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City CarShare
Rating Details »
Category: Car Rental
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, SOMA1182 Market St
Ste 300
(between 8th St & Grove St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 995-8588
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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117 reviews for City CarShare
LOVE City Car Share.
Here's my tale of woe (with a very happy ending). I very stupidly whacked my rental car on the corner of the garage I was backing out of. No one was hurt, but I felt like an idiot and the car did not look so good. Called it in and promptly freaked-out that I would owe lots of $. But everything got handled by the patient, wonderful staff there, and I only owe $50 because I use the $1 Buck to Deduct feature (set this as your default - really!).
There are lots of cars available whenever I need them and no need to deal with having a car I don't need the 98% of the time. It's reasonably cheap and easy to make reservations. And did I mention that I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CAR? Thank God - it's bad enough to ding someone else's.
I know, City Car Share's not perfect - it's a non-profit, see, so you don't get those super shiny perfect cars from those other folks who charge a lot more. And sometimes you have to wait a little while to get things straightened out (unlike, um, most other businesses?). Big deal.
You've made my life so very much better, City Car Share. Keep up the great work, folks.
Note: just because you have insurance does not mean that you should drive like me. Let's not *all* strain CCS's resources...
I am really pissed for a weird penalty today.
/Half Tank/ Tank was found with less than a half tank immediately following your reservation.
The thing is we did put more gas every single time once it's less than half, what's wrong with city car share? Almost out of business and need to get money from user's random penalty?
There are some tips to make you use city car share happier.
1. Don't pick up the car early. (Penalty will be occured)
2 .Don't return the car late. (Penalty will be occured)
3. Don't change the time within 1 hour.(Big penalty will be occured)
4. Don't change the time within 5 hour.(Small penalty will be occured)
5. If you return the car early, don't change the return time..(Big penalty will be occured) I know, it's tupid, but it's within 1 hour, right?
6. If you forgot something inside the car, and it's over your time, wait until next user open the door, don't open the door with your own key..(Whatever penalty will be occured)
Zipcar and CCS are equally near my apartment; about 7-8 blocks. Even though the rates are different, it seems like they could actually balance out over time. What drew me to sign up with CCS is that they're a non-profit whose ironic intent is to promote less driving and fewer cars on the road, even though they're basically a car broker.
So I chose what felt like the more responsible choice when ditching my car this summer and opting for CCS. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure they are interested in my business. Their site brags 3-5 business days from application to driver's seat, yet nearly a month and a half after submitting my application online, I am no closer to reserving a car.
It took about a month before they left a voicemail to let me know they needed emergency contact info before I could be approved. Good thing I didn't actually have an emergency. I tried returning the call the next day--three different times during their business hours--only to be left with an earful of infinite ringing each time. Same thing the next day. Maybe the entire phone centre was on vacation.
So I tried their customer service email as a next attempt. No response. A week later I get an email saying that they "withdrew" my application for lack of necessary information, and still charged me their fee.
Maybe mine is an extraordinary case of otherwise awesome service, but I have nothing to show for all my trouble thus far, except a lack of the 30$ I used to own as a reminder. If I have this much trouble in the courting stage of the relationship, what will happen once the honeymoon is over?
1-star for leaving me in the cold. 1-star for trying to promote a socially responsible message and lifestyle.
Sometimes I want to call these people every few weeks just to tell them about my love for them. This is just a really impressive organization: The concept is brilliant. It actually improves my life. The access to their service (i.e. the website and reservation system) is so simple and clean even i can use it. And the best best best thing of all--they are really nice! Every time i have called a pleasant human being answers my question with efficiency and kindness. Despite being a non-profit, you renew my faith in capitalism. love, d
Full disclosure: I work for City CarShare, so I may be a bit biased, however I assure you I was not asked to write this review by anyone within the organization, nor am I being paid to do so. I am writing this review based on my personal experiences using the cars as a member, not as an employee.
I became a member when I started working for CCS about three years ago, and I've LOVED it! I sold my car when I moved to San Francisco, so it's been great having access to a car when I need one to make runs to the grocery store or to go visit family in Santa Cruz.
When I lived in the Richmond Dist, there was a car a block from my apartment, and now that I'm in the Tenderloin/Civic Center, not only do I have a car about a 1/2 block away, but about 5+ other cars within a few blocks as well. The cars are usually very clean and well maintained, however given their heavy usage, some minor wear and tear is to be expected.
I DO NOT get a discount on the hourly or mileage rates as an employee, however I still find the service very affordable. I'm on the SharePlus Plan, so I usually pay $5/hour and 0.40/mile (with free hours between midnight and 8 AM).
I mostly use the cars to go grocery shopping. A two hour trip to Rainbow Grocery and back usually costs me about $12 total. I also use Extended Freedom Trips ($40/day and 0.10/mile for up to 200 miles) to take trips down to Santa Cruz. Those trips usually cost me about $56 round trip, which isn't bad when you take into account that CCS pays for the gas.
I used to work in Member Services, and know from that experience, as well as from my experiences overhearing the current MS team, that they're very friendly and flexible with the members, and in many cases are able to work with them to reduce/remove fees that they feel might not be justified.
CCS is a non-profit, not some faceless corporation, which is what drew me to apply to work for them in the first place. All the employees live and work right here in the Bay Area and any money CCS makes goes right back into the organization to cover operating costs, buy new cars and open new locations. There are no venture capitalists or stockholders to repay.
And they're dedicated to being green, they're a car sharing organization who's stated goal is actually for people to drive LESS and encourages its members to bike, walk and/or take public transit whenever possible.
I generally walk, bike or use Muni to get around town, but sometimes you just really need/want a car to get somewhere, and I love having CCS for those occasions.
Owning a car cost me so much more. Even with my 1984 Volvo, all the gas, maintenance, registration fees, and insurance costs really added up. I'm probably saving $200+ a month as a member of CCS over personal car ownership.
I'd highly recommend City CarShare based on the following:
- Lots of different car types to choose from
- Many convenient locations
- Friendly, local customer service
- Local, non-profit, independent, community-based organization
- Affordable rates
- Random mix CDs and travel journals that members leave in the cars to share
- Reusable grocery bags that CCS puts in the cars to share
The pods are very convenient to use. However, customer service is really poor. Poor follow-up and customer relations serviced with an arrogant attitude especially Dustin. Who the hell are these people. Do they not realize there are other vendors in San Francisco. I am a customer who spends $700-1100 a month on their arrogant and incompetent services.
It's a good system that works well. Just remember to comply with all the rules they impose so that you won't be charged for penalties. For example, every time you modify reservation (i.e. extending of shortening) you will be charged extra for that modifications. Also, there will be a late fee if you are late even 5 minutes to return the vehicle.
As I previously stated, it's a good system and I've been satisfied with the availability of the vehicle at my location. However, I noticed the vehicles can be really dirty at other locations which can dictate the customer satisfaction.
I have only wonderful things to say about City CarShare. We have been a member for the past year and have found it to be invaluable.
A word on the various penalties and fees:
1) It is true that you will be charged penalties for picking the car up early or dropping the car off late. These are no-brainers. I have gone to pick up a car at my allotted time and have found it to be absent. As a result I was very pressed for time and spent a stressful 3 hours trying to finish as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't subject the next person to the same frustration. HOWEVER, if you are late and there is no one booked after you, call the reservation line and they will extend your booking with minimal penalty. Before leaving this point, I would like to offer one last word of advice... book a bit of extra time. Add 30 minutes to the amount of time that you think you'll need at a cost of around $3 and you'll save yourself a world of stress.
2) If you return the car early and cancel the remainder of your booking you will be charged a penalty. Give it even a little bit of thought and this makes sense. City CarShare works because the cars are available when you need them. If someone decides they would like to book a car for 2 hours but can't be bothered to think about when in the day they actually need it, they would be tempted to reserve it for the entire day (therefore making it unavailable to others). Canceling the remainder of the booking once finished is only marginally helpful since most users will likely have already made alternate arrangements. If you find that you have finished with the car early, and you would like to be a good person and make the car available, I strongly suspect you would be able to call the reservation line and let them know. Under such circumstances, you would likely have to pay for the full booking but perhaps the penalty would be waived.
3) A penalty is charged for changing your booking time at the last minute (see point 2).
4) Leave something in the car? If you return to the car right away (even after your booking has finished) and it's still there, you can use your fob to get back in to retrieve your belongings. If you don't notice until the next day, simply call the reservation line and they will give you temporary and immediate access. No penalties apply.
5) I have a friend who had been asked to pay a "cleaning fee" of $20 (he was quite upset at the time, but he does tend to over-react). These cars need to be cleaned. Very rarely is one individual the sole perpetrator of the mess. If you are a long-time user of City CarShare (say 1 year) you will unlikely be charged more than once in that year. I think this is pretty fair.
City CarShare is definitely for errands. That's the whole point. Why buy a car when all you need it for is to pick up the groceries or get to that one engagement that's not convenient for public transport? If you go on a weekend trip or a long distance, you should be renting a car. The beauty of City Carshare is in the immediate availability (no going to the rental counter and signing a whole bunch of paperwork) and the pro-rated fees (you can't beat 15 minute increments). They also have a wide variety of plans to suit your needs (depending on how often you think you'll use it).
Most importantly, I have always found their staff to be so helpful. Call them up, explain any situation, and odds are they will do their best to help you out (see points 1-4). Happy driving!
Okay, so I was a member for about a year and a half - I wasn't a heavy user of CCS and I was pretty satisfied with their service. I pretty much stopped using them when I moved to a neighborhood with better access to public transit.
So why the two stars? I canceled my service with them the beginning of July and I HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY DEPOSIT BACK. They told me 45 days, so I waited, patiently, thinking most places don't usually take that long, they just tell you that so you don't get antsy. But this makes day #58, I've called twice, and they've given me the "oh it'll be put back on your card next week." Um, it is "next week" so where's my three hundred bucks? I just want to be finished with this service but I keep waiting, periodically checking my credit card statement. So friggin annoying!
End of rant.
I sold my car in May and with car sharing, I haven't missed it. Overall, I've liked the service a lot -- but there are a few minor kinks here and there.
One thing that frustrates me about City CarShare is that I never feel like I know *exactly* how much the service is costing me.
There is no online account that lets you see what you're being charged on a rolling basis. Their monthly statements don't come until two weeks after the previous month. So for a trip taken early in the month, you'll have to wait five weeks or more to see exactly what it cost.
Also, I didn't realize that extending or shortening a trip can result in a $15 penalty (despite reading the handbook, I'm not exactly sure when this applies but I've been hit with it a couple of times). It'd be nice if their automated reservation system warned you of that before you make such a change.
Their customer service has been a little sluggish, too.
After a car I had reserved wasn't at the pod, I left a voicemail on the customer service line. After a couple of days without a response, I sent an e-mail. It took about 24-hours for a response to that... which came via e-mail. But they didn't resolve the issue -- they asked me to call them back during business hours.
Since it was obviously a matter they wanted to handle over the phone, I would have appreciated it if they had simply picked up the phone and initiated the call themselves instead of letting the issue go unresolved for another day.
Also, they told me that I should have called the emergency line when the car I reserved wasn't available. I didn't consider my inability to go to Trader Joe's an emergency, but they did explain that if I had called that number they could have hooked me up with another car from a different pod. But that raises another issue... other than the pod I use regularly, there aren't any within a five minute walk of the Upper Haight.
Just joined them, and used them twice. Needed a question answered, one quick phone call, and I was set!
The cars are clean, and (I am spoiled, literally around the corner from me)
I tried the trial account of City Carshare. They are expensive when taking long trips, unless you are willing to deposit $300.00 for full membership and then $20.00/mo. for membership on top of $0.10 per mile. I took a trip to Petaluma from the city and it cost over $40.00 (the trial charges you $0.40 per mile). I could have rented a car for 24 hrs. from Enterprise for that much. And I only used the City Carshare car for 5 hrs.
The other complaint I have is that when I canceled my trial membership, they did not notify me that they had not received my FOB (this is a device that they send you that you use to unlock and lock the car; it also tracks your usage, etc.). When you cancel, you are to return it. I returned it in a padded envelope -- but they never received it. I gave them the benefit of the doubt on this one -- assuming that the USPS lost it in the mail. Without notifying me they simply continued to bill me my monthly fee, and when I called them about it would not refund it.
Instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, they charged me an additional $25.00 fee for missing FOB. On top of that, they were ready to give me my $300.00 deposit back although I had never made that deposit. If it weren't for my honesty, City Carshare would have paid for half my rent! They did not offer to waive the fee even though I saved them $275.00.
The plus in using City Carshare service is that they have a lot of vehicles in the area -- at least where I live in the Mission. I could get a car almost anytime I wanted when I reserved it online. They have a Prius which I like as well.
Unfortunately the cons heavily outweighed the pros in this one, and solidified my resolution to look elsewhere for my transportation needs.
I use city car share for little trips around the city and it saves me time, money and stress over having my own car.
The best part is the community - as a member of the "share" you help keep an eye on the cars, wave to other members when you're out and about, and generally feel good about yourself :)
I've been a member 3 years and I will be for a long time to come.
They do have some rules for people to follow so the service is as useful and efficient as possible for everyone. If you've ever owned a car that you cared about, these rules should be second nature. Personally it makes me feel good to know that other members have incentives to take care of the cars, return them on time, etc. The cars in my neighborhood are treated really well and it makes driving that much more pleasant.
I liked the idea I didn't need a car and would probably save money. Great in theory and not so great in reality. I ended up spending as much as I would have to lease a very high end car and instead had dirty, middling autos I needed to sanitize with every rental, was stressed if I hadn't estimated the correct amount of time, and often had to walk a fair distance to rent if I hadn't planned enough in advance. This service works best for short, predictable errands. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way.
Besides loving the whole idea and saving a ton of money here is what I really love:
- sharing music CDs
- driving different car models
- being a UCSF employee and having a dirt cheap plan
- having 5 cars in the range of three blocks
What I don't like at all:
- one specific Scion Xd that stinks of wet dog like crazy and has dog's hair all over the place
I've been a CarShare member since moving to the Bay Area in 2004 and have no complaints. When you think about how unwieldy this sort of operation can be -- lots of cars, lots of drivers, online reservation, more or less self-serve -- it's hard not to be amazed by how well it works. In the event that I've had any problems (someone didn't return the car on time before my reservation, I didn't know how to open the gas tank, etc), the staff have been really friendly and helpful. In light of all of the moving parts, I think the fee structure is totally fair and when I think about how much it would have cost me to own a car all of these 5 years, CarShare seems like a total bargain.
It's not great for long trips and definitely not for vacations, but that's what car rentals are for. For the errands I need to run around town, it's perfect.
It is a great concept, and i am a proud nonowner of a personal car...
however, i found City Car Share's billing process misleading and with lots of questionable penalties for opening the car a few minutes early, etc. i also wanted to support a nonprofit agency in the car sharing arena, but compared to ZIPCAR, i was not very impressed with City Car Share.
I love City Car Share. I use it for business purposes and personal use. What I love most is the convenience factor. If you have ever waited in line at a car rental place you know the silent and long hell you go through. I can't believe how many cars and locations are available now. Seriously, I have planned well in advance to reserve a car but some days I am able to reserve a car somewhere in the city at a moments notice.
It's great for our environment and promotes sharing in our community. Try it people!
I switched to City CarShare after Flexcar merged with ZipCar and I no longer got my annual fee waived for being a UCB student. CCS waived my annual fee for one school year!
I feel that CCS is a lot more organized and easy to use (I love the SMS feature!), and has many convenient locations with good fuel-efficient cars. Still a little pricey in my opinion, but definitely worth it if you split with several other people.
The only thing I don't like about the car-sharing idea is that you have to return the car to exactly the same place you got it, and this often leads to feeling frantic and rushed when you're stuck in traffic on College Ave. in Berkeley trying to turn the car back in on time...
I love citycarshare. It's WAY better than that LAME Zipcar.
They are a non-profit, they offer ways to volunteer time off your bill, they offer ways to connect to the carshare community, the pods are very well located, a real person returns your emails and their hourly prices are lower. They even have trucks that I've used numerous times for fetching furniture from craiglist or even moving my entire household. If I could marry a carsharing org, I would marry citycarshare.
Sometimes I've seen weird charges on my bill like, "Left car dirty" -- and I'm this total neat freak, so I'm thinking "Ummm...noooo." But I just don't have the time/energy to call them up and argue.
Generally my biggest complaint is that my bill is usually more than I feel like it should be, for as little as I use the service.
My only other really significant complaint is that their automated reservation system is HORRENDOUSLY over-sensitive. I mean, I'm in a relatively quiet aisle at the store realizing that I need to extend my reservation, and the recorded voice starts to say "Welcome to City Car Share, please state your member ID number" -- but it only gets to the fourth word and then cuts in with, "..and your PIN?" Oh...my...GOD -- it makes me want to tear my $#%^ing hair out. I've come close to having full on anxiety attacks over this nonsense. City Car Share, fix your freakin' system. It sucks. I mean it's beyond sucking. You could be at a stop light and the low hum of a passing vehicle could set it off.
I'm generally pleased with the customer service, the ease of the website, and the cleanliness of the vehicles. CCS definitely makes my life easier.
What I find interesting is that there are 2 car share services in town, City CarShare and Zip Car. And both serve different needs.
Wifey and I are City members. We don't need to drive out of town very often. 95% of the time we use it to go grocery shopping. We do the regular Rainbow to TJs to maybe Safeway. Occasionally we go on In -n- Out runs, b/c it's a long bus ride from Noe Valley to the Wharf for a burger. City charges only $5/hour and $0.40/mile, so we meter our driving and keep everything in the 3-4 hour range.
ZipCar charges something like $9/hour, but with unlimited milage. Much better if you need to drive longer distances on a regular basis. It's your individual needs that will determine what you go with here.
We love City. The shared bags in the trunk are awesome too, if we forget to bring our own to Rainbow. Now we sound like hippies. Oy.
City CarShare is wonderful as a UC Berkeley student. There are plenty of cars to rent nearby during the week and even more on weekends when the City of Berkeley cars are available. I've never had a problem getting a car when I needed.
The ability to rent trucks is especially handy for picking up furniture or helping friends move.
Highly recommended! The only negative as a student is that the $50/year membership fee is higher than Zipcar's fee of $25/year.
Been a member since almost the beginning (ok, so - I'm member #1008, not member #10). Local, non-profit. Their bottom line is the mission - get people to not own cars and share instead!
And in the 7 years I've been a member and literally hundreds of trips, there has only once been a problem and the responsive staff addressed it immediately. I live in the Mission, so there are tons of cars around. I always get a clean, well-maintained car to take me wherever I need to go.
This is the solution! Ok, full disclosure - I live with member #2. But I mean it!!
For years I have griped about the car culture. Imagine if all the public and private money that's ever been put into cars, roads, tires, gasoline, oil industry infrastructure, parking garages, auto insurance etc etc etc had been put into public transportation? No doubt they'd have invented molecular transport devices by now; there would be no such things as "suburbs;" the Exxon Valdez spill never would have happened; there would be so much more grass . . . But that's not how it went down, and instead, we have an ugly and environmentally devastating asphalt jungle.
Several years ago I decided to put my money where my mouth was, purge a little hypocrisy, and get rid of my car. Now, I just get a car when I need one - once or twice a week. I no longer pay for insurance, repairs, parking, depreciation, or gasoline. By my estimates, I am saving almost $800 dollars every month.
And for all the Trader Joe's fans out there - if you have a CityCar Share, you can park it on the roof at the Masonic Ave. store so you don't have to wait in the ridiculous line to get into the parking lot.
CityCar Share has improved my life. They say every shared car takes 6 cars off the road. One of those 6 was mine, and I am happy about that.
Buyer Beware! I joined yelp just so I could write this review.
I really wanted to like City Carshare. I really did. I lived in the city for 3 years for school, even referred my friends to join, but man, I didn't realize that they were going to be this difficult in returning my security deposit and stop charging me for services I clearly stopped using months ago.
I've been trying to get my money back since May. I'm a reasonable person, but how long does it take to stop charging me monthly services for something that I clearly haven't used months ago?
I mailed them the key fob, and they didn't tell me until a couple of months later that they received my envelope with the key fob missing... That seems a little suspicious in my book.
And then they try to give me the run around because I had a shared account with my old roommate, and she graduated a year earlier than I did, and I'm pretty sure she mailed her key fob in and stopped using their services over a year ago. They tried to excuse their monthly charges for me SINCE MAY when I clearly mailed them the key fob and stopped using their services.
It's September now, and I'm sure I'll be charged again for another month of services that I wish I had never signed up for.
I've been a City CarShare (CCS) member since 2005 and have absolutely no complaints.
*Car locations are within walking distance from public transit
*Cars are 99.9% always available (even when planning last minute, I'd say 90% available)
* Customer service is the best
* The monthly bill is easy to understand
* Volunteering for them can reduce your bill and you get to meet other cool members
*All the great things about car sharing like helping the environment and saving a ton of money by not owning your own car.
Things to consider before joining:
*My orientation impressed upon me the idea that I was becoming a part of a car sharing community. I was NOT buying a car rental service. What does community mean to you? Does it mean complaining about getting charged for inconveniencing another member or does it mean calling into the office to let them know the previous driver forgot their briefcase? It is something you should ask yourself.
*It is cheaper than owning a car, but it is not the cheapest form of transportation. For me, it is only cost effective for running errands and maybe a couple nights out every month. A regular car rental for long trips, biking or public transpo for urban travel, and/or bumming a ride from friends for those out of the way locations are all much cheaper.
*Problems will inevitably occur. Rain came in where the windshield meets the roof of the car. No big deal for me since I was on my way home to bed, but a fairly significant issue. I noticed a few days later that they completely replaced the car instead of repairing it. One time someone else took the car during my reservation. I was just running errands so I made a new reservation for the next day. These are the only two times I've been inconvenienced in over four years of membership. Really.
When I have called in to the CCS office, I have always talked with a helpful, living, breathing, thinking, human being. Whenever I've disputed a charge (not often), they have always been fair. One time and one time only, I reserved a car for over 24 hours intending to reserve it for two hours. Totally my fault and they still credited me. That's what being part of a local organization is all about.
Final thought: to paraphrase another review regarding fees: In light of all of the moving parts, I think the fee structure is totally fair and when I think about how much it would have cost me to own a car these past four years, CCS is absolutely worth it.
Unlike most rental car companies (like Hertz or Budget), you can't rent a car from City CarShare and pass it off like it's your own. There's a can't-miss-it, neon green "City CarShare" emblem tattooed across its side which would totally give you away.
I chose the Scion XD for my first ride. My roommate, her co-worker and I were in need of a Target run to pick up necessities (you know, only the essentials...like self-tanning foam).
City CarShare has tons of locations in the city to pick up your car - two were within walking distance of my apartment.
I shall be using the Toyota Tacoma for move-out day in two weeks, and then I might go with the Smartcar...just for curiosity's sake.
I just joined City CarShare this week - so most likely I'll have an update later down the road. There are 3 car share companies in SF - CityShare, Zip and Flex - which is pretty amazing and not to mention a bit overwhelming when deciding which to use! I'm anal and have done my research so you don't have to. I chose City CarShare for several reasons --- allow me to walk you thru the pros and cons.
Pros -
A) They have the best insurance policy! All 3 car share companies include insurance in the per hour cost but upon doing some digging I found out that Zip and Flex ONLY cover up to $5,000 in damage (the minimum allowed in CA). CarShare, like its two competitors, has a $500 deductible but will cover up to a million dollars in damages (liability, uninsured motorist and physical damage).
B) It's the only non-profit car share company so the feel good factor is high.
C) They give you a 15 minute grace period when returning the car. Zip Car (not sure about Flex) has a policy that if you return the car even 1 minute late you get charged $50. I understand that the cars are shared and it's important to return on time but that amount seems a bit excessive to me.
D) Hourly rates are half of what Zip and Flex charge.
Cons -
A) The pod closest to my house only has Scions (pronounced Sci - ons, I made the mistake of telling my Dad that I was in a Scone. Wonder how long it will take before I live that one down.) The car is ok - it's clean and has a CD player but honestly I felt a little like I was driving the short bus. It was dark out but I swear the back windows were tinted darker than the front ones.
B) There is a $300 deposit but it is fully refundable and a $10 monthly fee. (Flex and Zip have no deposit.) If you have a roommate/family member join City CarShare at any time you can split the deposit and monthly fee.
C) You are charged 44 cents per mile so CityCar isn't ideal for roadtrips. (They do offer discounts through Enterprise but I am unsure how much of a discount. I'll update when I use it.)
If you're interested in joining PM me. You'll get $20 in free driving (and so will I).
As a longtime City Carshare user, I wondered about whether Zip or Flex would be better deals. So, I went through all my last year of bills and at least for my usage, it's conclusive: City Car Share is by FAR the cheapest. On rental fees alone (including hour and mile fees, free gas and insurance), my partner and I spent $2156 pretax over the year (we use it with reasonable frequency). Running the same trips through Zip or Flex (high hourly rates, no mileage fees) we'd have spent $3409 *minimum* on the rentals (on a Zipcar prepay plan). Compared to the 6 alternative plans I saw, we saved between 37% and 46% on our rental fees; CCS was $1250 cheaper than the next cheapest plan.
[2009 update: I reran the numbers with updated CCS and Zip rates. CCS is still cheaper than Zip, although now roughly 21%-39% when compared to Zip's standard model rates. Even without the recently-axed grace period, since Zip doesn't have one either.]
People complain about CCS's $300 deposit and $10/month membership, but apparently don't think too hard about the actual rates of the cars. If you plan on mainly 100 mile, 3 hour round trips you might choose a competitor, but for mainly intown and transbay usage, CCS is the best. There was not a single trip in the 127 we took last year that would've come out cheaper on Zip or Flex. Does that say something?
As for the service, I am totally happy with it. The pod is 4 blocks away but well stocked with cars and a truck (Zip and Flex are the same distance), and Citizen Cake is next door to woo me with cupcakes. I figure that since there's no searching for parking at the end of a long night, the walk home is a fair trade. The customer service is friendly. No XM radio and maybe fewer fancy cars than the others, but you know the fancy cars cost extra too?
[2009 update: The pod is now 2 blocks away, and Miette is next door to woo me with cupcakes.]
Snowy is waggy tailed about City CarShare even though he is not allowed in their vehicles, but then again he is an imaginary cartoon dog. Whatever.
Love, love, love the City CarShares! The application process was a breeze and the reception person at their office was friendly and very helpful. It is such a great alternative to owning a car in this city and especially in these times of madness with high gas prices, etc. Tintin & Snowy can now globe-trot around the city leaving a tiny carbon footprint. Woof!
I have owned 200 cars over time, including a $70,000 BMW. A year ago I sold off my last car, a 4Runner. I did so with the intent of buying some type of hybrid. But over the past year I questioned owning another car because I only drive about 300 miles a year, if that.
As an owner of very fine cars [BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar] I have always been very picky about keeping my cars spotless on the outside and super clean inside. E.g. no one has ever been allowed to eat in my cars and I park way out in the boonies so not to get door dings.
On seeing somone else use CCS and raving about it, and with the above history, I signed up for a CCS "rental" [I don't think CCS or members call the cars "rentals," must not like being lumped in with Hertz or Budget.]
Bottom line first: CCS did not make me miss car ownership and I have abandoned the idea of buying another car. CCS is so easy to use it is like having my own car. CCS has it down to being a user friendly system too. The cars are an absolute hoot and woot to use, they are modern and clean; and the prices are super low in comparison to car ownership, using a cab, or renting from Hertz. It literally feels like you have a car in the garage, ready to use.
Signing up for CCS could not be easier. It's all done online. After providing your name and driver's license, they quickly process the application. The license is necessary for CCS to do a DMV check [I'm sure some people try to join CCS with their horrible driving records, such as suspended or revoked licenses.]
You also provide a credit card number so CCS can ding you for the $30 application fee; deduct the $300 refundable deposit; and to charge the card monthly for your usage and the [$10 or $20 fee [depending on what plan you get.]
That all sounds like a lot to do, but it's faster than signing up for an eBay account. And the monthly bill is simple, the monthly dues and your car usage fees. This is not much different than how your cell phone plan works , monthly plan cost and usage. However, the CCS monthly bill is far simpler to understand than a cell phone or utility bill. Bonus Tip: You can have CCS e-mail your monthly statement in advance, showing the charges that will be deducted from your credit card.
Back to procedure: after you are approved CCS mails your "welcome package" that includes a plastic fob, similar to those car alarm fobs you may have owned at one time or another.
When you get the package you are good to go. You log online with your membership number and password. You check car availability at any location where CCS cars are parked. You then reserve your car.
You show up to the location where the car is parked, swipe your fob on the sensor located on the front windshield [that unlocks the door], open the door, find the key that is on a cable, insert key, start the car, put it in gear, press on gas pedal, and drive. That's all there is to it.
I cannot express how easy this all works. I signed up about 2:00 a.m. on a Friday night and by the next Tuesday I had my fob and was test driving a car the next day. But for the delay because the DMV and CCS offices are closed on the weekend, I am sure I would have received my fob sooner [you can opt to pick up the fob at the CCS office rather than have it mailed.]
The cool thing about CCS is that there are cars located throughout the City [where I live, in San Francisco.] Cars are likely located close to where you live or near mass transit [e.g., Muni or BART.]
I am lucky. Where I live on Nob Hill there is the Crocker Garage that has three cars. A few blocks away there is St. Mary's Garage, or I can venture about five blocks away in any direction to find cars located elsewhere.
Over the past weeks I have logged on to CCS to monitor when cars are available, so to get an idea of how difficult it is to get a car at the last minute. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I can instantly get a car without having to walk more than a few blocks.
Weekends are popular with the cool cars such as the Mini Cooper and that new two seater car [forgot the name.] Weekends are also popular for the Toyota Tacoma trucks [no doubt people hauling stuff.] But even those vehicles are available with a few days notice before the weekend and during the week it appears you don't need more than 24 hrs notice to reserve the popular cars and trucks.
Currently CCS has a trial plan where you can try out CCS for three months or so, without having to pay a $300 deposit. Check that out. I did not notice the trial plan option when I signed up, but that's OK.
CCS has received rave reviews and I can see why. They have the low rates, and it's professionally run. In contrast, ZipCar is more expensive and I have seen online complaints about ZipCar.
Bonus Tip: you don't need auto insurance with CCS. Membership includes a $1 million liability policy, so you are fully covered!
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--Great--
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* The employees I've dealt with - almost all excellent
* Some of the other CCS users do cool things like leaving valentine's day candy for the next user, leaving CDs behind for the next user, and yuppie-parking the car so that it's easier for the next person to get started.
* City CarShare exists to reduce individual car ownership, as opposed to other entities which exist solely to provide financial returns to their investors
* I {heart} driving the Prius. The mileage is moderately better than non-hybrids - I usually get about 50mpg in a CCS Prius vs. 30mpg in my wife's Civic - and the cool factor of the Prius is fantastic. As a very noise-sensitive person, I love how quiet the car is. As a techno-geek, the tech "under the hood" (and under the back seat) scores big points with me, as does the well-designed multi-function touch-screen display. Some of the newer Priuses have rear-view backup cameras, which is pretty handy. The safety ratings of the Prius is impressive, too. And it sure doesn't hurt my image with my clients when I show up in one of those vehicles.
* I don't have to interact with a salesweasel before getting in the car and going. I just reserve the car via the web or phone, and that's it.
* Pricing includes gas, excellent insurance, use of the car, etc.
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--Good--
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* Pricing is very well-suited to local trips.
* This arrangement makes it easy for me to document my business-related travel as a business expense.
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--Needs improvement--
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* Invoices need more detail. I need to see hours, miles, taxes, and any other billing ingredients all spelled out.
* The reservation web site doesn't work on my mobile phone. (Tried both the Treo and a Windows Mobile device.)
* The closest "pod" (Piedmont Ave) only has a single Scion - a non-hybrid. The next-closest "pod" (MacArthur BART) is about 14 blocks away. So, I often end up driving my unreliable, inefficient van (since I'm usually transporting equipment) to MacArthur BART to pick up a reliable, efficient CCS Prius hybrid. It'd be nice if the Piedmont Ave pod had a hybrid or two.
* The service is very popular, which means I often have to go a fair distance (e.g. Ashby BART) to pick up an available Prius.
* Pricing doesn't include bridge toll, and the cars don't have the special stickers for hybrids that let you use carpool lanes.
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---Sucks---
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* Pricing is ill-suited to much of the driving that I need to do.
* I emailed to ask if there were volunteer opportunities - no response. I called to suggest expansion to Davis, California - no response. It's fine to tell me "no", but at least respond!
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Update as of November 2007:
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---More suckage---
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* This not-responding-to-emails thing has continued. Use Request Tracker or something, for duck's sake.
* They *require* you to be on their email list if you're a member. They won't take you off unless you cancel your membership. So, I did. Sorry, City CarShare, but all intercourse - written and otherwise - must be consensual.
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---Summary---
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City CarShare was great, until they played the We-get-to-spam-you-no-matter-what-you-say game. I run email servers, and this is a hot button for me.
Pros:
-Good insurance coverage
-Gas included
-Good selection of cars
-Live online booking system
-Abundance of cars in my neighborhood
-24 hour live operator a telephone call away in case of emergency
-$10 per month, $5 per hour and discounted rates from midnight to 8 AM, $0.40 per mile
-Designated parking spot and if someone parks there you can tow their ass!!!
Cons:
-People that share the car don't necessarily fill up the tank--Scion users at St. Mary's Garage (you know who you are), F&CKING FILL UP THE TANK!!!! I'm tired of filling up the tank every time I use the car
-People leave random crap in the car! Items I've discovered in the car include: moldy piece of cracker, garbage can, clothes, empty cups...
-The card that they give you to fill up the tank is a piece of shit. Not all gas stations accept it and you burn so much time driving around town looking for a station that will accept the stupid card.
All in all, I'm thankful for the City Carshare and despite sharing cars with inconsiderate people at times I will continue using this service.
This is an excellent service for the convenience it provides. There are a number of locations, and it seems to have worked really well in my case (as long are you are getting around the city). Its also nice to try out new cars, and get a car that fits your need. Becoming a member and reserving a car is pretty easy.
This service would have 5stars if they were in more cities around SF, and if customers were able to drop cars off at any location. Im sure that would be a logistical nightmare and devising a effective system may be challenging, but if you have a car with one foot in the grave and need the comfort of knowing you have the wheels when you need em (as in my case) CCS works great.
Check out the new smart cars that CCS has as a part of their fleet.
I can't believe it took me so long to sign up. I agonized for months and months about joining and finally took the plunge. The sweet deal that I get as a UC employee helped with the convincing. You really do just pay for what you use, especially when you consider gas and insurance is included.
Its super easy and so convenient. I love being able to go the grocery store (whichever one I want not just because its near a Muni) and loading up on everything I need...not limiting myself to what I can carry/walk home with. PLUS, I can buy all the ice cream I want because it won't melt on my way home. Yay!
If you are thinking about giving up your car, or forestalling the need to buy a second car for a household, City Carshare is the way to go.
I have been carless for almost three years now and it would not have been so easy if it wasn't for City Carshare. Plus, they paved the way for Zipcar and Flexcar (RIP).
Benefits:
*Reducing the need for more cars in a city where there are way more cars than parking spaces
*Supporting a locally-owned non-profit organization that gives back to our local community
*Paying one inclusive rate for most cars, unlike another for-profit carsharing company where you have to a premium to use a hybrid Prius or Civic (I'm looking at you, Zipcar!)
*Charging separately for mileage - yes, I know it is a pain but it encourages users to link their destinations. I know I do...
*Great Customer Service - I have never had a problem getting a charge corrected or contacting the 24-hour line, even when I am running late.
Bottom Line - Go Green, Go Local, Go City Carshare!
I just love City CarShare. The customer service staff is super sweet and helpful, even after I had been calling them daily for a week or so while trying to get my non-profit set up with them.
I would be able to live a car-free life in the Bay Area, but it'd be less rich and fulfilling. Thank you for enabling to do so much more, City CarShare!
I LOOOOOVE Them!!
They let me live in a city where I can use public transportation as my regular preferred mode of existence & still have a car for those rare occurrences I need one [grocery shopping friend from multiple time zone flight, craving for Popeyes, etc].
After doing some research they were EASILY the best car sharing in the city:
1) San Francisco is pretty small, so cheaper the hours are it isn't that big a deal to pay for mile usage. Plus the car gets cheaper during off peak hours
2) They're staff is really helpful. I've had issues, called it in & they've been right on it.
3)They're homegrown! They are based here in the Bay Area & no where else. Where is your City Pride?
4) They're a non profit. Your money isn't going to make someone else richer!
5) The cars are all pretty decent on the environment. I think all the cars for the most part get good mileage, so even if you drove as much as you used to with your old car, you would pollute less with one of their vehicles. None of this SUV bullshit.
I HEART you City Car Share!!
$10/month membership fee
$4/hour standard
$6/hour premium cars (element, mustang)
$2/hour 10pm-10am (can't beat that, really.)
Easy to use, always something available.
I found it good for short trips to the grocery store, video store, laundry, or to run little errands. As long as you don't have to leave the city then it will probably be cheaper than Zipcar.
But I found myself wanting a car for a weekend, or at a daily rate, and City CarShare just doesn't cut it. So for a while I was a member of both City CarShare and Zipcar. I would use CCS for all the little stuff and go on trips with ZipCar.
But then I moved to the inner sunset and i don't need a car for the little stuff anymore, and to be honest, I would just prefer to pay an inclusive hourly rate of $7.65/hour or $54/ 24 hours that includes 125 miles and have peace of mind. So I had to ditch it.
