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August 2, 2008
zipcar is deceptive please read
zipcar has to be the worst car rental company i have ever dealt with. their cars are filthy and they are deceptive and make up their own rules. I have never rented a clean car they smell and have animal hair on the seats and garbage in the cars. If you return the car even a minute late they charge you a 50.00 late fee. they also charge your card in increments where the invoices are confusing if you have a 80 buck rental they will charge your card 4 or 5 different payments on one rental. they say they pay for gas but in the ny cars the gas card id always missing and then you pay out of pocket they tell you to fax in the receipt but when i faxed the receipts they said that i was faxing too many receipts and closed my account. My son has asthma and i had to clean the car from the animal hair and they told me after they closed my acct they would only reopen it if i didn't fax anymore receipts. I was angry with them but no one seemed to care. The office on 32nd and bdway has rude managers who don't care about customers. Joel Johnson general manager there and Jessica O member services manager there are not helpful at all. Jessica told me that if my son has asthma don't put him in the car. The weekend rates are horrible around 165 bucks a day and you have to reserve far in advance. Don't expect a clean car or a gas card in the car. The cars have major mechanical issues and are unsafe to drive. A few cars have broken down on me with my kids in the car and i had to change a tire on the highway cause roadside assistance told me it would take hours to come. I got no compensation for the mishap or even an im sorry. Jessica told me that no one asked me to change the tire. So then I called the so call corporate office and dealt with Peter director of member services who claims that he takes complaints seriously his number is 6179954224 since they don't like to deal with their customers I am giving the number. Anyhow he told me he was keeping my acct closed because i expect too much wanting clean cars and expecting them to fix every problem. the funny part is they never fixed any problem. they tell you fax receipts call if there is damage to the car or there is a breakdown but when i follow the rules they penalize me and closed my account. I am warning everyone to use the service at your own risk just remember that you are not insured and you end up paying a lot for rules that they make up along the way. the cars are disgusting inside so just see for yourself. Remember the names Joel Johnson from 32nd street and definitely Jessica she is rude and could care less about kids. She was the one who closed my acct to begin with. People need to know the truth don't let them fool you cause at the end you will pay way more then what they advertise now I am taking them to court for treating me like crap and closing my acct just cause they felt like it. People like zipcar can't treat us like animals when we are paying for the rentals. see for yourselves that everything i am saying is true.
Comments
Sounds like someone should be renting from (and paying for) Hertz.
Posted by: Steve at August 2, 2008 7:57 PM
That sounds like such a terrible experience for you and your children and I'm sorry you had to go through it.
I have to say, however, that my experience with ZipCar has been entirely different. I love using ZipCar (member for two years) and have never once had a bad experience. The gas card has always been in place and I have not once had to pay for gas out of pocket.
One thing to note is that if a car that you reserve is dirty, you should call ZipCar right away. Otherwise, ZipCar will blame you for the mess. Remember, it is not the company that leaves the cars dirty, it is the people renting the cars that leave it dirty.
Again, I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience, especially when it seems so unlike the ZipCars I have used and the people at the company with which I have dealt. I hope you can find a car rental company that serves you and your family well!
Posted by: Fltbshr at August 2, 2008 8:50 PM
For future reference changing a tire on the highway is moronic. Don't risk your life to save a tire or the rim. Put on your hazards and get off at the next exit or service area. I have seen way to many people injured or killed changing tires or exchanging info after a fender bender. If your car is even remotely driveable get it off the highway.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at August 3, 2008 9:01 AM
What Fltbshr said.
I have had positive experiences with Zipcar, as well, and I've been a member for a year. I rent mostly from Prospect Hts garages, and had cars that could have been cleaner only a couple of time. I immediately called in, and the customer service was polite and helpful. One of the cars had a faulty sensor, so it was necessary for them to unlock the car, and key me in through customer service. They had that fact on record, so when I returned the car, I simply had to call in, there was no long explanation needed, and they locked the car, and logged me out.
I only had one big problem with personnel, and that was in a Zipcar rental in Manhattan, where the parking lot attendent was rude and unhelpful, which really wasn't Zipcar's fault. He was such as pig, I reported him, and Zipcar was very apologetic and listened to, and took my complaint, which they said would be forwarded to the garage company.
I have only had the gas card missing once, and since I was just topping the tank off, and put in about $10, I didn't bother to send in a receipt. Considering the ease and frequency of my Zipcar use, I wasn't going to make a big deal about it. I did tell them the card was missing. Believe me, I would have sent in a receipt for a larger amount.
All in all, I love them. I'm able to rent cars when I need them, which is several times a month, and I don't have to go to Manhattan to go to one of the big chains. I've actually had dirtier cars from major rental places in Manhattan, as the demand is so great, most of the cars I rent go directly from the previous renter to me, with no maintainance or cleaning. I'm sorry they haven't worked out for you, and I too, hope you can find a solution or a company that does.
Posted by: Montrose Morris at August 3, 2008 10:56 AM
I hear everything that you guys are saying and it is great that you haven't had a hard time. I have been reading many blogs on line in the past few days where people are complaining about even worse situations. So I know that I am not alone of course if you rent once in a while and over look many things then you just ignore it and move on, however when there are children in the car and I am paying for a service I should be treated with respect at the least, which I wasn't. The company never tried to resolve anything. I always reported the damage at the beginning of the rentals and that is where they said I was complaining too much. As for the gas receipts they were 40 bucks and up because there were no gas cards and the people didn't fill the tank. As for the dirty cars I understand a lil mess but not animal hair and junk all over the car that is just disgusting and like i said my son has asthma and even if he didn't that is a nasty car to get into. Besides the flat tire there were many other mechanical problems with the cars. If it were just one or 2 incidents then so be it but i shouldn't have had my acct closed from complaining over dangerous situations as well as asking for my money back when i am putting out over 40 bucks in gas on top of paying for a rental.
Posted by: macholuvsme03 at August 3, 2008 11:47 AM
zipcar depends on its members to obey the rules. they can always track who left a car dirty or didn't do what they were supposed to. It works on an honor system and unlike a regular rental car, they don't maintain a staff to clean each car after it comes in, or check it over. that's how it can maintain the low prices and the hourly rental.
It may just be that zipcar doesn't have the service you need, especially since your son has asthma. But they certainly should have reimbursed you for the gas as per their policies.
Posted by: bxgrl at August 3, 2008 12:39 PM
This reminds me of the 'bitter renter' vs. owner debates that flourish here from time to time.
If you rent a car, you will have to put up with some inconveniences, for example, the occasional dirty car, a car that may not suit your needs, or a car that may break down because of insufficient maintenance. Or the fact that you may not get a rental Thanksgiving.
If you rent your home (as I did for at least a coupla decades) you will have to put up with similar issues.
If you buy a home, or a car, you can tailor it to your exact needs. But you will put a lot of capital at risk.
BklynFireGuy has an issue with changing flats on the highway. I bet he owns a car with runflats :-)
I'm sorta on board w Steve and bxgirl, if zipcar doesn't make it for you, go elsewhere, including owning. Such is capitalism.
Posted by: denton at August 3, 2008 6:49 PM
LOVE ZIPCAR! The 50 fee for being late...well.. have you evenr had to stand there in a sweltering garage and wait for the guy before you to return the car you have reserved calculating to the last minute how long you need it. it sucks.
so does a dirty car but then again i usually have a problem with kids leaving a car dirty so i have little sympathy. sorry.
ZIPCAR ROCKS!
Posted by: CGmodern at August 4, 2008 1:02 PM
I've been a Zipcar member since they came to NY and I love them. Sorry you've had such a negative experience. I must say, based on the tone of your rant, they may have just decided you weren't the kind of sort they wanted participating in their collective.
Posted by: I_haz_TWO_toilets at August 4, 2008 1:35 PM
Yeah, sorry you had a bad experience. I'm pretty pleased with zc, and one thing that's important is to read the rules carefully.
I do agree that the cars are often filthy and full of pet hair. Why can't people just vacuum them out if they spill a whole bag of Cheetos rather than grinding them in with their heels?
I totally understand the $50 fee, though, and only once did I have to play Mario Andretti on the FDR to make my time cutoff...
Not sure how long their business model will survive, though. They haven't yet had a profitable year. I guess they'll either have to start charging by the mile or make customers buy the gas. It's pretty much a screaming deal right now if you rent for 2 days during the week, go through a few tolls and buy a tank of gas. The gas and tolls alone will be $50-60...
Posted by: Bolder at August 4, 2008 2:23 PM
I use zipcar for certain things, like groceries or local errands, and Avis for others, like trips. Zipcar is not a car rental. It is car sharing. You have to think of it like the subway or a yellow cab -- as a form a public transportation which is made somewhat less pleasant than it could be by the rude actions of other users. Just as with those other forms of transit, it should not be counted on as 100 percent reliable. The car may not be there when it's supposed to be and may not be up to your standards. That's just the way it is.
If you need a guaranteed clean, low-mileage car waiting for you, you have to pay extra for a car rental from a (usually more) reliable company like Avis or Hertz.
And I second Fire Alarm Guy. Never, ever get out of your car on the highway. It's crazy dangerous.
Posted by: zgori at August 4, 2008 3:58 PM
I understand that it is car sharing and not car rental, that i s not my complaint and as for someone saying that my kids made the car dirty they need to read what i wrote. I teach my kids who are 5 and 7 to be clean and clean up after themselves so grown adults should as well. As for a train or a bus 2 bucks is a lot different for then 75 bucks on weekdays and up to 165 bucks on the weekend. I didn't ask for much an apology from them would have been acceptable. As for people who deal with the dirt that is on you guys but that is just nasty. How can you sit in someone else's mess? I did read the policies and it says the car are cleaned weekly as well as people must keep the cars clean. I have spoken to several parking attendants and they said the cars don't get cleaned for 3 weeks sometimes and when zippy does come in they only wipe them down. THE attendant also said cars with mechanical problems get parked n not repaired just put back in the mix after a few days. So I have done my research. Aside from that zippy shouldn't promise things that they can't deliver no matter how much cheaper it may seem. As for a regular car rental it evens out on daily rentals you may not always pay for gas but you end up paying for miles so whats the difference? Running errands i agree zippy seems better but I still don't want to run errands in a funky car. As for me being pissed off now i am but i wasn't always i find it funny how they close my account out of the blue when I haven't even complained about a car in almost a year all i did was fax in a 40 buck gas receipt that i paid and that is when Jessica closed my account so yeah I am not happy about it and neither would you.
Posted by: macholuvsme03 at August 4, 2008 9:01 PM
Sounds like it was a win-win situation that your account got closed. Seems like Zipcar wasn't for you. I've been very happy with their service to date, sorry that you've not been.
Posted by: BrooklynButler at August 5, 2008 9:39 AM
I used them once and canceled my membership the next day!
better yet, the customer service said nothing, no appology no "I will refund your money" and that was it!
When I picked up the car it was dirty the brakes made a horrible sound and there was popcorn all over the inside of the car, receipts, dirt and oh boy a smell ....
The price was way too high. I usually deal with Enterprise in Bensonhurst. The people are grat, the cars are clean. Once I even said I had to buy clorox wipes cause the inside was a bit dirty and they reimburssed me for it!
The lower the prices and give you upgrades if you are a loyal customer too.
I love them, especially Christine and Rich
Posted by: karo25 at October 24, 2008 11:06 AM
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