I use Zipcar for business twice a week for work. It's cheaper for me since my company reimburses the 7-7 business rate. PROS: - Great selection of cars under the business rate. For example, I drive their Audi A3 for just the standard $52 rate plus taxes. I cannot speak for personal rates. - Easy to use the website and mobile app. CONS: - Start-up fees - Very high late fees - You get billed for EZ Pass charges and other hidden fees (see below) HUGE CONS: - Hidden fees in the fine print. Primary example: I received a phantom parking ticket from the PPA, was not informed until a three weeks later, was not given the option to pay the ticket myself but rather let Zipcar pay the $76 ticket, charge my company $20 as a "processing fee", and Zipcar paid through the internet, which was an additional $4 "convenience fee" that was also charged to my company, and that all gets taken out of my paycheck... $100 altogether for a $76 ticket. - Customer service is terrible. Called about this last issue and was given very little information about it and given no other options to avoid these charges. If you think you're one of those people that'll "never get a ticket" and will therefore never have to deal with this nonsense then guess again - PPA screws anyone given the chance, so know this: park a Zipcar in the city and any ticket you might get will be at least $24 more if sent back to Zipcar. I do not recommend Zipcar for business. read more

My experience: Every attempt to maximise charges to the customer; small print; dubious practices! Really don't care about their customers! One of the worst customer services I've ever experienced! Once off, I'll forgive, a few times, again, room for improvement. This is however, a poor culture that is promoted! I've spent more time frustrated on the phone than I actually had time driving the car! Summed up: defensive, money grabbing and the worst customer services I've ever experienced! Really couldn't recommend to anyone until they learn to appreciate their customers! 2016/17 read more

I am from Texas, not Philly or the northeast. I don't have time or the need to compare ten alternatives. When travelling in the northern cities it is nice to have confidence that the system works as advertised. For my family, Zipcar surpassed our expectations: a reliable car, available when we needed it and at a price superior to rental cars. First, needless to say, Zipcars are not identical to rental cars (not typically washed or vacuumed), but you don't have to rent it for the whole day. Second, in Philly, they are located everywhere in the City Center area, as well as others. Our pickup/return location was across the street from our hotel; about as close as one can get. The car we requested was ready, gassed and ready to go whether for two hours or all day. Over a four-day span, we "rented" Crespin and Chips for 4 various periods. Each performed flawlessly. Bought gas one time. I was a bit intimidated by the purchasing process with the gas card, but that too worked well following the simple instructions. The text prompts concerning the expiration of the rental period may annoy some. I found them helpful. I also appreciated the detailed e-mails following our making a reservation. For those unfamiliar with an area, such as Philly was for me, Zipcar took all of the hassle out of it. I only wish Zipcar would add a 24-hour check box to the reservation form for those who want to make full day rental. Now that really is minor. read more

i've never used phillycarshare so i can't compare the two companies; however, i can say that zipcar has been great so far. i relocated from new orleans a few months ago and was told by a few phila residents that i shouldn't bother bringing my car. i knew that there would be occasions when i would need a set of wheels so i researched both this company and phillycarshare. it appeared from the yelp reviews and other online sources that zipcar was the way to go. i got a nice membership discount by being an employee of a local university and opted for the extra insurance so for about 110 usd, i feel it was not a bad investment. there are various locations around the city where zipcars can be found so you'll be hard pressed to not find a car. the company seems well-run, and it's always easy to navigate their phone system to get the info you need and to also talk to representatives. i've only driven two cars and while one was in need of some bodywork, the other was really clean and well-maintained. it's my go-to car now when it's available. i feel like i did a great thing for myself (no more auto service/maintenance visits, insurance premiums, etc as a car owner) and the environment (by using a car share service) by getting a zipcar membership. read more

Car had a broken aircon on a 90deg+ day, sent multiple messages and no reply. :sadface:

Love Zippy car! It's my way to say, "F You Parking Authority."

The concept of Zipcar is pretty good in theory, but honestly the execution of this company is terrible (and I've used it in more than one city). It sounds a good idea that you can use a car just for a couple of hours and pay a reasonable per hour fee with gas and insurance all included. The big issues that I have found is mainly with quality of their cars and customer service that seems to react that they are doing you a favor. The comments in this forum about car breakdowns are more common than one would want for this service. My last experience on this was when my car broke down and I needed a battery jump and I needed to wait for 2 hours in the rain for assistance - situations like this happen, except it was my 2nd time in 1 year. Customer service was helpful getting assistance but they waived the 2-extra hours charges like they were doing me a favor (like I wanted to be using a broken down car?). Most other companies would have just given that one rental for free. I started suspecting this was not a one-time fluke and decided to cancel my service. The value for money for renting locally a car is much better. read more

And a member of Zipcar since 2012. Sure there has been some ups and downs, but this time Takes the Cake. October 31st 2020 I reserved the car at 19th and Arch when I arrived at the rear panel on the driver passenger side was heavily damaged I called Zipcar and there was three other cars in the lot both of those cars had damage to him as well but it was one particular Car a Subaru Impreza that was there I asked him could you transfer me to that car I gave him the tag number and he told me that that particular car was supposed to be in that location. It took him several minutes and he said that the car was not booked. So I was transferred to that car when I returned the card for November 1st I looked out the find that the car was actually supposed to be at 17th and Market I return the car to 17th and Market and the pass key that I had wouldn't gain me access to the lot so I was running a time that took the car back to original spot where I was put into the car at 19th and Arch now they sending me a bill for $300 for Towing and not return the car back on time and this been almost 3 weeks. I called Zipcar several times and I was told that the error was on them and they were supposed to be taking the charges off my account and the day is November 17th and the charges is still on my account. This is bad business and and mismanagement this is no way to treat a long-standing member. I'm now at the point of taking this to a legal level if nothing is resolved. read more

I recently cancelled Phillycareshare and moved to Zip Car - what a great move. Better cars, available in most cities, cheaper for the best part (see review above). read more

So, Groupon offers 30$ coupon for Zipcar with 70$ driving credit. I decided to bit into it, hoping that the entire transaction will be a smooth one. Instead, what a horrible experience, it has been. Tried to sign up on-line, but I couldn't do it, couldn't pass sign up sheet. Apparently, because I had Zip Car 4 years ago when I lived in DC, they had to do it themselves to sign me up. Tried calling, visiting Philly office hoping this could be resolved. Not once they returned my calls, speaking to customer service representative(s) was worse than talking to 5 years old. After 2 weeks of waiting and calling, decided to call Groupon and request refund on Groupon purchase. Groupon representative told me that they don't respond to their calls either. Would not recommend Zipcar to anyone, and certainly will not give them another look ever. read more

I have been a member of ZipCar for nearly four years and it never ceases to amaze me just how bad their customer service is. Long waits and indifferent attitudes are the norm. What a shame, because the service itself is actually quite useful. read more

I had terrible experience with Zipcar, because when I signed up, the insurance policies were not explained clearly. It's only when I had a minor accident that I realized that there is a DEDUCTIBLE of $750. And it is only then that I learned that there was a damage waver that I could have signed for if I am 21 + age and with no accident for the past 12 months. I am signing off from Zipcar now, but for those who would still use it, please get the damage waver, it is worth it. read more

Zipcar is THE WORST business I have EVER dealt with! In the beginning, I was lured with their "low" prices and availability in my area. However, it took three months to receive the actual card to be able to reserve a car. I called multiple times to what is apparently a broken number. I emailed them multiple times about my situation and received no response. I had to go to the office in the city, which was a very big inconvenience on my part, to receive it. Due to the limited parking they had available, I was unable to have a serious conversation to get any sort of compensation. As I took my first reservation, I was unhappy with the cars they had available, the car I drove in did not make me feel safe, and seemed to have some sort of engine problems. I was able to extend the time on my reservation, however, I had reached "17" minutes late and was charged a $50 late fee!! The gas card they had "available" to me did not work at the gas station (which caused the 17 minute lateness) and I had to use my own money to fill the tank (which was left to me on empty). The cashier informed me that this has happened many times during the past week. My bill ended up coming from $36 to over $100. Overall, I would not waste your money on this horrible place, I would go with a better one, such as enterprise car share. They are a more legit company than this one. read more

High three stars but still three stars. The service is good with drawbacks since the increases that happened following the state attaching taxes to using these things. Plus, the rates verge on the silly for a day when you consider you can get a car from enterprise for cheaper. Then again, ZIpcars don't seem to be meant for long-distance travel even though they push that in their social media. All the problems that I have had with them have been resolved. That's good. read more

Thanks, Zipcar, for offering new and clean cars at convenient locations all over Philly, even where I live in south Philly! Your rates are reasonable, and renting one is always very easy. It's so nice to not worry about how I'm going to get errands done or to that housewarming party in Chestnut Hill :-) read more

Used them for two months and they were OK. Unfortunately though they happily assign massive late fees by mistake (when they get their reservations tangled up). I just got a wacking amount taken from my creidt card, with no warning. And no apology when I pointed out the error! Terrible customer service!! read more

NOT reliable. Rented a van for a move through a zipcar, and the van was not available until 3 hours after my initial reservation start. The late fees need to be higher in order to really dissuade customers from using the vehicles beyond the reservation window. This isn't a big deal if you just need a car for basic errands (zipcar will just give you another one if the one you reserved isn't available), but if you've rented a special use vehicle like a cargo van, it can be a huge problem. read more

Listen if your thinking bout using zipcar.... DONT !!! They overcharge you for ever single thing. I'm a college student, they over charge me $300 when my car broke down !! They don't keep their cars maintain. & the customer service is terrible !!! Please don't use zipcar you will regret it & I'll hate for someone to go through what I went through read more

For those comparing price. You really are not doing it right. I drove a Mazda 3 for $80 for the whole day. I searched at every online source for a rental and found a $15 daily rate. So, $15 for the rental, $50 for gas, $25 for the rental companies mandatory insurance, and a deposit of $150 which I get back a week later. The rental costs $10 more upfront and they hold my deposit hostage. Zipcar is cheaper and much more reliable. I would never give up my membership! read more

Zipcar has been a great experience for me. The cars are always clean, customer service is very helpful and the Wheel Deal can't be beat. Looking forward to using them next time I visit DC. read more

I have never written a review for anything but my experience with Zipcar this past weekend was so horrible I couldn't resist. We live in center city and are a one car family. My husband is already enrolled in Philly Car Share now Enterprise and I needed a car this weekend for a girls trip so I thought I'd spread the love and enroll with Zipcar, BIG mistake. My hub. went to pick up the car Sat. morning for me and when he went to the garage the attendant was rude because my hub didn't know which was the Zipcar since it wasn't marked and there were 4 other Audi Q5's. Also I got a call while he was at the garage that the previous renter didn't return the key and of course he didn't have his phone and already left frustrated because when he finally found the car there wasn't a key. I then went back to the garage and met a (very nice) Zipcar representative there with the key who was very apologetic. So 30-45 minutes later I was ready to go. Zipcar offered to comp. me the 30 minutes and some driving time which was nice but the situation was still frustrating and my hub NEVER had anything like this with Enterprise. Anyway, I was on my way and not holding a grudge until the way home and the car doesn't start. At this point I was only 30 minutes away in NJ but the car wouldn't start. I tried, my brother and husband and nobody could get it. So I left the car there because I had to get my kids home and called Zipcar. They said someone would pick it up. They called 2x at 12.30 am, (which was weird) totally inappropriate. Then this morning I called to follow up and the rep said it had already been picked up. I spoke with my Mom this evening, the car is outside her house, and she said it's still there and due to the snowplow's it could get towed or ticketed. So I call Zipcar again for about the 5th time in 48 hours and they said they'd get it tomorrow that the rep made a mistake (obviously). Also I forgot to add that I told the rep originally when she called to comp me in the beginning for the 45 minute delay, that there was a malfunction sign going off on the dashboard, a key x-Ed out, she said not to worry it didn't mean anything I should worry about. Meanwhile the next evening the car doesn't start and I'm on the phone constantly with this unorganized disappointing company. Beware! read more

For a quick trip to the store or a day trip I have used Zipcar for over a year. Zipcar is convenient and affordable. The car are clean and new. The only downfall I can say is that the gas card is not accepted by all gas stations. read more

Im going to give this ONE STAR and advise people to take their business to Enterprise or some other, any other car rental service if you're in need of a car definitely at that time. I signed up last night and was mega excited about my first time using the service. I watched all the videos more than once, and was looking forward to having this. Went to the main office today to get my card, go to the zip car location closest to my home (St. Agnes Hosp), and waited for the zip car. Now I needed this car to go to an extremely important dr.'s appointment which was at 1:30, and when I reached the area, I wondered why my car wasn't at the location. I called CS & they told me that my appointment was for 1:30, must have been a huge misunderstanding. There was another car sitting there, but I couldnt use it because it was reserved. Ok. Here comes this guy pulling in with this jacked up zip car with the stickers ripped off the sides (lol), and I was elated! I needed to be at this appointment by 1:30, now it was about 1:15, ok maybe I could still make it even though its pretty far. Im still on the phone with CS, and the keycard isn't working. The CSR informs me that the BATTERY WAS DEAD. HOW? I just watched this man get out of it! Ok so Im beyond mad at this point, the CSR tells me that there another car a few blocks away. I hop in a cab and look at the time, no way am I making it to the appointment now. Im now crying from frustration at this point (this was a pretty big appointment I had missed due to the ZipCar issues). Also I had spent about $30 in taxis to pick up the key card and get back to my house. Wow. What a cluster :( I was so looking forward to this service. I dont know why they have brand new cars and problems with the batteries like this, going by some of the other reviews as well as my TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I would love to give this company another shot, but I can't risk another dead battery issue or another time mixup. All I know is that Im $55 out due to the application fee and taxi. :( read more

We received hundreds of dollars in charges from this company and we have never even heard of them! So be careful they don't check ID and will not refund our money! We are waiting on the bank to go after them for fraud. Really sad 3 weeks before our wedding! read more

If I could give them 0 stars... while their cars are generally in convenient locations around Philadelphia, don't be fooled. They are often dirty with the vague smell of weed - when there isn't empty beer cans in the glove compartment - yeah. Fun to get pulled over with all this, I'm sure. University city cars are the worst with all the students taking the keys, gas card, or lot cards with them - oops. And the city being the city, at times you can't get access to the car lots for whatever reason- why is PGW drilling in the middle of the street this time...? This is where the true problem with zipcar is. The rest is basically what I expect when sharing cars with 20yo college students but trying to speak with zipcar's mostly unhelpful outsourced customer "support" is down right awful. I am currently disputing a ticket ($30 processing fee?!) that was NOT my fault. I have documentation. But no one that reviews such matters will speak with me. I am being completely jerked around by their call center and all my requests for communication from someone that can help are being ignored in the most condescending of manners. Dealing with a company like this is not worth it. I was a responsible customer that followed the rules and called when needed, took care of the cars during my time, and am being treated like garbage. So... bottom line: no, I don't recommend zipcar. And I will be canceling. read more

.....it's like having a car without all the yucky parts of car ownership.....blah, blah, blah so the commercial goes. However, beware of the endless obstacles parking tickets, camera violations etc. Big brother is always watching. As a normal car owner you have the legal right to fight violations with the jurisdiction you received the violation but zip car doesn't inform you of violations until after they are paid. In some jurisdictions that makes any rights you have magically disappear. I had such a violation that I knew of and was in the process of fighting. What I didn't know is that the sneaky bloodsuckers contacted Zipcar for payment behind my back and yes zipcar paid it and immediately halted my due process. I asked for payment arrangements because it was a heft $351.00 fine and was told I can only make payment arrangements after the fees went into collections. Huh!? BTW then my driving abilities will be suspended. again. HUH!? Really?!? read more

In theory, this system should be easy to use, and it was the first time, but has since been a nightmare. For nearly two months now I have been back and forth on the phone (no phone calls back, no returned emails) regarding a billing issue. Their online billing system appears to have several issues and continued to deny two perfectly fine credit cards for the standard monthly payment, even though the bank and fraud protection assured me there were no issues or attempted charges from Zipcar. After numerous phone calls to both the local office and the national office promising a response and reassurances that my issue was being directed for "review" and "technical assistance," I have now received notice that my account is delinquent and would need to be appealed (takes up to two weeks!!) before I can use a car again. I have now spent 5x more time on the phone trying to take care of the account than I ever used to just use a Zipcar in the first place. No one there seems to know what is going on or have any power to help customers or fix the very glitchy system. Overall a tremendous disappointment in a city that definitely needs a service like this. read more