Zipcar

Before you read this, you must know I haven’t actually used Zipcar. I have been researching rental cars for a couple days for something that I need and I came to the conclusion that this is the best option.
I signed up online which was pretty simple, with only a couple minor flaws with clarification on the website.
So, I needed a car because I am in a bind, right? I looked on the Zipcar website, and it said the Sacramento office is open til 530. After about 45 minutes on public transit I arrived right BEFORE 5, and they were already closed with all the lights off. It’s just really annoying that their website is incorrect and people need this service to be precise. Otherwise, they will get people like me having horrible days taking all our anger out on them.

I am not satisfied at all about the unpleasant service that I received:
— I lost 1h of my time because the car wasn’t in the parking;
— I was obliged to ask for a new reservation;
— the girl made an extra wrong reservation, charging me 189 $;
— my zipcard doesn’t work very well.
It was a nightmare!

Zip car and the local branch heard about this from the previous Unilocal review. It’s amazing in 2015 we get better responses from businesses from Unilocal/​social media rather than from calling or emailing customer service.
All my charges were dropped due to the duration it took to resolve when the local branch marketing manager got involved. Thank you!
But a word of warning: I highly recommend taking the additional insurance from Zipcar or getting your own car insurance with the use of zipcar. Another measure: read your TOS and know that you are liable for damage even if you are not in the car, just like your own car, even if this occurs before the next reservation while the car is parked on the street. This sucks, I think this policy should be refined. I will be taking photos of all sides of the vehicle when entering and exiting it at any stopping point even though I am not sure if this will help.

For the time being, I’m giving Zipcar a low rating. I’ve been waiting about 2 weeks to get cleared (the website proclaims it can take as little as a day) and have sent inquiry emails and have yet to hear anything back.

I just returned the first Zipcar I rented. Everything about the experience went perfectly. The car was new, clean and mechanically sound. I would recommend Zipcar to anyone who only needs a car occasionally as I do.

I decided to live a carless life for economic and environmental reasons. I found out about zipcar and have been using them for the times I do need a car (shopping or day travel) for some months now. I absolutely love them. It is super simple and painless to sign up online and since I work for UC Davis I get half off on the yearly subscription.
A credit type card is used to scan in and out of the cars (keys are in car) and a phone app to find and reserve cars at a whim. So far all of the cars I have driven are new, with usb and bluetooth capabilities, some have more perks like GPS and back up camaras for parking. I have driven a mini cooper (lots of fun), prius, ford escape hybrid, Honda CRV and even a really nice Mercedes (I love this because if I ever decide to buy a car again I have test drove a lot of different cars). Most the time I am driving a new car that I would not be able to afford. Gas and insurance is included and if you do not want a deductible you can pay (0 deductible $ 9/​mo) monthly which can be easily switched on and off month to month.
They have great customer service if you ever have a problem with car or need help figuring anything out. I recently lost my wallet and could not get into the car when I called zipcar they unlocked the car directed me to a hidden stash of cards which I took one and read off the numbers over the phone. It was instantly activated and I was on my way in 5 minutes. Not what I expected and I was very impressed.
The cars are worth it when renting hourly but if you pay the 24hr price it gets pricey after a day. For me I feel it is worth paying the 24hr fee for one or two days, especially when I am traveling, since they have zip cars at aiports all over U.S., because I hate waiting to rent a car. You bypass all the paper work and waiting for the car, having to pick up and return during their hours and paying for gas (gas needs to be at least ¼ tank whenever you return a zipcar to its parking spot) and this is way worth the amount I pay. If I need a car for more than a couple of days I would definitely go with a rental instead.
The only complaint I have about zipcars is that they only are located in midtown, CSUS campus, and UC Davis campus area. I really hope they extend their cars out into the greater sacramento areas so I do not have to bus to and from the cars.
Overall I absolutely love Zipcar and would highly recommend service to anyone who does not wish to own a car. So far I have saved a ton of money not having to pay for GAS, insurance, car maintenance and repairs, new tires, parking, tickets and taxes.

After moving from SF where Zipcar is a way of life for most of us, I was worried about how I would transition into Sacramento with out a car. Would I need to buy a car on day 1? Well, the answer is no. I’m still doing great with my bike and Zipcar getting me where ever I need to go and handling my small to big tasks.
I also LOVE the staff. I believe there are 3 of them in the office and they are all great! I’ve worked mostly with Gaby when I’ve had to call or when I signed up and she is just too cute! They are so friendly and helpful.
If you are worried about not having a car in Sacramento then have no fear, Zip car will take care of you. I’ve made it to appointments in Davis, had lunch in Roseville, got a van to move a dresser into my new place, yet can still ride my bike to and from work and save more money than having my own car! I’m very thankful Zip is a service being offered in more than just the BIG cities. Thanks for coming this way Zipcar!

I’ve been using Zipcar in Sacramento for about two years now, and I’m happy with it.
The most common issue I’ve encountered with the service is people would leave their garbage in the car. But customer service is awesome. If I ever had an issue, many times they would give me free driving credits or upgrades.
It’s great for driving around town for a couple of hours to run errands.
Con: it can get pricey if you use it for more than a few hours. I used it to go from here to Silicon Valley and back within an 8 hour time period, and it cost well over 100 bucks. I also wouldn’t use it to visit people in the Bay Area for overnight trips because the cost is more than a round-​trip ticket to LA.
Pros: easy to book online or on your phone,
great app,
don’t have to pay for gas,
convenient locations in Downtown and Midtown,
don’t have to pay for maintenance…
It’s a great service if you live in midtown/​downtown.

I was the biggest Zip car fan when I first started using the service. However, when I ran into problems, I realized that their customer service was horrible. Here is a list of issues:
* They charge you extra if you speak to an operator to reserve a car.
* If a member reports that you damaged a car (even if you did not) you are charged large fees.
* If a member reports that you did not leave enough gas in the car you are charged a fee (even if you did leave enough gas).
*Often times gas cards are missing from Zip cars. In which you have to pay for the gas our of pocket.
* Often times keys are missing from Zip cars. Good luck calling them for help.
* They do not inform you when another user is running late. They wait until you call them as you walk up and down the street looking for the missing car.
* When you do call, they constantly remind you of the rules and charges.
*They turn Zip car members into snitches on each other. If the Zip car is a little bit dirty, you get a fee charged. The best thing to do is to take pics of each rental to protect yourself. However, that’s no way to make customers happy!
Like I said, I was a huge fan of Zip car from the start. I told all my friends to sign up for the service. Now, I cannot recommend them to anyone. It comes down to their poor customer service. They make you feel unwanted as a customer. You feel like you are inconveniencing them when you call. I wish they had a competitor in my city.

So, after a very bumpy first time with Zipcar followed up with some good, personal customer service, I’m giving them a good review. Notice, this review is for the Sacramento local people, not the corporate website. That one gets at most two stars and I’ll be trying to figure out how to rate them.
I had some problems with my first rental. The car doesn’t give feedback if you card in properly other than unlocking the doors. On the car I rented, it is extremely quiet and you cannot tell that it worked. So, scan in and pull on the handle. If it didn’t work, try again… and again. This is not a good way to work with the entry system, but you get what you get. Also, filling the tank may require 7 digits of your card number not 6 like it says on the website. I don’t know as I could never get it to work. Oops, I meant 6 not 7. :-D