Zipcar?

[randomness]

I'm considering getting a Zipcar membership. Anyone like them? Dislike them? Have any pointers or thoughts?

(Also, I see some interesting promotional codes floating around the intarweb: KQED (as in the San Francisco PBS station) gets you $50 credit, and VANCOUVERWEB gets you $75 credit. I don't know that either of them will work in Boston, as I haven't signed up yet. It's at least vaguely plausible that I might be a KQED member, while I'm not sure it's so plausible for me to use the Vancouver discount here. But hey, if someone's used it, I want to hear whether it worked. :)

dirque forwarded me a promo code, but for Flexcar, which sadly doesn't operate in Boston.)

Comments

[starheptagon.livejournal.com]

I considered them a couple of years ago, before I got my car, and ultimately concluded that their rates ($60/day *plus* monthly fees now - even worse than when I looked) were simply out of line with normal rentals ($35/day). I did not join. I'd be interested in hearing your take on the economics of it; perhaps there are effects such as the value of one's time in not going through normal rental paperwork that make it work out.

[obra.livejournal.com]

If you're renting by the day, then zipcar is not for you. If you're using them to go to the grocery store, it might make more sense.

[dirque.livejournal.com]

The economics makes sense if you don't need to drive a car every day.

$60/day includes insurance and gas.

Now currently my insurance runs me around $600/year with liability only for a 2000 audi. Which means it costs me $3-4/day every day just in insurance if I had full coverage whether I choose to drive the car that day or not. So take your $35/day rental get full insurance(~$20/day) and pre-pay the gas and it'll come close or over $60/day as well.