Dear Zipcar,

Here is a suggestion for an improved policy regarding early returns.

Currently, if you book a car for say an afternoon, 1pm to 5pm, and your plans get changed (ex: beach trip shortened due to rain), there is really no incentive to return the car early, because you are charged the remaining hours anyway.

On the other hand, another member would possibly be interested in taking the car, if it was returned early.

Here is my suggestion: encourage members return the car early. Then if another member picks up the car, don't charge the first member for the unused hours, and let the second member pay for them. If nobody picks up the car during the unused hours, then the first member pays for these hours as he/she is doing currently.

Zipcar's revenue would not be affected, and possibly increased, since the second member now has an opportunity to book, and may not have in the current scheme.

The member returning early would at worst be in the same condition as he/she is now, and at best save on the cost of a few hours.

And the other members would benefit too, by having more opprotiunities to book the cars.

All in all a win-win-win

Alain

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2003

Answers

I agree with that it is a win-win.

Several times in the past few weeks, I could not reserve a car, even though it was sitting there because someone returned it early.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2003

An alternative (or complementary) idea would be to make a small reduction to the cancellation fee, from 100% of the value of the canceled time to, say, 90%. That way, people will always have a monetary incentive that makes it worth taking the few seconds to cancel.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2003

How about standby for users waiting for a car?

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2004

What I do is to call ZipCar and tell them: I've returned the car early, plase list it as available.

I'm typing this today because, as on a number of previous occasions, I was put on hold -- and I'm fed up!

Solution: ========= Zipcar needs to have: 1) an early return button on the web site, with right next to it, how much money you are going to save if you press it; 2) on its phone menu, a number you can press which means: "I've returned my car early, please list it as available on the web site and refund me whatever I've saved by returning it early."

Thanks, r:b:

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2004

I have rented the BMW many times in the past and there has been many occassions i have called zipcar and asked them if i return the car early will i get money back and the answer is no. If i were to calculate all the amount of times i didnt need the car and had to wait to return the car the next day it could add up to a few full days. Zipcar has to do something about this because its getting rediculous.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2004

I agree with all of you comments. Can zipcar please respond? thanks- sitting idle in the lot

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2005

Zipcar should definately respond to this thread. The "proper channel" is to send an email to info@zipcar.com, and I will copy this to that inbox.

The fact is that while an early return means that only last minute reservers might happen to benefit, there are still compelling reasons for Zipcar to encourage and utilize this increased availability.

Some fraction of the original reservation cost should be credited to the users account. If not, then the user may as well decorate the parking space in front of his house until his reservation time is up.

That is no way to run a car sharing program. Get with it, Zipcar. The least you can do is offer a 'web only' early return button on the website. That would only cost you a nominal software NRE.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2005