Experiences with Zipcar (Enterprise: rentals, house, deductible)

[CPF]

Follow-up post:

Did my first Zipcar rental and all went smoothly. A couple of notes:

1. Book early! I waited until the last minute to make my reservation (due to problems with the DMV) and the vehicle choices were limited. This was also on a weekend. Still found a suitable car but it was farther from my house than I would have liked.

2. Their electronic locking system was a little tricky to deal with. Might have been specific to that one car though. Took a few tries each time to get it unlocked, so I found myself leaving it unlocked more than usual.

3. Whole days are a much better deal than hourly.

4. The car I got had a fair amount of cosmetic damage which I did not report on picking it up. They advise that you report all damage. Never heard anything about it as of more than a month later.

All in all I would recommend it. Almost worth the signup cost just to know I can get a car in the middle of the night for way cheaper than a cab.

[Nell Plotts]

I was thinking of going that route for a 2nd car when old Bessie dies. My brother warned me about going car-less and then changing my mind later, the 'safe driver' discount I currently enjoy may not be available from my insurer.

[OHW]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to ask anyone else if they have had more frequent experience with Zipcar? I've decided I'm going to sell my car when I move.

Thanks!

[drunkwithwords]

Originally Posted by OHW

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to ask anyone else if they have had more frequent experience with Zipcar? I've decided I'm going to sell my car when I move.

Thanks!

I had Zipcar for a little over a year after selling my car and had no problems with reserving cars. The tank was always full, and I would drop it off at the same location every time. There are many Zipcar locations around Portland, so it's a great tool to have if you are living carless. I actually canceled Zipcar and went with car2go. I like being able to park the car wherever I want when I'm done, and I rarely need a car bigger than a smart car in order to go somewhere. I didn't use Zipcar as frequently as I wanted to but for trips further out, it's fantastic. There are also plenty of locations.

You will pay a $50.00 fee to start using Zipcar and then there is a yearly fee of $25.00. I was able to get car2go with no set up fee (it was during black Friday), and there are no yearly fees. So if I don't use a car for a year, I'm not suddenly wondering why I was charged $25.00. It's not a huge deal but something to think about if you realize you aren't using it as often as you'd like.

I'd highly recommend either one.

[rzzz]

I've been a zip car member since they started. I've used it in SF, NYC, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Portland. Portland is one of the better cities for it, in my opinion.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by OHW

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to ask anyone else if they have had more frequent experience with Zipcar? I've decided I'm going to sell my car when I move.

Thanks!

I live in a very walkable area close to downtown. I don't own a car and walk most places but I still have the need for a car sometimes so I do use Zipcar. I wasn't thrilled with them initially when they bought out Flexcar but they've done a good job acclimating to the Portland market after a few initial (attitude) issues and I'm happy with them now.

I do recommend you buy the yearly insurance waiver as it's worth it.

Reserve ahead of time if you know you need a car for a specific time. I usually try to get the $8 cars whenever possible but with last minute reservations they're not usually available.

I haven't signed up for Car2Go but I've thought about it. People seem to complain about them more in terms of reliability (I guess they had/have technical issues with their billing/reservation system if you read the Yelp reviews), but since I've never used them I can't really compare.

The local Portland Zipcar office is great so if you have issues/questions contact them directly instead of the corporate number where it seems like customer service is a mixed bag. They're right by the Central Library downtown and you can go in directly as well.

Also, I work with a social service agency and when we needed a van last minute to help with a situation with a client they waived a fee and donated it to us so they get points for that too as it was really helpful and nice of them.

So, in short, provided you live in an area where there are lots of zipcars it's a good service. It can get expensive if you use it all the time but if you coordinate your outings/shopping it works well.

[OHW]

Thank you guys for all the replies!

The lease I signed is for an apartment in the Pearl District so it is very walkable and Zipcar showed a couple of their pickup places within 2 or 3 blocks of my building. I hope to be able to live the type of lifestyle where I may only need a car once, maybe twice a month.

[oldtintype]

There are tons of zipcars all over that area. You will have no problems (except on nice sunny weekends when everyone tries to get one last minute at the same time ).

[classicanne]

I agree with oldtintype; I've been a Zipcar member for almost 2 years now and been very happy with the service. There is a Zipcar about two blocks from where I live currently and I use it about 4-6 times a month. I try to consolidate as many errands as I can into each trip, unless the trip is for one specific purpose. I agree that it's best to get the insurance waiver. When I move next month I'll be changing my plan with them, but will be keeping the insurance waiver regardless of how often I use Zipcar.

I'm signed up with Car2Go, though there are none in my current area; it remains to be seen whether I'll use that service when I move.

[Leisesturm]

Wait a minute...whoa horsie, stop the presses! Insurance what??!! What is this insurance waiver thing? Isn't gas and insurance included in the hourly rate? I stayed out of this discussion because when I've said in the past that I don't see the appeal of ZipCar over Enterprise, the fact that insurance comes with ZipCar is usually the push-back that I get. How much are we talking about? Inquiring minds want to know. For comparison purposes. Enterprise insurance is $9.99/dy for basic liability, $14.99/dy for unlimited liability and $33/dy for total piece of mind no questions asked just walk away from anything bad (if you can walk) that happens to the car. I never get any of it. To my way of thinking you are in big trouble only if the accident is your fault. That's just not going to happen. <grin>

H