as well as SUVs and trucks. How hard is it to get a vehicle when you want one? Well, it depends on when you are looking for one, etc. As you can imagine, cars on the weekend are harder to come by, especially last minute. However, we have been able to reserve a vehicle for an entire weekend, with only about a week in advance, during the winter. We have not been so lucky during summer months. You are better off if you can reserve early.
Ok, we have to talk about the downsides of Zipcar... but there are only a couple. We have found that it is a good deal if you are reserving it for a full 24 hour period. Hourly sometimes gets a bit tricky, because of NY traffic, it is hard to estimate how long you actually need the car. If you return a car late, the next person who has the reservation gets screwed, so you are charged a fee. If you return it early, there is no discount, you still pay the for the full reservation. Secondly, some might not like driving a vehicle that has a big Zipcar logo on the side and the back. We don't really care all that much - in fact we feel that maybe we get an occasional pass here and there if our driving skills suck a little bit, because people assume we must not drive too often.
What do other Zipcar members think?
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so do they cover things like hubcaps flying off and stuff too?
sounds great but one piece of info I haven't been able to find on their site is whether any of their cars are automatics -- as far as I know, Minis and the like are stick-shift only, right? Do they give you a choice or just assume everyone is qualified to drive both autos and sticks?
we've called before on that too. they only offer automatic vehicles.
oh, that's good news for those of us coping with the shame of never having learned to drive a stick shift! thanks.
I've been a member for several years. They've been growing dramatically for the past couple, with that their customer service has declined. If another driver for some reason bails on you, they typically have no backup plan and are left scrambling. It doesn't happen often, but when it does they're left simply saying "sorry, no car!". This has left me in a lurch a couple times, and is VERY frustrating. Otherwise a great service, hopefully they'll fix their growing pains.
Zipcar also gets bonus points for being a good citizen - they donate 3 cars every saturday night to RightRides (http:www.RightRides.org). And if you volunteer as a driver, they (RightRides) actually pay for your ZipCar membership. I volunteered a few weeks ago and it was great fun.
i got "stuck" once when the car i reserved wasnt returned on time by the previous driver. i called zipcar, and they found me a similar car available across town, and offered to pay my cab fare to pick it up! i can't imagine hertz or any of the other big boys having that kind of customer service.
I've been a Zipcar member for about a year, and love it. As the article says, it's great to have access to lots of different cars and it's fun to drive a different one (almost every time). A few downsides are: 1) There are no East Village locations, so if you live in that 'hood you'll have to walk about 15–20 minutes to the nearest garage; 2) as BQE mentioned, if they make a mistake and you get screwed somehow, it can be very frustrating. I spent over an hour screaming at three different customer service reps before they finally came through with a car after the one that I'd reserved three weeks prior simply wasn't there when I arrived to pick it up; 3) they advertise as having lots of fun cars, but there aren't lots of Mini Coopers and it can be hard to get them on weekends (although it seems like they may've added more to their fleet); 4) if you go to New Jersey, the idiotic gas station attendants there often have so much trouble getting the gas cards to work that it's not worth the bother and you end up paying for gas anyway; 5) Having a Zipcar member return a car late and / or with almost no gas is annoying; and 6) I once had a car with no E-Z Pass in it, which made traveling along the Turnpike and going through the tunnel(s) a hassle.
I don't mean to complain. By and large, the service rocks. When Zipcar works (which it usually does), it's great. When it doesn't, however, it's a nightmare.
Oh m, you should learn! Perhaps a close friend could teach you in an empty parking lot someday or you could take a lesson. There's no shame in not knowing, but it's a good skill to have - you never know when you might have to try a manual car if there is an emergency.
Same here, I love Zipcar but their customer service really needs to be re-thought. Check this out: you get on the phone, they put you on hold for 20 minutes scratching their head, and then come back with more questions for you. They really got to work that out....
Also, they really should work out a better strategy for handling when someone returns a car late. It's not enough to simply bill the latecomer more money, since people will do a cost/benefit analysis and take the extra time screwing the next user. They need more back-up plans.
They also need to get cars in Williamsburg. You have to go all the way to LES or Midtown. Hopefully, at least, they can book more around Union Square.
You say the timing thing is a small negative, but it's huge. Say you want to take one to go get groceries at Costco in Queens. You have no idea how long traffic will take, the lines, etc. Therefore you have to overestimate how long you will need the car and may still be racing back to avoid the fee. Also, most cars go for btwn 12-14 an hour. So in the aforementioned example, I would have to rent for at least 3 hours to be SURE I would make it back based on traffic and lines at the store. That's $42. That's more than taking a cab in a lot of cases. As far as the full day rentals, check Dollar and Budget. You can probably get a better deal.
I also like Zip Car but the caveat with them is that the actual cost ends up being roughly equivalent to a rental car and with a cap on miles driven in 1 day (so no day trips further than 60 miles away).
The actual dollar cost may be equivalent (but often isn't -- particularly around holiday weekends), but when you figure in the (often major) hassle of waiting in line at the car rental place, navigating their forms, deciding on which insurance to buy, and filling up the gas tank on your own dime, Zipcar is far more cost effective. You simply reserve a car, show up and swipe your card, and drive away. Save the occasional hassle (as described above) it is really a *lot* easier to deal with. Somewhere between a taxi and a car rental.
"dont use it" - that was my point exactly. Reserving a car hourly is indeed tricky and can end up being more expensive. In some cases just getting a cab is better. But for me, the annual membership fee is low enough that if sometimes I decide a cab is more cost effective, that is fine. For day reservations, yes, sometimes it would appear that rental cars would be cheaper. However for those under 25, you have to factor in the additional insurance charges. You also have to factor in any additional charges for living in Brooklyn (I cant remember which car rental place charges a crazy high fee if you are a Brooklyn resident). And then there's the cost of gas. For me, it's been a better deal in the long run, especially because I was 24 when I got the membership, and it really was too expensive to rent a car.
Also, Tien, in those cases where you lose a hubcap mysteriously, we found that they were happy we reported it, and we were not held liable. There is a section on their site all about what happens if you get in an accident, which involves your membership being suspended until they do a full investigation.
My husband and I have been members for over a year now, and we have mixed feelings about Zipcar. On the plus side, it's good for day trips as the daily rental rate includes up to 125 miles. Like others have mentioned, the customer service needs to be improved.
The last time I reserved a car, the garage attendant was a major A-Hole (note: garage location on 79th St between 1st Ave & York). I called an hour ahead of my reservation time to get my car ready, and by the time I got there, he took out the wrong car and he simply told me to "call and change your car". It took me 20 minutes to reach a customer service agent to do the change, and my reservation was only for 2 hours. So in the end, we decided to cancel the reservation altogether.
Lo and behold, we got charged $12 (an hour's rate) for cancelling the car. Not only did the entire fiasco took 30 minutes of my time, I was charged for not using the car. When we finally got in touch with a human rep, we explained the situation and got credited $25 (and $12 waived) for the mess.
Another time, we were reprimanded (rudely) for carrying pets in the car which never happened. The reason they reprimanded us was because the Zipcar user after us thought the car smelled like dogs. For the record, we don't even own dogs! After exchanging emails several times, they issued an apology for falsely accusing us.
The concept is great, but the execution needs to be improved.
I just cancelled my membership because of bad customer service. Zipcar is a great idea and I may consider it again if they get their act together in another year or so, but I had too many problems for the (considerable) expense to continue.
They would switch my reserved car with no explanation by sending an e-mail with only a few hours notice. Once was on the morning of my brother's wedding - they stuck me with a Scion (huge, fantastically ugly box car that looks like a hearse). I got to the garage and the car I'd reserved wouldn't open and the attendants couldn't figure it out. By the time it was sorted out we had been delayed by 1/2 an hour. Thank goodness the car they "assigned me to" was large enough to fit my grandmother's wheelchair.
The next time I rented a minivan to move some furniture and delayed the move a couple weeks to a Sunday night - the only time one was available. Unless you schedule weeks and weeks in advance, it's really hard to get the car you want on a weekend. At the last minute they switched my reservation to a tiny car at another garage.
And when you e-mail them and they promise a response within 24-hours...don't count on it.
I've also been stuck with problems when members have returned cars late. With tolls, state & local taxes and the regular fees, it's too much money to have to deal with this.
I was a member for 6 months, and I tried multiple times to reserve a car...even months in andvance, but they were always out. Check out whether there are actually cars available to use -- I wasted $50 registering for this...I finally cancelled and got my deposit back..Make sure this works for you - otherwise you could find yourself wasting a lot of money.
ZipCar likes to boast that insurance is included, but they actually provide liability insurance only to state minimum levels, as is required of all car rental companies. In New York it's $25,000/per person bodily injury, $10,000 property; and in New Jersey is $15,000/person bodily injury and just $5,000 property. Some people might be comfortable with that, but I'm not -- have an accident with somebody else's $35,000 beamer and you're on the hook for thousands, even if nobody gets hurt. They do not offer the option to purchase extra insurance.
If you don't have your own auto insurance policy (and if you did, you would probably wouldn't be using zipcar anyway), be very careful...
Tried renting their MINI convertible for the 4th of July to head out to the beach for the day. I found the car trashed and barely able to make it a few times around the block. Customer service seemed to a)either not care or b)had no idea what to do (like it was the first time any of their cars broke down). They sent a tow truck to some address in connecticut (???); i finally gave up and limped the car back to the garage...the day at the beach gone. no reparations, no comment.
I've been a zipcar user and fan for over a year. We don't use it a lot, but when we have it's always been easy to deal with.
We find that ZipCar is perfect for those weekends where you need to run lots of errands (i.e. where a cab just wouldn't work).
As far as customer service, I have called them once because the EasyPass didn't seem to be working. They answered quickly, flagged the car in the system and told me that they would take care of it (i.e. in case the car was ticketed).
Also, their cars are way cool.
I used to have a car which I parked on the street (in brownstone Bklyn) but sold it because the costs were astronomical, the parking too difficult, we barely used it. I've thought about joining ZipCar but instead I've been doing things like ordering from FreshDirect and Amazon, and renting a car for out of town trips not accessible by public transportation. Every time I pay shipping costs or pay for a car rental, I think "Hmm, still cheaper than owning that car!" Does anyone have a cost comparison in mind of say, ordering groceries every week from FD vs. picking up grocers in a store with ZipCar once a week?
Brooklynbee, I strongly suspect you're saving money by having things delivered. More importantly, you're in all liklihood saving oil and reducing your environmental impact by having your groceries and other goods take their own form of mass transit.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned the wackness of driving a car with ZIPCAR and it's logo slapped on each side. I was majorly disappointed, actually kind of shocked, to see their freakin business name huge on every car. When you rent, do your wheels say HERTZ, etc. all over em? Are you paying to use the car, or are you advertising for them? Whatever, it turned me off of their service for good.
second the comments of a lot of folks. you have to plan waaaaaay ahead to have any chance of getting a vehicle during a reasonable weekend slot. if you need a car for a day, take the PATH to new jersey and rent there where it's cheaper.
I think some people on here are not using Zipcar for its best purposes. If you are using it to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things each week, then unless you are disabled, it's not for you. Be lazy and order from FreshDirect or don't be lazy and carry the stuff yourself from the store. Don't rent a car for two bags of groceries, it's economically and environmentally inefficient.
However, if you are getting large things that are not transportable otherwise, try Zipcar. I have used it in renting a pickup to take to Lowe's to get a number of things for my garden that are not transportable on foot or using mass transit.
As for availablity, I've followed the number of cars for several months before finally signing up in early July. During the last couple of months, as far as I can tell, an appreciable number of cars were added to their system in NYC. I've been able to reserve cars on weekends for a few hours on the day of. Sure, you may not get the BMW or Mini that you fancy, but there do seem to be cars available.
My first rental was also about 30min late (for a 4 hour reservation). I called and they said to keep it for an extra 30min and they credited my account to avoid any extra fees. It did take a good while to get through to a live operator, but I thankfully had hands-free on my cell while driving.
In the end, much better than keeping my car in the city and moving it constantly for street cleaning, getting parking tickets, and having careless drivers knock off my side mirrors. However, nothing's perfect. Maybe Flexcar will move into the market and competition will improve customer service.
I'm going to use this opportunity to remind people that Fresh Direct does not, in fact, deliver everywhere in the city. I live in Brooklyn - not that far out, frankly - and Fresh Direct does not deliver to my street (though it delivers within my zip code). It's not a cure-all.
I was a member for two years but got so frustrated that I bought a car in December, which, after being car-free for 10 years, has felt worth it, despite alternate-side parking.
I'm in Jersey City, and at the time had to go to Hoboken to get a car, which took almost an hour. Once a car was filled w/ dog hair, another time with cat hair, which meant I couldn't use it b/c of allergies.
Another time, a car broke down in Baltimore. The customer-service people had no idea what to do. Eventually they told me to take it to a dealership. No dealership could see me for several days. I had to beg them to let me take it to the family mechanic. Then they took three months to pay me back the whopping $45 repair bill—they'd claimed I'd be repaid w/in three weeks. I faxed that receipt four times. I was so pissed.
The comments cards in the car went back months, which told me the cars were not being maintained (the breakdown kind of confirms that too).
In all the times I emailed them, never once did anyone reply within 24 hours. More like a week.
It was more of a headache than a help.
I've generally had positive experiences using Zipcar - I've used them both in the NYC and Boston areas about once a month or more for the past 2 years.
The one time the car wasn't ready because the previous user got stuck in traffic, a Zipcar representative called me ahead of time to let me know and extended my reservation. Since I wasn't on a tight schedule, it didn't matter to me, but to someone else who needs on-the-dot punctuality, that would be problematic.
The one negative experience was related to the parking garage attendants at Morton St. (between Bleecker and 7th Ave.). I called ahead of time to have the car pulled out, but when I arrived, it was not ready. then the parking attendants claimed that car wasn't available, so I talked with the zipcar rep about what had happened. turns out the parking attendants got confused because that car had been serviced and returned. the zipcar rep gave me a credit for a half an hour.
I've rented zipcar vehicles at the last minute on the weekends, but it helped that I was flexible about the pick-up location.
other possible turnoff for people:
The car can be dirty from previous users, especially in the winter time with the slush.
The zipcar logo can make you feel conspicuous, but it isn't that bad of a turn-off - a pedestrian who saw the logo helped me parallel park on the left hand side of a one-way street. not being a regular car user, i appreciated the unsolicited help! :)
In all, I've had better moving experiences using zipcar's honda element and other larger vehicles than with uhaul and enterprise, the latter of which constitutes a different thread about nightmare rental experiences.
Tips for a better zipcar experience:
- especially during busy times (weekends, holidays), overestimate how long you need by at least half an hour.
- pick a location that has more cars if you are worried that a driver before you will be late returning your car - this way you have more options if a zipcar rep needs to switch your reservation.
I used Zip Car for a little while but realized that, after having driven the cool cars once or twice, the actual value of the service is quite limited. If you are renting a car for a trip, the service slaps on HUGE fees (only 125 miles/day are allowed). If you're only going around town and rent for a short time frame, you are guaranteed to spend at least half an hour picking up/dropping off, even if everything goes perfect. If you decide to rent for a longer time frame than you think you need to make up for this, you often end up overpaying since you do not use the car for the entire period.
In addition, while I thought that this would be better than rental agencies, I found it to be about the same, if not worse, for the following reasons:
1. You have to deal with lot attendants who could not care less if you are satisfied with your experience as they do not work for Zipcar.
2. You have to inspect the vehicle like a hawk to make sure the guy before you did not spill coffee or bring their terrier because if you do not, you may get tagged with a clean up bill for someone else's mess.
3. The satellite radios in the cars were broken half of the time, which is a big pain.
All in all, not a great service, but a great idea for a service that could be better managed.
Avast, be warned ye, the hidden danger of ZipSquatters! It's the dirty secret of ZipCar that people will reserve cars for ALL the weekends, MONTHS ahead of time, and simply cancel when they don't need it. There is no penalty for cancellations, so why not just reserve every weekend for the next 2 years? ZipSquatters make it feel like an every-Ziphole-for-themselves system. For weekends Zipcars approach useless, you're sadly better off with one of the crusty, overpriced, rental companies.
Oh, and the logo on the side...squaresville, but better than the entire car being an ad- which is probably the next step. Fuggit, where's me bike...
ZipSquatters! That explains the unavailability on choice weekends. What a scam.
I head down to central NJ and get a dirt-cheap rate on a car from a non-airport national rental-car agency (won't be telling -- don't want the secret out.) ZipCar can't even BEGIN to compare.
:-p
-Schatzi
I guess Zipcar has it's place, like shops in poor neighborhoods that sell loose cigarettes. Somehow they've managed to sell themselves as a cool, environmentally conscious alternative. In the process they've finagled favors from universities and governments (like that free parking spot at Hoboken City Hall).
A small item in Zip's "fine print" (at least the last time I read it) should be cause for your concern. That "security deposit" you put up (in addition to your signup fee and membership fee). Unlike your apartment deposit (which is put in escrow and earns you interest) or gym membership (which by NY law is guaranteed by bond), the "deposit" is invested in business operations. If Zip goes under (and if dot-com history is any guide, it will), you lose that deposit.
Besides, it is possible to rent a car in metro NYC for 35-40, unlimited mileage, so why bother?
Hey Contrarian --
Where are you renting in NYC for $40 a day? $80+ i my experience.
I just recently cancelled my zipcar membership. Their customer service is really bad! Other than that, I think its a good program, considering the high price of gas nowadays.
#31, you nailed it. I have been a member for about 3 years. In the last 18 months or so, the availability of cars has declined noticably to the point where it is very tough to find a car on a weekend. This is the case whether you are renting for a couple of hours or the full day.
Otherwise the service is great. It is way cheaper than renting a car, especially when you figure that w/ Zipcar you do not have to pay for gas or insurance. Even though the prices went up last summer (to reflect the increased cost of fuel), it is still less expensive than renting.
I have used the service at least 10+ times and have never had a problem with the parking lot attendants, or with people bringing the cars back later.
Yes, you do wind up estimating a time cushion and paying for more time than you actually need, but that is just part of the cost of doing business.
Those of you who are too stuck up to drive a car with a logo on the side, this service is definitely for you--get over yourself.
Wow, what a bunch of complainers.
Trying to get a car at any time is a joke. Zipcar only works if you're the Plannersons and you plan everything 2 months in advance.
I have many friends who do not live in the city. I signed up for Zipcar because I thought it would be a more convenient (not necessarily cheaper) alternative to the standard fare of rental cars. It's less convenient. By a large measure.
I was so disappointed, I bought a motorcycle. Easy to park, cheap on gas - and free winter storage at my friends house in the 'burbs.
Zipcar is a good idea, but it needs to be done better. Three or four-hundred cars in the city won't do it. There's a critical mass number out there for the amount of cars required. I don't know what it is, but I won't go back to the product until I can get a car with fewer than 3 days notice. Enterprise can get me a car with fewer than 3 days notice. Self-service has its drawbacks.
Sorry Zipcar - Not Evil Enough!
I am thinking of signing up for zipcar. I live in Tribeca. How far in advance will I need to sign up for a car for a Friday afternoon and evening? Not a holiday weekend. For example, if I am sure to sign up at least two weeks in advance will it be a problem or will all cars in downtown Manhattan be booked? I am not looking to rent a fancy car. Just one that is very basic. Thanks for your advice!
I thought Zipcar was a good idea. Until they sent me a friendly email to let me know that they charged my credit card with $400+ dollars for a dent that I didn't make! The customer service "dude" said that Manhattan garage attendants have dinged a few and it's been a problem and they'd let us know. That was a montha ago and we've heard nothing. So, now, I'm trying to get ANYONE there to talk to me and no one in "billing" will write to me or call me back. Even if it's a case where it's someone's job to tell me I didn't read the fine print stating that I am liable to pay for other people's driving accidents, someone should call. BEWARE!
Also, Zipcars have been dirty. People don't take care of them. That's the users' fault.
Zipcar was a good idea that did NOT work. I've now spent way more than if I had rented a stretch SUV with ugly purple lights on a Saturday night.
Based on the comments here and on another blog, I have to say that the NYC Zipcar experience sounds very different than the DC Zipcar experience. There are 20 Zipcars within a 5-block radius of my apartment (near Logan Circle), and I can almost always get one at the last minute on a weekday and with no more than a day's notice on the weekends. Also, very few are parked in commercial garages, and the few garages they use are self-serve, so we don't have the problem with attendants losing the cars or bringing us the wrong ones. I've also not dealt with people leaving the car a mess (on the inside, at least). As a former New Yorker, I would have expected a higher level of manners than that. Finally, I've booked cars about 30 times, and only once has the car not been there for the beginning of the reservation -- and that time, Zipcar called me at the very beginning of my reserved time to warn me that the car was missing. They called me back when it was found, and credited my account with time to make up for the missed time (and then some).
On a couple of specific points people have mentioned -- Zipcar has adopted new rules that limit the number of weekend days you can book in advance, to cut down on zipsquatting. Also, if you have problem using the gas card, you can pay for the gas yourself and submit the receipt to Zipcar -- they'll credit your account for the gas. You can also take a dirty car through the carwash and get reimbursed.
In general, the comments make me think Zipcar may just not work in NYC -- but if you're in the other cities where it's available, don't hesitate to give it a try.
I have also had bad experiences with zip car. Does anyone have the email address of the CEO
I is pretty sure the email address is scott@zipcar.com
Legal question here about Zipcar: if you forget to check out the vehicle for dents and dings (and don't call those in) and later you are cited as having been the cause of same damage, what rights has a Zipcar member surrendered in that situation, if any? Any lawyers out there know the subtleties of this?
As much as Zipcar has a right to try to have its repair assigned to the party at fault, it should also provide legal information to members to respond to such claims, if possible.
This Zipcar membership agreement says a member might be fined for damage that the member either causes or fails to report and is reported in by another user. This is a downside of renting such cars that have remote oversight and maintenance and rely on the honor system.