As of today, all experiences will be posted in the forums section under 'Zipcar'.
On February 28th, a few friends and I needed to go to WalMart. I reserved the car an hour in advance and showed up about 15 minutes early. I realized I had a missed call and a voicemail that was from a Zipcar CSR to inform that the car wouldn't be in the correct spot because a non-member's car was in the Zipcar spot. So, I called back and the CSR remotely honked the Civic's horn so I could find it. Not too big of a deal. I'm familiar with the area and did them a favor and called the parking authority of the area to have them tow the vehicle. Zipcar issued me a $4.50 credit for another half hour because of the time it took but it only took 5 minutes and didn't cut into my reserved time because I arrived early. Went about the trip and everything was fine. Returning, the car was still parked in the Zipcar spot. Called back the parking authority and they had me wait there until a sargeant arrived. I was in no hurry so I didn't mind and I let Zipcar know and they issued another credit for another half hour for waiting for the tow service to get there. The other vehicle was removed and I got the Zipcar back in it's spot. The customer service was quick, easy, and reliable for contacting me before I was even there. I look forward to a great time with Zipcar and plan to stay on-board for a while.
Alright, tonight, after receiving my card I tested out both cars
that are near me. I’d had a few driving credits and took each out
for an hour to our local Walmart which is 15 minutes away from where
I live. Both cars were easy to gain access and easy to get going
within 5 minutes. I started with the MiniCooper “Mysak.” Only one
issue, the last driver left the gas almost on E, not even ¼ of a
tank. So, being a new customer, I reported it by calling the Zipcar
number and then just went to the station to fill’er up. I guess it
was good experience and practice using the card. The Mini
drove great and actually was ‘big’ enough for a 6’2” guy. However,
with plenty of head room and leg space, the windshield is just too
small for me. I have to duck down to see traffic lights. Everything
went great and returned it 5 minutes before it was due back. Then
switched over the Honda Civic Hybrid “Cumings.” Great car but it
took me forever to find the key because the dome light didn’t turn
on and the key was in the console. This was my fault though. Everything did fine just like the
Mini except this one had a full tank of gas. However, comparing
both, I would choose the Civic for longer trips and the Mini for
short trips around town. The Civic is much more comfortable,
spacious and
visual sight is better. The Mini’s seats are tough to get used and
just a little bit rough of a ride.
I’m planning on taking a 2day, 4 hour trip mid-March
so look for more posting and photos to come. Enjoy!