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Zipcar
Rating Details »
Categories: Automotive, Car Rental [Edit]
Neighborhood: Fashion District207 W 25th St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 691-2884
- Nearest Transit:
-
23rd St-7th Ave (1)
23rd Street (PATH)
23rd St-8th Ave (C, E)
49 reviews for Zipcar
Having been a long-time car owner who after moving to NYC became an avid taxi cab rider, Zipcar seems to run a nice medium. Useful for when you want to go on day trips outside the confines of the subway system or for hauling heavy or excessive amounts of things across town. And at $8 an hour (after subscription fees, etc) it's a totally affordable option. Their selection of larger vehicles is a bit lacking and the rules are quite strict so be sure to review them prior to departure. Once you slog through the details and the application process then I think you'll find that it actually makes life a whole lot easier.
Now midtown traffic is another story altogether...
Can't recommend Zipcar too highly. Always easy to make a reservation, affordable prices. But the 5th star is for customer service.
I had a Zipcar account that I used in Washington, DC. Moving to a place where they don't really have them, I called to close my account. It turned out I hadn't used a Zipcar since my last $50 annual fee payment, so they refunded me my $50 without my even asking.
Stuff like this is how you go from a "good" service to a "recommend to everyone" service.
Our first (and probably only) rental from them was a major hassle over Memorial Day weekend. No gas in the car, nasty shoes left in the backseat, front end damage with rubber dragging on the street and a dangerous rear tire with the steel coming through it that we had to replace on the New Jersey turnpike.
I am still hounding them for my refund. It's a shame because the concept is great but the execution is atrocious.
Take your $ and get a real car through a car rental. At least there, you'll get a car that's been inspected, cleaned and maintained.
I've been renting through Zipcar for the past year and although I've had no real difficulties until now, I have never found the services to be as "economical" as they advertise.
I canceled my membership a few minutes ago after having one of the worst customer service experiences EVER!!! I rented my Zipcar Mare at the Washington Blvd station in Jersey City in advance. The car would not start. I called the customer service number, after going through numerous prompts and having been put on hold for several minutes. This imbicile answers the phone and is clearly not able to handle the situation, putting me on hold several times. Admittedly, I lost my temper and used a few obscene words towards him. He hung up on me. But this all occurred after he insisted that I had to go back to Greenwich Village for the "nearest available" Zipcar. I kept telling him that I was already several minutes late and there was no way for me to get there in time. It was like talking to a brick wall.
When I called back, I insisted on speaking to a supervisor. The next rep kept insisting that I had no reservation, despite the fact that I kept telling him that my reservation had been canceled by the previous rep because the car would not turn on. Somehow the synapses were not connecting in the second rep and he kept repeating the same thing over and over again, like Dustin Hoffman in the Rainman.
I've had enough. The cars smell funky, poor customer service, unreliable cars. I decided to cancel my membership because I realized that if their service is poor in general, I didn't want to put my health and life in jeopardy by renting a car that probably isn't up to standard. I echo Andrew B. from 03/04/2009. ZIPCAR SUCKS!!!!!
Pickup was a breeze. Everything went fine for the weekend until I had a tire blowout on route 17 in New Jersey. I was changing the flat when a cop pulled up to help. He and I could not believe how bald the tire was that blew out.
First thing I did on the side of the road was call Zipcar to see if there was somehting special I was supposed to do insead of just change the tire. THEY KEPT ME ON HOLD FOR 25 MINUTES.
Horrible first experience with Zipcar.
Dear Zipcar,
Zipcar, I have to tell you something-I love you. I'm not in love with you, but I love you. You are my favorite booty call. You are always ready to go whenever I am. I can call you up on the fly and you never tell me no. You've got everything I need. And you're flexible-if I want you for a little while or the whole weekend, you just say yes. That's what I love about you the most.
You give and you give, and lord knows I can take, and still you never turn me away. Even when I treat you like crap, like the time I didn't feel like paying for the miles I went over for the weekend and I disputed the charges with American Express. Quite honestly I thought I paid enough for your services and had quite enough of your bologna call center lady who couldn't tell me if there was or wasn't a mile limit, you still let me come back for more. That's love.
You don't mind when I ask you to change, because sometimes I want you to be a pickup truck so I can move, and sometimes I want you to be a cute little Jetta who can accompany me to a brief Costco trip. You never judge me, and don't look down upon me for my flighty ways.
Although I love you, I must say that our relationship has changed for the worse since I moved from Boston to New York. You are just not as available here as I need you to be-sometimes you are nowhere to be found, sometimes you are too far away, and sometimes you are booked up for weeks on end. What am I going to do with you?
I must continue to love you, because the only other options out there are cabs, which are expensive, smelly, and I cannot control the driving. And yes, there's always Budge or Hertz, but they don't love me like you do. I always leave them feeling used and abused. They just don't have that TLC way about them that you do.
I hope that this will make you think, and maybe we can continue our love affair for years to come. I will always have a special place in my heart for you.
XOXO,
Vanilla Bean
As an ex-car owner, eliminating the expense of an automobile was a huge weight off my shoulders. No longer did I have to worry about opposite side of the street parking, maintenance or exorbitant insurance premiums. I still miss the convienience of being able to get up and go and not depend on a schedule, but unfortunately that was quickly becoming a luxury I could do without. So for someone like me, Zipcar was the ideal alternative. I am able to reserve a car online without the hassle of paperwork and have the ability to reserve in advance and cancel, if necessary, up to 24 hours before the reservation without penalty.
I've read other people's stories of late charges, damage fees and the like; but luckily, I have not had any negative experiences as of yet. If you are contemplating becoming a member, I've listed some things to consider beforehand:
1. Zipcars are insured however, they carry only the state minimums for collision and liability. This varies by state and in NY I believe it's $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to all persons, and $10,000 for property damage per accident. There's also a $500 damage deductible.
2. You will get charged if you return the car with less than a 1/4 tank of gas (it does not need to be full).
3. Though they frown upon people who return the cars dirty, you will usually end up with a dirty car. Litter, pet hair, dirt....I've cleaned out stuff that I can't even post on this site.
4. The gas cards do not always work. If you must pay out of pocket, be sure to fax them the receipt and you will get reimbursed. They're prompt about it too.
5. You can join as an occasional driver or under numerous plans. If you pay monthly deductions (50/75/125/250), you can carry over your credits with the exception of the $50/mo plan. I used to drive more, so I paid $75/month and was able to carry over the credits for one month. Lately, I had to make a reservation just to prevent the credits from expiring, so I downgraded to an occasional driver where I only pay if I reserve.
6. If you return the car late, the fee is $50/hour!
7. You get 180 miles per day included in your reservation. After that, you get charged .35 per mile (.45/mile for luxury cars).
8. You must return the car where you picked it up.
9. An added bonus is that gas is included in the rental.
10. Here's a tip (that can potentially backfire on me!). Reserve way in advance. If you plan on going on wknd trips in the summer, reserve a car every wknd in the summer starting in March or April. Then as the weeks get closer, you can cancel the reservation(s) so long as they are at least 24 hrs in advance. You'll avoid having to choose between the 3 cars available in the tri state area....two of which are in New Brunswick.
An email I wrote to Zip Car.
---------
I just had to email you guys and tell you how impressed I am.
This isn't related to driving by the way, but more so in the huuuuge benefit of being a member and how great zip car card members can be.
Last week, I unknowingly dropped my wallet on the M23 crosstown bus on my way to work on the West Side. Walked up to my office, sat down, checked email, and bam, 10 minutes in I realized something was missing. My wallet!
Knowing my bus stop is the last stop on the route before its brief rest, I SPRINTED down to the depot. As my luck would have it, my bus had already left. Making matters worse, I somehow aggravated my lower back running in my worn-out Converse all-stars.
But all unfortunate strings of events must have an end (-at some point right?). So while all that was happening, a girl found my wallet. She, and may I point out a complete stranger in New York, contacted all the banks to have them call me regarding my found wallet. Nobody would help! Even American Express to my surprise, who are usually so helpful. Its not like she was asking them for my phone number. I mean, a complete stranger becoming frustrated by the banks, and still keeps on trying?! Finally, she tries Zip Car because she notices my card, calls you up, and w/o hesitation your rep agrees that I must be contacted! The rest is history for the books.
So I'm now an even bigger fan of Zip Car. Also, my perspective of New Yorkers has changed for the better. And I'm also a believer now in acupuncture (Asia Tui-Na, highly recommended), after my first experience with it this wknd. Yes, back is feeling good. And wallet back in my pocket.
Thank you guys!
How Freakin' hard is it to move furniture in Manhattan if you don't own a car???
Thanks to Zipcar, it was a breeze.
Before I signed up for an account, I had to trick cabbies into pulling over and listen to my serenade of questioning, while the boyfriend sneakily threw end tables and lamps in the trunk. Otherwise, they just speed away yelling something like: "no no scratch seats no damage"
BUT NOW. I just go online and find a conveniently located SUV in my area, walk over to it, swipe over the electronic pad and I'm in! No line, no contract, no mess-well unless the driver before you left one, which hasn't happened to me.
The only thing I don't like is the driving in Manhattan part. But hey, sometimes you need to.
Oh Erick, our days are slowly coming to an end. Last month, your windshield was cracked and your gas card didn't work. What was supposed to be a carefree overnight in Atlantic City tuned into an expensive cash up front for gas disappointment.
Zipcar, our affair was good while it lasted, but I am not renewing. I'll always have fond memories of us speeding down the highway, but it is time for me to dust off my National Rent a Car Emerald Club Card. I got an e-mail from them telling me that they missed me and I am going to give them another shot.
Love,
Anna
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/7/2007
In keeping with CB M's analogy... Let me tell you about my affair with Erick the Escape.
He is big… Read more »
**APRIL 2008 UPDATE ** New cars coming to NYC -- including the BMW 5 series!! Woohoo!
Zipcar is one of those companies that changed the paradigm of the car rental establishment.
Before Zipcar, NY'ers who didn't own a car were stuck with going with one the "other rental agencies" and being charged $125+/a day for crappy Fords and Chryslers.
Since Zipcar came on the scene over two years ago, even the establishment changed and has tried to mimic Zipcars rent your car by the hour model.
But Zipcar still wins my "car sharing" loyalty when I'm in NYC (or now in 40 US Cities like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC) It's like having my own car in each city!
Even their daily rates beat out the big rental agencies in most cases....but what I enjoy the best is having the option of renting a Mini Cooper, a Toyota Prius (my fave), a Volks Rabbit, or one of the many neat models they have available in each city.
Gas is included too!
I'd been toying with the idea of joining Zipcar for years, and was happy to finally do it in April. I am sad to report that the whole experience has been an unmitigated disaster. We joined, we reserved (involving much confusion over who got what group discount rates, with no two Zipcar employees able to give the same answers), we rented.
We rented - only once, for about 3 hours, on April 8. The card didn't work to lock and unlock the car, so the garage attendant used the keys. We notified Zipcar of the problem. No one specified that this means the car doesn't get checked in properly, which might explain the excess rental time, but what could explain the tolls?
We got our credit card bill; we were billed over $400 in excess rental time, taxes, and tolls for several dates between April 8 and May 4, that would be physically impossible to incur in one car at the times recorded (unless maybe the Enterprise was beaming the car around with its Transporter?). We checked the Zipcar site, where it is impossible to find any real help contact info. We called Zipcar, several times, and were told repeatedly that a note would be sent to billing, that it would take a few days (why? isn't this an online company?). We heard nothing. I posted to the "Lost and Found" asking for the whereabouts of Customer Service, and finally called the office manager in NY. This involved two people and a lot of re-explaining, but finally, they were quite nice and promised to get it resolved.
So finally on June 6 - two months after the original rental date - we got the bill adjusted and a $25 credit for our inconvenience. Meanwhile, because we were getting nowhere with Zipcar, my husband disputed the charge with the credit card company. So today (more than two months later) Zipcar sent me an email. They have re-billed us the entire incorrect amount, because they think we got a double refund from both them and the credit card! Apparently they don't even understand how credit card processing works, because what SHOULD happen is they provide the card provider with proof of the correction, and the credit card charges us the balance.
I'm just amazed and astonished at the awfulness of the non-service that we are not getting.
Update: I feel obligated to report that I did finally get the whole thing straightened out, in the end.
Conceptually, it's great.
It's NOT great when you are stuck in traffic.
It's also very often that no cars are available when you need it.
Oh, my, God. Let me tell you.
So I took out "Bruce" last weekend. He's the hot BMW 325 that lives at 55th and 6th. (That's what I love about Zipcar...they all have names like a male escort service). I like Bruce because he is so discrete...no "zipcar" logo anywhere. Male escort? they ask when we're out. No, I reply, and slyly wink at Bruce. He's been mine for years, I say! I rent him by the hour, but no one has to know! And I don't even have to feed him, or if I do, *they* pay for the gas not me. When I open the sunroof, Bruce tossles my hair and goads me to put the pedal down. I can't help but oblige, his straight 6 is so powerful. Vrrroomm...we race down the FDR, up the West Side Highway, over to New Jersey, across to Long Island. I can count on Bruce to takes me ANYWHERE I want to go.
But shhh, don't tell him. Next weekend I am taking out Glenn. He's that hot new VW Rabbit everyone's talking about. I can't wait to ride him around. I'll just pick him up at his midtown pied-a-tierre and away we'll go. Vrrooommmmmm
Dear Zipcar,
I feel ripped off.
First, I returned my zipcar 18min. late last night (Sunday) and incurred a $50.00 late fee. We were stuck in traffic in New Jersey and tried to do the right thing by calling in at 9:30 PM to extend our reservation by an hour, yet, when we called, we were told that the zipcar was already reserved (at 10:00 PM on a Sunday?!)... When we arrived at the lot, there was NO ONE waiting for the car, every car at that lot was accounted for, and there were multiple models of my Mazda there as well. When I returned to the lot an hour later to retrieve my sunglasses that I had forgotten in the car, there was STILL no one waiting for my Mazda. This leads me to believe that the car was NEVER reserved by another member and we were denied our reservation extension outright, simply so you could tack on a late fee to my final bill. Secondly, what happened to my PROMONY discount? This was the reason I signed up in the first place, yet, there was no
information made available on the website about it, its expiration date, etc. Nothing. Third, your rates are NOT competitive. Once you tack on NYC taxes and fees, and basically add on 3x the amount of hours you think you will need to return the zipcar back on time (so basically, you are just eating money), in case of traffic, re-routes, etc., your fees are too much ... and not to mention dangerous (as I was driving like mad down the FDR trying to avoid an extra $50.00!) Also, 180 miles? In NYC? Not enough. Enterprise rentals include unlimited mileage in the tri-state area. Which would include weekend destinations in Long Is., The Catskills, Conn., and more. But, like I said, I feel zipcar has been dishonest, I feel ripped off, and I feel the hidden fees and lack of mileage (where can you go outside of NYC within 90 miles one way? Hardly anywhere!!!) ... this makes for a an extremely stressful, expensive, car rental. Perhaps the cars would be
ideal in a pinch or in an emergency situation, but frankly, (and I have used both), you will be saving, easily, 30-35% by renting a car via Enterprise. And of course, this is a price comparison with the most BASIC and low cost zipcar. Want something better? The $11/hr. car not available? Then increase those savings to 40%.
Not happy.
- New zipcar member, and possibly, a former one.
Monday I decided i needed to rent a car on Wednesday and also on Fri/Sat. Being Memorial Day Weekend and on such short notice, my expectations for finding a rental at a reasonable rate was pretty low. I have been working on some artwork lately that requires the use of a car pretty often and a few people suggested Zipcar. My constant wanderlust and growing impatience with New York convinced me that Zipcar might be the right idea.
Signing up was easy easy easy. The online form takes just a few minutes to fill out, and I got approved (they check your driving history) within 24 hours. Picked up my Zipcard on Tuesday and logged onto the site to make a reservation, nervous that I wouldn't be able to get a car. Not a problem! Many cars available at different times. I booked 2 Mini Coopers, for Wed and one for Friday-Saturday with no problems.
This morning I went to pick up the car and again- no problems. The car (like most Zipcars in NYC, i think) was in a parking garage. No forms to fill out, nothing to sign, no exchanging of anything, it was super easy. I felt like i was stealing something. I ran my errands, took a long pleasant whiff of freshly cut grass out in the suburbs, and dropped the car back off at the parking garage with the same amount of ease. Wow, how could anything in this city be so easy?! I'm looking forward to Friday.
The only downside-- it was TOO easy. I can see all of my paychecks going towards Zipcars just so that i can breathe some fresh air and get out of this damn city! They even allow pets so my pup can come with me too!!
I love Zipcar. I lost my virginity in the Toyota Prius. I lost it in a very socially conscious way, I am quite proud of that. It was my very first time... renting a car that is, and let me tell you it was one of the best rides of my life. Why lease and deal with the hassle of parking and expense of Geico? It only cost me a mere $10.00 an hour. The following time I rented the Prius for the entire day for $65.00 INCLUDING gas. Now even Hertz is following Zipcar's ingenious model...what copycats! No competition as Zipcar and their automobiles ( mini Cooper, Mazda 3, Toyota Prius etc ) are so much cooler than Hertz's farty Ford Taurus.
The rules are no dogs..but rules are made to be broken ...well...at least in Tori K's world they are! I made sure to put down an old sheet and pick up any scraggly hairs with one of those overpriced roller tape thingamajigs. If you don't leave the car in the condition you found it... tidy for the next customer s/he can complain and Zipcar will send you a nasty email. Good news is you can rat on the slovenly users before you too. Zipcar is very democratic.
"Someone's gonna get 'YELP-ed'!" my sister exclaimed when we got in the Zipcar!
How silly that 2 grown women were extatic at the idea of getting a Zipcar! Not like I haven't rented a million different cars in my life, a former road warrior... I guess you'd say we "zipped"...FINALLY after 6 weeks of trying to reserve a car!
That's right! For 6 weeks, no cars were available at any time Friday through Sunday. I shot off an email to Zipcar sharing my disappointment and letting them know I would recommend getting more cars or spots, but would rather not lest I receive some bureaucratic response about how they're trying to satisfy the Zip need. They gave me the nonsense about how they have perameters around cancellations...you'll eventually get penalized with a fee and after a certain point, not be allowed to reserve for a while...plus you can reserve a year in advance...FABULOUS! How am I gonna know what day I'm going to want to go to Target in the next year?
So by the grace of G-d, 13 cars were available from 3:30 - 10 on a Friday. When I say 13, that means 13 in the ENTIRE CITY!!! Of the choices were a Mini Cooper and a BMW. For a few dollars extra, what the heck, we went with the Mini Cooper!!! :)
I went to the garage at the appointed time, having called a half hour prior to the reservation (as the confirmation tells you) and entrusted my prized Zipkey to the parking garage guy who brought up Mandela the Mini Cooper...I half expected Mandela to flash me a smile and wink...
WRONG!
Mandela was a lot like a surprise blind date and I don't mean that in a good way. (What is the sex of "Mandela"? I'd say female cause it ends in an "a", but I'm a girl whose name ends in an "o"...does it really matter?) He/she hadn't bathed...EVER!!! (I'm not even going to go into an ironing or shaving metaphor here!) Not only was his/her outside filthy, but so were his/her steering wheel, dashboard, blinkers, knobs...you name it, FILTHY! I was busy trying to figure out how to roll up the windows when my sister asked me if a crumpled tissue was mine! EWWW!!! Not only that, there were some leaves on the floor in the back and no washer fluid. I don't know if they ever service these cars...I'm guessing they don't. Furthermore, Zipcar tells its users they are to leave the car clean and with a quarter tank of gas...I called Zipcar to let them know.
Thank G-d my sister is smart! She brought Lysol wipes to wipe Mandela down...not that we had enough to do the job that really needed to be done! Let's just say every wipe used was BLACK with DIRT!
When and if you're ever "lucky" enough to get a Zipcar, be prepared to take a few minutes to get your bearings. I've driven a lot of different cars in lots of cities...this was the worst experience as the Mini Cooper's controls are different. The window and lock controls are where a stereo would be. We couldn't find the clock if there was one!!! And I don't recommend a Mini for more than 2...those back seats looked really uncomfortable! Plus it was a very jerky ride...no, it's not my driving...I don't know if it was this particular unserviced car or what...
A follow up note: Beware of the kind of contact you select when signing up with Zipcar. I was being charged $250 monthly and when I didn't use the money, it "zipped" away. I switched to a contract for those who'd like to zip less and was charged $50. Of course, customer service is fabulous...I had a woman talk to me like I was in third grade with her gravelly smoker's voice. So with all this said and done, I think Zipcar is a great concept which is poorly executed!
Another follow up note: The garage attendant "gave me a talking to" as I didn't know or tell him the NAME of the car I was picking up. It wasn't good enough saying "a Jetta"; I needed to say "Johann" as that's the car's "name". Ridiculous!
Generally my Zip car is a life saver! Very economical and there is a garage right in my building! They make it very easy to rent a car in NYC. My only complaint is that some Zip car drivers fail to fill the car back up with gas, leaving me with an empty tank! Sign up for a zip car, it is the best and easiest way to drive in NYC!
I got ZIp Car since I found the whole idea pretty neat. However, my first experience was horrible to say the least. The cars are parked in these dark dingy garages all over the place. There is no representative to attend to. The car I had booked was not there. After waiting for 30 mins in the cold weather, the car was brought back. I was already late. The car was filthy from inside and out and smelled like food. The check engine light was also on. I called the Customer Service to report this(they ask you to report it) and I reached a voicemail. So I left a message on the voicemail about the condition of the car.
I was stopped in the middle of the night by a cop and there was no registration and the insurance was expired in October 2007. The cop told me that I would be taken to jail and the car would be towed but on explaining that there is no office to handle such situations, he let me go with a ticket for using high beams.
On reporting this matter to Zipcar, they intially promised to pay for the ticket for the inconvenience caused. Later on I got an email from them saying that it is not their reponsibility to keep the cars clean and they will not pay the bill.
For the amount of money that you end up paying I dont think this service is worth the cost. Besides you never know you could find a hacked body in the back of the car and Zip car will not take responsibility if the earlier member left it there.
Pay more. Stick to the regular rental places. Beats dealing bozzos like these.
Stick to the traditional car rental places:
This is the worst experience I have had renting a car.
The web site looks like they have tons of cars available. Great, so I pay the fee, get "approved" instantly and go to the office to pick up a "Zip-card". Go back to my office, activate my card and then it shows that there are no cars in all of NYC available. So I call to get a refund and they only refund a portion of my money. What a rip off. It was difficult to get anyone on the phone, and when I did, she eventually hung up on me.
Zip Car seemed cool - but ended up being a waste of time and money.
Hi
I do not recommend Zip Car. Why? Because they do not have good customer relationship procedures and leave customers like me stranded at the very last minute with no apologies despite the fact it was their fault. PLUS, even if you cancel your membership due to this situation, they wont refund your $25 application fee. Would you trust such a company?
Our story: We made a reservation weeks in advance for a Volvo for Saturday. We had to get to an event miles away and thought that the best way to get there was to rent a car. We conducted our research and concluded that Zip Car, the all net based self service hourly based car rental company, was our best option. So we trust Zip Car based on our research and made our reservation. On Saturday, we went to the parking garage to pick up our rental car and....
GUESS WHAT?????
It was not there. We searched and searched. Then the attendant told us that the someone did drive off a Volvo hours earlier and asked for their assistance because her zipcar did not work and was unable to automatically leave the garage. Of course, it wont work. It was not her reservation!
So my boyfriend calls Zip Car to remedy this situation and ask if we can use another Zip Car that was parked there as well. The minutes were ticking away... I am getting nervous because we need to get to the place and we have no car yet. We were on permahold for a while until my boyfriend finally speaks to a representative who said that the car was given to someone else 3 hours ago and she went to Albany but if we waited another 3 hours, we can have that car then.
Hello? We all know that driving to Albany from New Jersey will take more than 3 hours one way so it was highly improbable that our rental car will arrive within 3 hours. What makes the rep think the car will be there on time?
So my boyfriend asked if we can have the available Zip Car we were standing next to. She refused stating that we did not make a reservation to that particular car and someone made reservations to that car later that evening. Hello? Our reserved car was given to someone else and no respect for our reservation. No apologies. No accomodation. No rain check. Nothing.
My boyfriend and I decided we can not trust Zip Car for our future reservations, which were many. This was just our first experience and our last. He canceled his membership due to this experience and Zip Car refuses to refund his $25 application fee.
Would you trust a company like this?
Imagine, you got an important event to attend and the car you were renting was given to someone else and the company did not even care to offer you additional options due to their mishap!
So beware!
Everything that everyone else said about Zipcar is good and true. It's a fantastic service with social reponsibility (fewer cars=fewer pollutants) and community building (car-naming contests that result in driving discounts) built into its mission statement. You feel good being part of the Zipcar community (it's kinda like Yelp in that way).
But my absolute favorite thing about Zipcar? The fun cars you get to drive! When else do you get a chance to zip around town in a sporty Mazda 3, surprisingly spacious Toyota Matrix or cute Mini Cooper (which I actually didn't like, but hey, they look good). It's like being able to test drive all the cool cars without a car salesman breathing down your back. Their fleet of cars is always expanding too. It sure beats the clunkers you end up driving at other rental companies (I love America but I hate American cars).
Earlier this year I wrote a glowing review of Zipcar as I was very happy with my experience.
Sadly, I now must downgrade my review and WARN EVERYONE WHO IS CONSIDERING THE SERVICE.
In the member agreement, in the small print which nobody reads, is the following stipulation:
...the Member shall be responsible for the first $500 of costs related to the repair, recovery, and loss of use of any Zipcar vehicle resulting from any of the foregoing if such costs are determined to be the fault of the Member or fault is not established to any other person or entity...
That's right re-read that last sentence... what that means is if damage occurs to the Zipcar you rented AFTER you dropped it back off but BEFORE the next member picks it up, Zipcar will blame you for the damage if they cant prove otherwise.
This is retarded...idiotic...corporate...and souless.
How do I know this much? Well, I just went through a nasty month-long dispute with Zipcar over this very rule. Used a Zipcar back in October, all was fine, returned it without a scratch and walked away. Sometime in the 90 minutes in between when I dropped it off and the next member picked it up, somebody did $800 worth of damage to it.
Because Zipcar couldn't prove that I DIDNT do it (cause i didnt take a picture of the car when i returned it, which you shouldnt have to do every single time you return a freaking car), they were trying to charge me. What really upset me about all this was the way Zipcar treated me with several really impersonal emails and weeks in between follow-up phone calls. I felt like I had offended Big Brother and was now being disciplined.
To conclude, I finally argued loudly enough and long enough that they dropped the $500 charge against me but also cancelled my membership. It's sad that it had to come to this because I think Zipcar is a phenomenal idea and it's a great service for cities like New York...but the liability clause is totally unfair to the members.
What if some buffoon backs into the Zipcar you just returned and then drives away? According to Zipcar, that is YOUR fault. Just a shame.
SO BEWARE BEFORE YOU GO RUNNING TO SIGN UP FOR THE SERVICE...ESPECIALLY IN A CITY LIKE NEW YORK WHERE CARS GET THE CRAP BEAT OUT OF THEM ON A DAILY BASIS
Great for grocery shopping to CostCo/BJ'sor purchasing/moving heavy items. They recently raised the prices since they bought out another company. However that also means more locations for car availability. The secret is out so everyone knows about this place now. GAS IS FREE but be sure to refill the gas tank when it dips below 1/4 full and be sure to return your car on time to avoid the $25/hr late charge. Other than that it's very convenient having an EZ-Pass built in and even XM Radio in select cars. Selections vary from Prius to Matrix to Volvo to BMW to MiniCooper to Civic to Scion xB to Ford Escape to Honda Element. You can call in to extend your reservation if you know you are running late (automated).
Note: There is an annual fee for membership.
I have had some not so good experiences with Zipcar, but have always found the customer service to be very helpful. Twice I have gone to pick up my car and it has not been at the garage. Once it was because the person who reserved before me was late and once because of a mistake in their system. Each time I was switched immediately to a new car and was credited driving time. I agree that cars rent out quickly which can be frustrating if you want to run some last minute errands, however if you plan ahead you shouldn't have a problem getting a car.
I do agree with Julie G however when she says the cars can be dirty. I have been lucky enough not to find random french fries in the car, but have had to call and complain about a wet dog smell. However if Zipsters clean up after themselves we won't have this problem. We just all need to be conscious that it isn't our car, and we should leave it as we would like to find it!
I became a member of Zipcar in its premiere city, Boston, not too long after it started. I moved to NYC where it is also available, and most recently moved to SF where it recently entered the market. To be able to use my membership at any of the cities that it is in is absolutely wonderful.
To be able to reserve a car on-demand with locations within convenient walks from my apartment is a joy I cannot adequately express. The size and variety of the fleet makes moving across town to grocery shopping easy tasks.
I equate the difficulty of explaining Zipcar to that of explaining TiVo 5 years ago. Once the concept "clicks" it becomes viral.
This is a great service for New Yorkers. I never want to have to own a car, but occasionally there are times when I need one. Zipcar makes sure that I can easily get my hands on one when I need to run a local errand or take a short road trip, because their cars are located all around the City. They are even available in other big cities: Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, etc. With a membership, you can reserve any of these cars and your membership fee covers insurance and there are no gas charges.
I should add that there are some downsides to the service because you are putting your car hopes and dreams into the hands of who ever used the zipcar before you. This is a car sharing company not a car rental company. My husband and I are diligent about padding our reservations in case we hit traffic on the way back to return our car, but I guess some people don't and end up leaving the next reservation stranded. We are also very careful about cleaning up our car so that there isn't garbage and crap everywhere. I know from experience that some people don't care if they leave the car clean. But any time I have had a problem with my car, the customer service people have been really nice. When my car was filthy from the last person, they paid for the cleaning without giving me any trouble.
Plus, they're still a really good deal.
Personally, I'm loving Zipcar! I work weekends, so I don't get stuck with the issues of everyone trying to rent a car for the weekend. I've had no problems picking up my car, the attendants at both garages I've tried have been really nice (177th & Bway, 122nd & Bway). I love that gas and insurance are included in the rental. Having sold my car at the end of November (just didn't use it enough to justify the cost), Zipcar is the perfect answer to my car needs.
I can't wait for the summer to rent a MiniCooper convertible and head for the beach!!!!
WOW! Thanks to the great reviews from fellow Yelpers, I decided to use Zipcar to *finally* get my Woodbury shopping on--in honor of Labor Day, of course:) A full car load makes it cheaper and more fun than taking one of the overpriced buses from Port Authority.
Zipcar has impressed me almost every step of the way: my application was approved in 24 hours, and they have an option to pickup your card instead of waiting nervously by the mailbox for the mail to arrive; the online reservation process was *very* easy; the prices are very good(after taxes, probably about $15/hr for my Toyota Matrix), especially since they include gas, full insurance, roadside assistance, *and* an
EZPass for all tolls; and customer service was great all around, even when we needed an extra hour added to our reservation--since we got lost in the dirty underbelly of Patterson, NJ in a valiant effort to go get some much-needed Checker's!
Such a great organization that I *wish* I had known about sooner. Now I can go to Ikea without begging or looking like a tool as I drag my heavy, flat box that contains something made of blonde wood! I can also acquire several cases of gratitude beer for all the friends I can help move! Or I can just get out of town for a few hours and remember what real highways are like (I laugh every time I walk on West St. and remember it's a "highway" :)).
The parking attendant claimed his English is poor, but I think he just wanted me to keep saying it:
"It's called Menzies... Menzies... -It's a Toyota Matriz and it's called Menzies. M-E-N-Z... Menzies. -Yes, thank you. -Sorry? Menzies."
I've used it a few times. I liked it. I wish that you could rent cars for like one way trips and didn't have to return them to where you got them. Like say for example that I wanted to travel from Brooklyn to the Bronx in the morning, and leave the car there and let someone else use it and then get another car to come home in the evening... grrr, I can't do that, so like, I have to spend 125 dollars on sunday when I want to use it to replace the crappy subway system... I end up just using taxis for this purpose... this is really not zip, it's more like PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN or PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY for free car, HIKE HIKE HIKE HIKE TO LOT, DRIVE, SCHLEP back to original lot, park, HIKE HIKE HIKE, done.
Let's face it, the only place that you really need a car is in the OUTER boroughs, and these are UNDERSERVED by ZIP CAR as well as taxis... Who wants to drive in Manhattan? And let's face it, the ZIP car doesn't pay for parking, that you have to find on your adventure. Plus, for the cost of the ZIP CAR to be worth it, it has to be less than home delivery which it isn't...
might as well order from your favorite take out place ($30)and order a bottle of vodka from your favorite liquor store ($30)and buy something on line and pay for delivery($60) all while relaxing at home, it would still be less ($120) than a zip car ($125), plus you could be drunk and naked while shopping online at your favorite furniture or home furnishing store!!
I have to thank Zipcar for saving me last summer when I wanted to escape the heat n' humidity of the city. I love the selection of cars Zip offers, esp the MINI!! LOVE IT!
It's pain free and straight forward...it's well worth the cost cuz u don't have to have car insurance (most ppl living in the city don't own a car therefore would't have car insurance), gas is paid for and it comes equipped w/an XM satellite radio AND EX pass......
I finally took the time to join Zipcar. IT was fast and easy indeed! Even when I went in to pick up the card I was in and out in but a few minutes!
A few days later I was off in Terry the Toyota Tacoma, zooming up the Palisades to the nursery where the people there asked what Zipcar was (from the side of the truck.) They found it AMAZING that i could rent a pick-up -- and only for a few hours to boot!
Thanks to Zipcar my garden is growing fun and interesting plants again! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
My husband and I were in DC for the weekend, and reserved Mini Maraschino (love the goofy names!) for 5 hours on a Saturday. We were playing tourist on Friday until suddenly my dearly beloved realized he left his Zipcard back in NYC, in our apartment. Uh-oh.
After some frantic phone work, we were connected to the DC Zipcar office. They replaced the card in about 2 minutes, we picked it up locally and were able to check the reservation on the handy-dandy Internet connection available in their Ikea-infused lobby. The rest of the weekend went off without a hitch.
Thanks, Zipcar!
It's an idea that is perfect for this city. Who needs the cost of keeping a car in the city if you are only going to use it once or twice a month? Zipcar takes care of all the BS while we get to drive and enjoy the cars. The staff are very helpful and polite. I have been a member for five years and can count on two hands the number of times I have used it but every time it has been a lifesaver. The trick is to reserve in advance for longer periods, but otherwise its a very convenient service.
They have plenty of variety in the types of cars available that you should always be able to find something that suits your needs. I personally love the Minis as they drive like a go cart. Vroom!
I'm updating my review - 4 stars down to 3. I want to go lower, but I'm a big fan of car sharing. It's a great idea - the cars are kept in your neighborhood; you have an electronic key; you reserve the car online, by the hour or by the day. It's cheaper and easier than conventional car rentals. In a nutshell - it's brilliant.
The problem is that you have to rely on other members to bring the cars back on time. This weekend must have been my third or fourth rental with Zipcar, and well, the car wasn't there. Zipcar doesn't leave in any buffer time between users, so if the previous driver is 10 minutes late, you wait 10 minutes; an hour late, you wait an hour.
I spent about 40 minutes on the phone with customer service (most of that on hold), and well, let me put it to you straight - Zipcar's customer service ranks up there with the local cable company and that contractor who hasn't come back to finish renovating the kitchen. They weren't very apologetic, and since our trip was extremely time sensitive (by 40 minutes later we couldn't get there before the gate would close), I canceled the reservation.
They emailed me an apology that was kind of curt actually, and gave me a $25 credit to my account (I had asked for some kind of credit during that time on the phone). I said thanks, and that I realized that it wasn't Zipcar's fault (although it's a pretty big flaw that their system doesn't build in extra time between users); then I went on to say that $25 does little to help the fact that I'm not on my trip.
They actually sent me back a long-winded, overwhelmingly condescending email about how I should have just been patient and waited awhile, since the car was returned a little after 7pm, and that "a one hour compromise for a 48 hour reservation is modest." If you do say so yourself Ziptard.
Talk about salt in the wound. They didn't know my situation. How the hell do they get off telling me what I should have done?
Read the entire email here:
http://deliriousnewyor...
My favorite line:
"When we canceled your reservation, at your request, another member snapped it up and will be off with it for the weekend."
Moral of the story:
Cut your losses and build in some serious extra time to your rental, especially if it's on a weekend. Maybe Zipcar will take a little of that time they spend writing patronizing emails to figure out the advantages to keeping some time between reservations, which will - and this isn't rocket science - decrease the odds that some angry member is going to call in about a missing car.
Zipcar is a great service for us New Yorkers who don't have a car. Rent the cars by the day or the hour. I've used them for weekend trips and treks out to Ikea. It's really easy to just scan your card to open the door and "zip" away.
My closest Zipcar location, however, only has ONE car, and he always has dates at the times I want him!! Please, please find at least one companion for "Cincinnati!" There are other Zipcar locations located nearby and are not a problem to get to, but still...
i love zipcar. their customer service is a little spotty, but i'll forgive that because they give me a gas card and insurance when i rent a car. what i don't like is all of you other people who also rent zipcars. if you spill an entire cup of coffee in a brand new car, why wouldn't you at least take a napkin and try to wipe it up? if you're going to break the rules and smoke in the car, why not take a shot at masking your crime by cleaning up the ashes?
i was in a BMW zipcar over the weekend that, according to the registration, was only one month old and the car was pretty much trashed. along with the coffee stains dripping down the entire front of the passenger side and stereo panel, there was white dog hair all over the seats. my mother was about to get in the car, so i tried to clean it up, but i just disturbed more dirt, crumbs and god knows what from the crevices of the seats. oh, and naturally the gas tank was below a quarter tank full. up until now, i had never called zipcar to report the condition of a vehicle (you know, snitches get stitches), but this car was so defiled, it had to be done.
when i first joined zipcar, i'd occasionally get a dirty car, but lately every car i get looks like it's been used to transport rocks from a quarry, christmas trees, ten dogs to central park, crates of cookie crumbs, etc. what are you people doing with these cars?? obviously, there are people doing much more interesting things than going to the airport and costco.
I have never in my life been more disappointed in a company that I am in ZipCar.
I joined approximately one month ago and have only used the service twice and I've been charged $116 in extra fees, which is amazingly $14 dollars more than the total of all the regular fees I should have been charged including the initiation ($25) and yearly membership costs ($50).
The company nickel and dimes you on late fees, only half explains things in the materials they send you in your membership packet (which you then get charged for later) and I just got charged $50 for a cleaning fee when the car was left in good condition.
It is sad that they are ruining the experience with all of these negative things because I think that this could be a really great company. The only positive things I have to say are that the cars are super convenient and it is fun to drive them in the city. However, when you add all of the extra fees they hit you with, its probably cheaper to take a cab.
I hear Hertz, Enterprise and something called All Car have hourly rates in the city now as well. I would definitely check those out.
