Zipcar

Pros: Cool progressive idea that allows you to be part of the movement
Cons: It is not yeat mature enough to make all people happy

When I was a student, we received a free subscription to Zipcar and it seemed to be a very cool idea, so I tried it. Quite honestly I see only few circumstances under which you may need Zip car… Let me tell you what’s wrong here. Zipcar ...

Pros: Cooler, easier, less expensive and more convenient way to rent a car.
Cons: None. The new paradigm in car rental unless you need a high-mileage rental.

A few months ago, I tried my first Zipcar rental. I'm hooked and will NEVER go back to renting a car from regular car rental agencies whenever Zipcar is an option. Read on to find out why. Forget Everything You Know About Car Rentals No ...

Pros: Good selection of cars;
Cons: based on other reserver's trust that they will return car on time

Hello Our story: We made a reservation weeks in advance for a Volvo for Saturday, August 4th for noon. We had to get to an event miles away and thought that the best way to get there was to rent a car. We conducted our research and concluded that ...

Pros: Cheap, friendly web interface
Cons: They don't take care of their cars. Their customer service bites.

I also have to share many negative experiences with Zipcar. Dirty cars and cars with poor maintenance. One car was left with the crankcase cap off, which I did not discover until smoke starting pouring out of the engine compartment. Stopped the car and ...

Pros: Nice idea...
Cons: ...but it doesn't work.

Today, I went to go pick up my first Zipcar. I wanted to move a few things with a friend from my old apartment to my new apartment. Being on a tight schedule, I got there a couple minutes early just to make sure I pulled out of the lot with my car on ...

Pros: Flexible. Affordable. Convenient. Nice cars.
Cons: May be too expensive if you drive often.

Zipcar is, as the very detailed post from "mithril" describes, a very useful car rental service for most people who need a car infrequently. I won't summarize the whole Zipcar experience since it was already done here. I want you to be aware that Zipcar ...

Pros: application process was a breeze and the rates are very reasonable
Cons: Horrible customer service; HIGH late fees even if the car breaks down!!

I'm not one to write reviews but after many years of considering using Zipcar in DC I finally took the plunge and really regret it. While the application process was a breeze and the rates are very reasonable, the late fees are absurd ($50 per half hour) ...

Pros: - Great for multi city users - Second only to a not-for-profit in serving members
Cons: - Annual fees are a barrier for infrequent users

Is Car Sharing Right for You? Car sharing programs like ZipCar, give members access vehicles for an hour, several hours, a day or more. ZipCar has a great variety of vehicles including hybrids, BMWs, mini coopers, wagons and sedans. As a ...

Pros: It works, under some conditions. 
Cons: It doesn't work, otherwise. Took so long to get a membership card. Horrible customer service

I signed up through the website, and got an approval email which says my membership card will be mailed to me soon. However, it didn't arrive after nine days (their website claims "you can be Zipping down the street in three days to a week"). I emailed ...

Pros: a good idea in concept
Cons: application process misleading and insurance charges excessive.

I found that the almost $130 charge on my credit card just to sign up for the service --before I had used Zip Car at all-- excessive and misleading. You're forced to buy their insurance even if you have your own and also have to pay a lot to avoid an ...

Pros: As the advertised
Cons: The advertising is deceptive! It's a predator.

I am always on time returning the car and sometimes over reserve the hours because I wasn't sure when I can get back.  Here is what you should remember before you join: 1.     They claim the car is always available: True, but ...

Pros: Fun website, cute ads.
Cons: Expensive. Dirty cars - if not unsafe. Poor customer relations and unfair pricing policies.

An utter rip-off. Terrible customer service - they left me stranded 50 miles from home, with no solution to my problem! And it's actually more expensive than using Amazon or Budget - and those companies don't require monthly membership pre-payments, and non-flexible rental times!!

Car often not available when you need it. Cars dirty. Cars have dashboard warning lights showing for weeks and weeks - are they safe when the lights say they are not (the company says yes)? Terrible customer service. You have absolutely no flexibility - they charge you monthly whether you use the car or not. I was never late, but here's the policy: they charge you from the moment you are SCHEDULED to take the car (not when you actually DO take the car) to the moment you are SCHEDULED to return the car, regardless of when you DO return the car UNLESS you are late, for which you will be charged for time PLUS a penalty of $50 or more. Penalty for coming in with less than 1/4 tank gas? $25. And so on....

Pros: None.
Cons: No availability; filthy cars; terrible customer service.

I've only been using ZipCar for 5 weeks (and will cancel after I use my remaining credit this month), but it's as bad a service as I could ever imagine. Above all else, there is NEVER any availability. Every single car is booked for every single time I want a car (and I'm not waiting until the last minute). The interior of the car is filthy every time I have gotten a car (usually a combination of trash and pet hair), the gas tank is empty, and calls/messages to ZipCar get no reply whatsoever. In theory, this is a good idea, but in actuality, don't get duped.

Pros: sometimes it works
Cons: fee structure favors business clients

During weekdays, Zipcar charges "corporate" clients around $3 less per hour and around $10 less per day than plain individuals. And the annual fee is less, per person. This means, if you have even a 1 person "business" (they require a corporate tax ID) Zipcar only costs $25 per person compared the the $50 for a single person's fee. There are no minimum usage commitments for a business account. They just charge normal people more.

Seems quite unfair but as they are the only game in town right now in NYC I guess they'll do what they can get away with.

Pros: Cheap ($6.50/hour for Ikea branded XB on EV plan) Super convenient No Hassle
Cons: Cars can be busy during weekends - need to book about 24 hours in advance.

Having used zipcar for 2 months I am moved to write in and say what a great idea this is. The prices really are a bargain when you compare them to car ownership in the city.

Even if I was given a car for free I would have to pay $270/month for parking in my apartment and then all those other costs (insurance, registration, repairs, service ...).

The thing I love about this service is that you have most of the convenience of owning a car without the hassles. I don't even have to bother filling with gas because most of the vehicles that I have driven have been filled by the previous renters.

I think that Zipcar have improved their customer relations since the previous reviewer's note. I contacted Zipcar asking to use one of their cars to sit a drivers' license exam (for conversion from an Aussie license) and they promptly replied saying that was ok (I have to pay a $20 admin fee for them to provide me with an authorisation letter for the registry of motor vehicles).