- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
I-GO
Rating Details »
Category: Car Rental
Neighborhood: Wicker Park2125 W North Ave
(between Hoyne Ave & Leavitt St)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-4446
- Nearest Transit:
-
Damen (Blue)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sponsored Result
You Might Also Consider
Elite Truck Rental
- 17 reviews
- Neighborhood:
- Near West Side
"Next time I'm hiring movers. Regardless, Elite Truck rental was the easiest part of my move. In and out in 5 minutes, no exaggeration. …" read more »
46 reviews for I-GO
Going to school in Baltimore, I know how hard it is to have a car in the city. Parking fees, gas prices and everything car-related seems to be on the rise. That's why i turned to car-sharing services like IGO. I also like the fact that I can help green the environment a bit by not having my own car in the city.
I just joined I-Go and got $50 off with my Live Green membership card. It was such a great deal, the membership itself only cost $13, it already paid for itself! They have connections with green businesses all around chicago like Greenheart Shop, which is another one of my fav part of Chicago. So whenever i go to Chicago, IGO is a must!
If you have to have a car in Chicago, use car-sharing services! So smart and cheaper than dealing with your own car!
I initially enjoyed my IGO experience during the first 5 months of 2009 but something has changed.
The cars are always filthy, they've messed up my billing the past 3 months charging me for cars I cancelled days in advance but saying they have no record of it, and limiting the number of cars near my location from 3 to 1.
If Zipcar was more abundant in my area I would switch but for now I'm thinking about buying a used car just so I don't have to put up with their crap anymore.
I-Go makes it possible to get rid of your car. You can get three hours each month for only $15. That includes gas and insurance, but not the legal fees associated with a DUI.
The cars are pretty new, and there are many locations where they are parked, so if you cannot find an available car at your closest location there are more within blocks. Very convenient.
Bonus: The car always has NPR on the radio when you get in. This speaks to the high class of the customers.
While it's nice that they are a NFP and you can link your I-Go card with your Chicago Plus Card, this is not always the cheapest option.
For longer trips, your reservation will include 150 miles--per trip, not per day. So expect to pay 40 cents per mile. Also, the cars can sometimes be dirtier than expected.
The plus is, you don't end up paying 4 different city and state taxes, which can really add to your overall costs.
I-go has always treated us right. Except that their cars are boats over here by Western and Milwaukee. I'm waiting for a tiny Toyota Yaris hatchback. How about one? Come on! Christmas is coming. Hint hint.
Worst possible access to a human being if you have a question. To ask a question not answered on the web site it took less than two minutes talking with the human after I waited ten minutes with three different recorded voices asking me to stay on the line.
lame.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/21/2008
I sympathize with Jessica M and share the sentiments in her review.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
IGO can… Read more »
I'm a I-GO newbie. We've used the service twice from our place in Albany Park. So far, so great.
There are three cars in walking distance and a few others a couple Brown Line stops down. We've been able to get a car quickly both times we've wanted one and the car was there, my smart card worked just fine.
I was even able to get customer service on the phone on a Saturday on our first trip when my neurotic tendencies took over and I was sure that I had not correctly inserted the FOB to end the trip. The rep was polite and checked the computer system for me.
Web site is pretty sweet - I had not problem figuring it out. Sorry others have had bad experiences but I could not be more pleased.
I haven't used the local car in close to a year. It looks like the interior hasn't been cleaned whatsoever since then. It is SO disgusting. I'm not talking about a random coffee cup or garbage left in there like the newspapers I found on my recent use. I'm talking every surface is sticky and filthy. It appears it has not been vacuumed in years, there is something splattered all over the headliner, etc. Oh...and cigarette ashes and odor, which is a big "don't" with them. I completely understand that they can't and won't clean after each use. I don't expect them to. I also realize that drivers need to take some responsibility and much of the blame. I'm not unreasonable. But come on. This car is ridiculous. I hope they're not all like this for the sake of other drivers. They really need to clean these things once a month or so. I reported this to them this time, and the last time as well. I don't think they listen. $30 for a few hours, and it has to be spent in filth and stink? I think I might look into car rental in the future.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/5/2008
I joined iGo last week, and had my first reservation today. I'll probably update later. They have… Read more »
Dear short lady/man in Lincoln Square -
We seem to enjoy using the same Prius, and hey, that's cool, I can share...a little. However, it seems that you have the legs of a 5th grader and must sit as close as possible to the wheel. While I understand your dilemma, as much as I can I guess, please realize that the rest of us find it difficult to squeeze our legs into the tiny space you leave. Therefore, I ask that you kindly move the seat back before exiting so that I don't have to curse you on Sunday mornings. Jesus doesn't like that.
And now on to the reason i'm here....
Oh I-Go, how I love thee, let me count the ways...
I've used I-Go since August of 2008 with only one less than stellar experience. Said experience was due to another user who had not returned a vehicle on time. I called in, spoke with a lovely lady who quickly found me a close alternate vehicle, comped the entire trip (after extending the time for me to have the vehicle by an extra hour), and offered to pay cab fare for me to get to the second vehicle. Wow.
As I am an avid Target shopper, I tend to frequently underestimate the length of time I will need the car. I've never had a problem calling in and speaking to someone to change the reservation if possible, and the staff has always been pleasant and helpful.If you don't want to be charged extra late fees, use common sense and call in! The billing generally takes a few days, but it's not as if you don't know what you're going to be charged. The total bill is pretty clearly indicated upon reserving a vehicle.
I have noticed an odd number of WXRT listeners based on the station choice when I reserve a car, but hey, it's Lincoln Square, so I chalk that up to the area. Stroller-lovin' bastards.
My partner and I have been using I-GO for the past month and are very pleased with the experience thus far. The web site for making reservations is well designed and easy to use, the smartcard has always worked properly, and the cars have never had any mechanical issues. The cars are not always the cleanest, but I understand that's not completely the fault of I-GO.
The ability to extend the reservation while in progress has been very beneficial. I'd much prefer an iPhone app over using their automated phone system for this process, but I've read that they're working on that.
Car locations around Andersonville are plenty, so it's usually possible to get a car even at late notice without having to walk more than a half mile. I just wish they had a regular sized car in the Jewel lot at Clark and Catalpa. It's the closest I-GO location to where I live, but the lone Honda Element is typically overkill for basic grocery shopping.
So far so good - once I called corporate! Seriously, their phone reps are really rude. One time I got transferred to a call center in the Pacific NW where I thought people were more mellow. Not the two I got! Bitter, bitter, bitter. And the local CSR accused me of "choosing not to read my contract."
Oh yeah, I was pretty steamed with that one!
Thaat being said, I finally got through to the membership director who was a marvelous lady. She fully empathized with my plight and gave me some nice credit to ease the sting of the mean streak some of the phone reps have. Even the nice ones rush you off the phone!
So if you never have to call anyone, this will work.
I was a proud I-Go Member. I loved the concept. I live in Albany Park, and the only car available there is the Honda Civic Hybrid at Kedzie/Lawrence. 9 times out of 10, the keycard would not open the locks. I missed doctors appointments, could not pick friends up from Midway, and more importantly, scrapped trips to Ikea for Swedish meatballs and lingonberries. I-Go customer service did nothing to fix the problem with this car, only told me to "take a cab" to another car in another neighborhood. If I wanted to cab it, I would not be an I-Go Member. I gave up, cancelled my membership and bought a Jeep Wrangler.
Despite the rants, I am a true fan of I-Go. Being a college student, my dependence on the CTA is ever-growing. However, there are often times when I desperately need to run an errand and the CTA just doesn't cut it. That's when I-Go comes in handy.
Since they have a deal with Chicagoland universities, my application went through without any problems. Since then, I've been using I-Go about once a month for random tasks. It's really nice to be able to get around the city in less than half the time.
Obvious benefits aside, I have never encountered a problem with their service. I actually lost my FOB a few weeks ago and gave them a call because I still needed to drive for that night. They not only processed my request right away, but also waived the fee to unlock the car remotely. As with that situation, I frequently rent a car late at night (midnight and beyond). Whenever I had a question, I would call and talk to a live operator. I don't remember her name, but she was always really nice.
My only remote problem is that the automated operator can be a bit glitchy sometimes--especially when you need to extend a reservation while you're driving, which isn't exactly safe. Oh, and sometimes the cars will have problems (e.g. doors getting stuck, locks not working properly, etc.), but only us I-Go renters are to blame for that.
I love that I-Go is nonprofit. They understand that you can't completely rely on public transportation in this city, but don't charge you extra for it as competitors do. And the cars are efficient, both durable and saves on gas. Did I mention that they'll actually credit your account for getting gas (with their card)?
Thanks I-Go!!!
After finally dredging up my driving history and providing it to iGo, they graciously consented to allow me into their little club and I have been impressed by the cars and the service (yes, I needed a little help figuring out how to start the thing-- the start-up instructions could use a little help) we friendly and prompt. Getting through the automated system is a little annoying, but then, I wouldn't even have needed it if the directions had been in there. I had to extend my reservation a little (in case you were wondering, Home Depot still largely staffed by morons who don't know how to use a chop-saw) and it wasn't a problem at all. It's probably a little pricey, but WAY cheaper than getting a second car, especially since we wouldn't have a place to park it. Thanks iGo! Very happy to finally be part of the family!
Reading some of the other reviews, I think it might be worth checking into some of the volunteer opportunities maintaining the cars (checking for missing start-up instructions, etc?) and rack up credit toward car rentals...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/25/2008
Very annoying- I really want to give igo a good review, but after trying to join for about 3… Read more »
I just joined I Go car sharing yesterday and have yet to use their services. So far, the complaints I see from Yelp reviewers against I Go are issues with the I Go users themselves (i.e. dirty cars, stinky cars, smoke, pet hair, car damaged, etc..) I thoroughly reviewed and read all the materials connected with my membership and it states clearly that all issues need to be reported through the phone, documented on paper and sent to I Go so that they can charge the offending party (i.e. previous driver). It says there is reimbursement for taxi fare to other car locations, and clearly states the cancellation policy. I have yet see anyone mention that they have actually called to report the problems and actually filled out all the forms and condition reports (yes, a pain) after going through a bad experience. I am going to give this car sharing thing a try, and then post a real review of my experiences afterward. But so far, the only thing I have noticed is that the actual Members of I-Go are really the ones to blame, and maybe not the service itself. Report the dirty car, report the nasty missing parts, report the damage, report all of it, and maybe when the people are actually charged real money for being stupid and dirty (a good punishment in my book), the I-Go experience will be better for all involved.
I'll never make Elite with reviews this boring, but, hey, sharing a car with total strangers is a bigger commitment than a frequent diner's club at your favorite delivery joint. We've been IGo members for three years; never been members of other carsharing services, so can't do a compare-and-contrast. More vehicles and locations have been added during our membership, so we have multiple cars of muliple sizes at multiple locations near home. There are several located in Jewel or Dominick's parking lots, which are great for grocery runs too ambitious for the Red Line during the evening commute. Many are located near stops of the Red Line on the northside, and near the Purple Line in Evanston. Animals in carriers are allowed, so for citydwellers with cats as kids, it's great for getting them to the vet or moving them to a new apartment. There are minivans available for larger hauling jobs; the one we just used from an Evanston location was brand-new and had aux input for our iPod, nice little bonus. We've never had problems with the vehicles, and it's been ages since we've had to talk to customer service, so I can't honestly speak to some of the negative reviews about the reps. On several occasions, the vehicles haven't been OCD clean, but neither were they filthy: obvious evidence that a previous user had transported a shedding dog in the backseat without a carrier, previous users' trash from Starbucks, candybars, etc. (C'mon, people, how tough is it to throw away your used plastic cup?)
My need for iGo drastically decreased once I started dating a guy with a car. The other night I was in need of a vehicle, to pick up a longtime friend from the airport and the boyfriend's car was not available.
Naturally, I turned to iGo.
All was well, until my friends' flight experienced a significant delay, causing me to cancel my reservation.
Today I see my bank account was still charged (not the full amount, mind you). I called up, waited five minutes to reach a human, and she explained that because I had canceled my reso within 59 minutes, I was still charged. Ok, fine...I get it. However, WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT? "On the confirmation email" (I think to myself, "Funny, I never received a confirmation email..." - oh yeah, because the account was linked to my unused Yahoo account and not my Gmail - my fault on that). Apparently it's also in the "Members Manual" she tells me, so I explain that I've been a member for 3 years now and don't recall receiving a manual. "It's online" she tells me.
I scour the website searching for it (BTW - it's here: http://www.igocars.org... -now you don't have to waste your time sorting through a clunky website).
It's not that I don't understand why they charged me, and the email thing was completely my fault, but the tone of the woman on the phone combined with the unwanted charge (just got laid off last week, thanks) has really left a sour taste in my mouth.
I'll probably be canceling my membership and relying on my boyfriend to give me rides from now on. I-Go was fine for me a couple years ago. Now it's just not worth the hassle.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/2/2007
I love iGo cars, but I have confilicting feelings about singing its praises on here.
It's a fantastic… Read more »
Yes, another update. Oh, I-Go. *sigh*
I thought things were going well since moving to Hyde Park two months ago, but I've now had a $300 overcharge on my account (thankfully it didn't drain my account and result in bouncing checks) and then this past Saturday the car I had reserved was returned an hour and 15 minutes late, the member who returned said car 1.25 hours late was rude (to the point I had to knock on the window and ask her to please exit the car after being ignored for an additional 5 minutes), and to top it off, she or another member had been smoking in the car AND used the console as their ashtray. The air inside the vehicle was rank with smoke, and the upholstery was absolutely filthy in this car. I was hesitant to even sit in the car, and was incredibly embarrassed when I picked up a friend. It's kinda difficult to 'sell' the idea of car sharing to my friends when I show up almost 2 hours late with a filthy, smoke-laden vehicle.
After two years of being car-free I'm now looking to purchase another vehicle. I'm done. Great concept - it's a shame.
EDIT NOTE: Thank you, Jesse N. of I-GO, for posting your 'owner' comment below. I-GO has once again shown their time is spent more in harassing their members and trolling the internet for anyone speaking against I-GO: http://www.chicagocarl... than they spend improving their service to their customers. That's right - you provide a service - to your customers. As in, our business keeps you employed. Apparently I'm in the wrong by never returning a car late, always fueling the vehicles, cleaning up after other members, paying my charges on time, and providing feedback in the hopes that services might be improved.
By your own admission, you overcharged me $300. What about my review is 'inaccurate'? No one at I-GO spotted the error - I did. It takes four days to credit my account but you certainly make sure my account is charged within 24 hours. Yes, I was pleased with the way it was resolved, primarily because I had enough money in my account to still pay my bills - despite the - to use I-Go's term - GROSS OVERCHARGE on my account. I will not however, post this email on Yelp as you did my own.
I noted also that you chose to completely ignore the rest of my review, nor have there been owner comments left on any other of the scathing reviews here. What I can't understand is, why has no one responded to my "Feedback" left on the I-GO site yet, but you sure found my review here on Yelp? Is this perhaps the best venue for your members to get some response?
I've joined Zipcar. You win, I-GO. I'm done fighting with you.
4 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
3/4/2009
I'm updating once again after having a rather pleasant conversation with Craig from I-Go. I'm also… Read more »
Comment from Craig K. of
I-GO
6/9/2009
We wanted to respond to your recent review regarding the…
More »
This is a great idea in concept and I hate to give a bad review to a non-profit that's trying to do something for the environment BUT:
Every. Single. Fricking. Time. I attempt to use one of the cars, there is a complication of some sort. The battery is dead. Or it's a hybrid and someone stole the directions out of it so I have no idea how to start it. Or my reservation has mysteriously disappeared. Or it just won't unlock.
So you have to call iGo and go through their ridiculously complicated and unclear phone tree to get to a "customer service" agent who may or may not give a rat's.
I don't think they realize that the people who use these cars depend upon them. They may have made an appointment for which they need to be on time or even planned their whole weekend around their car reservation. They need to start caring enough to fix things when they screw up.
i give it a meh rating. so i'm only used it twice but the second time was horrid. i couldn't get into the car and i couldn't find the garage key to get out.
i'm not even really sure about this whole car sharing idea. the stress of trying to get the car back in time is more stress than i'd like to handle and also - having prices that are hanging around $10 an hour is a little absurd. you need at least 2 or 3 hours even to go to the grocery store - have to think about time getting there, time shopping, time getting groceries to your place, time getting back and time if you need to fill up the gas tank. that's $30. you might as well rent a car for a day and leave the stress somewhere else.
So I had to update my review to say I just had the worst car rental experience ever with I-go! I did a walk around of the mini-van before getting in and noticed two hubcaps missing; no big deal. While driving on the highway the tire-pressure warning light starts flashing... We get to Schaumburg and I have a closer look at the tires to find that some complete a**hole got a flat and had left the spare tire on. Not sure if you know this, but a spare tire should not go more than 20 miles and you should always try to avoid driving on a highway with a spare because they rubture easily. WE COULD HAVE BEEN FREAKING KILLED.
It's possible I-go wasn't notified previously, but it seems they'll let any jerk with a liscense join and get away with this crap. There was also an empty condom rapper left in the back. From what I can tell, they're basically letting any sixteen year old hood drive their cars and leaving us to deal with the aftermath.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/4/2008
Be smart and head straight to Zipcar. I've used Igo for one year now at least once a month and the… Read more »
I'm really conflicted about igo at the moment. On the one hand, I love that there are 2 cars I can use within 2 blocks from my house. I like that it's generally inexpensive and I usually can get a car whenever I try to reserve one. Also, it's nice to know I don't have to buy a car in Chicago and I guess I'm doing my part for the environment.
On the other hand, I'm sharing a car. This means you have to deal with the other people who use the car. So, you have to deal with slobs who trash the car as well as the assholes who return the car with no gas and people who return the car late. I love reading the other reviews where people bitch about getting fined for returning the car late. I personally think I-go is way too easy on people who return cars late. I've never in a year and a half of being a member brought a car back late. Manage your time and take responsibility for your actions. Sorry, I'll get off my soap-box now.
The other bad thing about igo is their customer service. Quite plainly it sucks. I got yelled at when the car I had wouldn't start. They also don't have a toll free customer service number. That wouldn't be a problem if I had a cell phone. But Luddites without a cell phone like me are screwed when the car breaks down and you have to make calls from a pay phone with quarters. Bitch about corporate owned car charing like Zipcar all you want, but at least someone is someone is getting paid to see that you're happy. Non-profits aren't all they're cracked up to be in that respect.
It's been a long time since I owned a car, so I have to keep telling myself that it's SO cost-effective to be in this program. You don't pay for insurance. You don't pay for tune-ups. You don't pay for full tanks of gas. You don't even have to WASH or vacuum the car, for goodness' sake! The car's always in great shape and always perfectly clean!
So honestly? I can't say a bad thing about this.
My first drive, three hours of reserved time and 20 miles covered, cost me only $30. For an evening of shopping that I'd never have had time for without a car -- I went to SKOKIE! -- it's a small price to pay.
I love that I-GO is nonprofit; it's a reassurance to me that they're in it to work toward a better environment and the cooperation of like-minded Chicago citizens. My conscience clears a little every time I turn the key. Or something.
Edit (hey, I'm in the Weekly Yelp!): After a few more months of iGoing under my belt, I can still say I have nothing but satisfaction! I've gotten to drive all kinds of eco-creepy cars, like the Honda Fit WAGON and a Toyota Prius, which was like rocket science to turn on but a dream to drive. It's so fun tooling around the city in a car -- knowing I'm making as little environmental impact as possible -- while I drag my 30 pounds of laundry to the drop-off laundromat...
After I contacted the IGO staff about my problems, the employee who had spoken to me on the day of my biggest trouble called me and resolved my problems courteously and professionally, addressing my issues and taking care of the cancellation of my account.
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
Seriously great deal!! It is so cheap and so easy to use. I compared zip car and IGO, but went with IGO because they are not for profit and support environmental issues where zip car is a for profit company that just wants to make money. (nothing wrong with that, but I'd rather support the good guys trying to make a difference in the world!) Check it out before you buy a car!
_____________________________
So maybe you're at the point that you've read a couple of poorly written reviews and you're really doubting how awful IGo really is. Let me put it into perspective for you. The previous negative reviews you can disregard because the people who don't know how to start a hybrid car haven't driven since 1993, and the complaining about the cars disappearing from favorite locations... it happens to the best of us, but rarely.
What's is more concerning is that this start up car sharing company native to Chicago has managed to suck, so, very, badly (for me at least).
Lets start with the website. There are a lot of websites in the world, most of them mange to work well, and very few of them manage to be exceptional. The problem is the IGo website is at the opposite end of "exceptional" on the spectrum. Most companies take into consideration that their websites might be viewed on PDA's or smart phones but I think IGo skipped this part in the "how to own your own company" manual.... Are they so green they refuse to use the extremely pollutant and harmful cellphone?
The website completely takes down my iPhone.... and if you're about to hate because the almighty god phone can't manage to do something... a BlackBerry Curve can't manage the task either.
Next, the card. See the little number on the back of your keycard that you use to unlock/lock your IGo rental? That is most definitely NOT your membership number. What is the number on the back of the card? We're not sure but it isn't your membership number. Where is your membership number? Oh it's in that letter that you received last week when you didn't need to reserve a car, and because you are the most organized individual, you know exactly where that letter might be. Yep. Go find it, thanks. Next take a permanent marker to the back and write your membership number on it because it will take you a couple of reservations to remember it. No luck? Have fun managing without it, The toll free number is unable to look you up via name, social, billing address etc. not only because they really aren't capable but because they'll want to take your name down and call you back because they're "short staffed on Sundays." Wanna try the website for "Forgot my log-in"? Best of luck!
Reserving a car in a rush....
Under a bind? Well thank god you signed up for IGo. Not only can you attempt to reserve a car via your phone and fail horribly, once you manage to reserve a car through the automated phone system (I might be a little more scarred here as I live in the West Loop... think about it.... "Albany Park" "Andersonville" "Bronzeville".... "Lincoln Park East" "Lincoln Park West".... And so on.
For the sake of time, lets pretend you managed to reserve a car and now you're at your car 15 minutes early and it's iced over because IGo so cost efficient they invest in outdoor spaces instead of garaged ones, and all you want to do is open the car to get the ice scraper out. Nope, Sorry! 10 minutes left? Nope, Sorry! 9 Minutes left? Maybe... we're really not sure!
I could go on, but I'm tired and at this point I'm feeling like the little things that have been less than devastating during my reservation time are kind of pointless.
If the above hasn't convinced you on your car rental futures, nothing will. By the way, IGo is only slightly, SLIGHTLY cheaper than ZipCar and ZipCar is amazing in comparison to the service you'll receive with IGo.
I'm adding one star because they got rid of the problematic car I complained about in my last review, and an additional star because I've used I-Go several times since my last review, and did not have any problems at all. After I wrote my last review, someone from I-Go sent me an email basically explaining that they realize there are some issues they need to work on, and they are actually making an attempt to rectify them. I'm the "I'll believe it when I see it" type, so I figured I should note that I haven't had any problems with their service since then.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/25/2009
I'll start out with saying that not all nonprofit car sharing organizations are this bad. I was a… Read more »
iGo is one of the smartest inventions of the modern age. There are lots of vehicles to choose from depending on your need (Elements for the Ikea/Home Depot trips, hybrids for groceries and errands) and lots of the plans include miles so you're paying for the hours. If you put gas in the car, you get a $2 credit towards that particular trip - and you're helping out the next guy. The gas card is included, no muss no fuss. Customer service is excellent, and they're generally good about trying to get cars to neighborhoods that don't have them (though I'm still waiting for them to get one closer to me so I don't have to take the bus or walk 15 minutes to one).
I spend roughly $20-35 a month to use the car about twice - and that is so much cheaper than a car owner could ever hope to pay. I'm very happy I have iGo in my corner.
I love love love being able to rent an I-go car! Having this exist in my neighborhood is one of the reasons I decided to be a carless city dweller.
Oh and for the record, I hate having to rent a car from a traditional car rental place. It takes frickin forever! First you gotta get to the rent-a-car place, wait in line, fill out about of paperwork, have an employee make sure there is nothing wrong with the car, blah blah blah blah. It takes an hour doing all the preparations!
With I-Go, you take care of all that crappy paperwork hassle once and then there are no more hassles. You make reservations online, show up to the car and drive away. It is perfect for grocery shopping, running to target, etc.
Before signing up for IGo in late October (2008), I'd not owned a car for six years. I thought it would be nice to be able to bring home loads of groceries and run to the laundry mat in the snow. I've not been very happy with it though.
First of all, the cost. They have raised their prices twice in the last six months; the first time two days after I joined. They also charged me for a full month of service when I signed up on the 27 and didn't get the magic card until the first of the next month. I signed up for a budget plan so I got a car for about $5 an hour, but wouldn't want to go over that as it costs about $10-15 an hour after that.
Second, the state of the cars. As some others have said on here, they are often filthy. Almost always I find McDonald's wrappers, have also found cigarette ashes and food remains. Supposedly they fine drivers for this, but whatever they do doesn't seem to discourage people from treating the cars like a public bus.
Third, about 50% of the time the cars have been inoperable. Either the card wouldn't let me in or the key was missing, etc. I'm not sure how much this is the company's fault versus the inconsiderate drivers.
I think I'm going to cancel my account and just try to bum rides or shop in smaller batches like before. I suppose for $15 a month, it's not a terrible deal, but it ain't much of a solution either. I'd much rather have a good grocery store in my neighborhood and a washing machine.
IGo isn't an "auto dealer"--it's an alternative to privately owning a car. It's a nonprofit car sharing program where you register and then reserve a car when you need it.
Me, I needed a car to run out to the suburbs to pick up a bunch of stuff I had imported, and I figured I'd need to visit Ikea a few more times before our place was finished being decorated, so I signed up. I had just gotten an email from the importer telling me that I only had 3 days to go pick up my stuff before they would start charging me storage, so I kind of needed my membership in a hurry--IE: I couldn't wait the requisite two weeks iGo says you need to wait before you get registered. I called and spoke with Larry there and he was amazingly able to pull some strings for me. I was able to swing by their HQ and pick up my membership packet in two days. Sweet!
Reserving a car online is really easy, and thankfully I'm in Wicker Park where there's about four cars that are close, so there's almost always one available. One thing they should do on the website is make a "search by car type" option, so that if you're looking for any available Elements, they'll show you all the ones that are available, not just what's close by.
Refilling the gas tank was kind of a pain. I had to call the toll free help line and have them walk me through it a couple of times, and it turned out it wasn't working because I kept giving them my membership number instead of the fleet number that's on the gas card. Oh well, now I know.
Overall this is a cool option to have if you need to run around the city for errands. Renting a car for a full day would certainly be cheaper, but iGo is perfect if you just need to use a car occasionally.
Alright. I really want to give I-Go a good review - the principles they represent are something I really want to support. I chose I-Go over Zipcar because I wanted to support a chicago-based non-profit over corporate Zipcar. And I generally got better reviews from people for I-go.
When I scanned the plans for both neither I-Go or Zipcar worked better for my needs, so I-Go it was.
Registration was easy, I paid the fee (varies depending on promo's and account) and submitted my information and driver's liscense number. I was a member a few days later. I registered for the budget plan which worked for me because I would be using the car for errands a few times a week. For $15 a month my rate was locked at a lower rate ($8-$12) an hour and I was not charged for miles unless I went over a certain amount. Sounded great but it wasn't as convenient and cheap as i thought it was going to be.
Pro's:
- An easy way to multiple errands or errands with a lot of heavy carrying.
- Easy online reservations
- Customer service is nice
- Community based
- Hybrid cars offered
Cons
- Get's REALLY expensive if you go over your reserved time or mileage (it is easy to do both if traffic or suburbs are involved)
- The billing is really, really confusing. I felt that I had no idea when the payment would be taken out of my account and talking to customer service only confused me more, as hard as they tried to help. I also had a hard time distinguishing exactly how I was getting billed or credited if there were issues.
- At first it was easy to find cars, shortly after I had to reserve days in advance, get a car farther from my home or pay more for a larger car that I did not need.
I ended up getting a car. It was easier (and eventually cheaper) to get a car and not drive it much. Maybe as carsharing gets more popular and the business it streamlined it will get easier and make more sense.
Please contact me if you would like to know more about i-Go or my experiences - I love talking about it and know sometimes people considering want to ask some question.
I can't believe I am saying this, but having my car stolen was one of the best things that ever happened to me. With i-GO and my bike, I now save a ton of money a year, don't worry about my car, and get to drive snazzy new cars instead of my old heap.
I love iGO! It couldn't be easier and everything is so customer friendly. Reserving a car is super easy and their customer service is so great. I just wish I could get more people to sign up!!
I'm a big fan of iGo, for the reasons the other reviewers describe. Instead of having to arrange a car rental, I can walk four blocks to where they have two cars available. That alone is worth paying extra over a rental, rather than dealing with the hassle of getting to and from a car rental place. And unlike a rental -- no need to pay for gas. And again, I prefer them to Zipcar because they're not for profit and make me feel like more of a do-gooder.
One thing that no one has mentioned yet is that there's no need to worry about insurance; it's all taken care of in the price of your membership. This can also be a plus over rentals (if you're paranoid about having accidents in rentals, which I am.)
One minus: if you return the car even 5 minutes late, even if no one else is waiting for it, they will ding you for an extra hour's usage.
--
UPDATED: A fellow Yelper let me know that they only ding you for 1/2 hour. Still, I was barely late ;(
I debated for a loooong time about whether I should go with I-Go or ZipCar. At the root of it, they're the same thing. But it's the little things that count. I-Go is non-profit. They have hybrid vehicles. The hours are free between 12a-6a (perfect for someone like me with a weird work schedule; I can get groceries at midnight and not pay for it). The prices seemed better to me for what I'm going to be using it for. ZipCar gives you something like 200 miles a day, where the heck am I going to drive 200 miles to?! I'm not leaving the city, I'm probably not going to even leave the immediate neighborhood I'd rather save my money than spend it on something I'd never use up. The yearly renewal fee is cheaper too.
Both companies are doing a really great thing though, without a doubt. Anything that can prevent frostbite from walking to the store in the middle of winter is OK in my book! I owned a car in the city many moons ago and it was HELL. Insurance, gas, fees, stickers, parking, tickets, the list goes on and on. Viva la car resistance!
I-Go has seriously saved me some $$$ over the past year. I gave up my car shorty after moving to Chicago. I was doing pretty well without it, but was really missing big grocery trips and random target runs. After mooching on my friends with cars for several months, I investigated I-Go. I was shocked at how affordable it was and how easy it is to reserve online. Depending on where you live, some cars may be used more than others, but I rarely have a problem reserving a car for however long I need it (if I do it a few days in advance.
The only negative is their customer service. I have had not so great experiences with them, but this really doesn't take away from how much I love the company. I only wish I had thought of this idea! So smart.
I have only been with iGo for less than a month and have already had so many issues with them. I tried to attend one of their sign-up fairs to receive discounted membership offers. I say 'i tried' to go because I never made it inside the building! The sign-up fair was supposed to be in the Vanguard Lofts and there was NO WAY to get into the loft unless you lived there. Not only that, but there was absolutely no sign indicating that iGO was there. We had the correct day, correct building, correct time and nothing! After circling the outside of the building for like 15 minutes, we were left totally dejected. Fortunately, my husband had his iphone so we found a phone number to call. When we finally reached someone, they had no idea what event we were talking about. HELLO, it was on the website under 'Events'. They took our name and number and told us they would have someone call us back. Of course, no one ever called. FAIL.
Once, I got home that evening I emailed the general info e-mail about my experience and never received a response. Two days later (still angry), I found the events person's e-mail and she responded immediately and e-mailed me a promo code so I can get the membership discount. Okay, they redeemed themselves a bit here, not completely, but better than nothing.
Yesterday, was my first day actually driving a car with iGO and it went okay. While, I was on my way to the car I had reserved, I received a call that the car was going to be late and so they asked if they could set me up with a different vehicle. I understand this isn't iGO's fault, but still inconvenient. The car I had to settle with was further than I would have liked. The girl said I would be credited for my time because I wasn't getting the original car and time. I will believe it when I see it in my account.
I really really wanted to love iGo, but so far it has been a string of unfortunate events.
I joined IGO about a year ago. I love the concept and its service. I have never had a problem except sometimes with the automated 'person' on the other end, but I am opposed to all automated services for that matter. It has been inexpensive and useful. I love that you don't have to fill the tank unless it goes under 1/4 tank. I am diggin' the IGO!
I am actually giving this place a negative 5-star rating. I don't have the patience to write a long review which for this one could go on forever so I'll keep it short and to the point. I was a member with iGo for about 6 miserable months and in that time I literally had only two experiences that were uneventful. The rest were as follows:
- car missing from the lot when I went to pick it up
- doors wouldn't open with key card (and they wouldn't open them remotely)
- doors wouldn't lock when I returned the car (and they wouldn't lock it remotely for me)
- I couldn't get out of the lot because they didn't pay their parking fee and the gate wouldn't open
- every single bill (literally EVERY bill) that I received was wrong, they charged me for trips I didn't take and late fees that I never incurred, they charged me for trips I couldn't take because of the above issues that prevented me from going. I had to constantly stay on top of them and email them numerous times to get credited for their billing mistakes.
This was truly a horrible experience. If you use iGo, make sure you check every bill they send you for accuracy because I am not kidding, EVERY bill was wrong.
I don't own a car and I never want to own a car. However, I realize I need a car on average every other month to pick up pet food. I ended up joining iGo because it was the car sharing program with the most cars in my neighborhood. It was one of the best thing ever. I've never had a problem with any of the cars, and it so great not to have to depend on friends to drive me places.
