Disappointed Customer in NYC - Billed for car I didn't use!

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I'm pretty upset to find that I got billed for reservation I had canceled over 12 hours before. I ended up driving the car during the same time period (but for less tiem) -- obviously I can't drive the same car twice at the same time! On top of that, it said I had driven the car, which I didn't drive, for 5 miles!!

I'm glad to only be doing a 2 month trial. How can something like this happen? I thought the zipcard sent info about when you actually entered and exited the car. Obviously it does not. This is all very fishy to me and I'm not sure I want to continue with zipcar if this does not get cleared up PRONTO!

Disappointed in NYC

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2003

Answers

I assume from what you have said that the website responded to your cancellation with a confirmation of cancellation screen. I also assume that you later made a reservation for a shorter term use of this vehicle and also got a response from the website confirming this new reservation. My brother who lives in Manhattan has had to drive 5 miles at times just to find a parking space, so I do not quite understand your statement that "I ended up driving the car....it said I had driven the car, which I didn't drive, for 5 miles!!". I assume that you have called the Zipcar customer service line to report that you have an invoice for a longer reservation which you cancelled, rather than the shorter one, which you didn't. Unless you call Zipcar, I am not sure that your email has quite enough info. I am sure that they will correct the error quickly, as I have had perfect service from Zipcar since October 2000.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2003

You're correct in what happened. the car which I had not driven at all noted that there were "5 miles" driven on it, even though I never got in the car at that time (the canceled car was reserved 12 to 6, while I actually drove from 1:30 to 4.) It's reassuring to hear that you have had good service - hopefully I'll get to talk to billing today to straighten it out.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2003

By the way, billing called ME and wiped that reservation right off my invoice. I'm so impressed! OK I'm sold...

Now, if only they would take off the mileage fees and lower the rates a bit.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2003


Mileage charges are slated to be disposed of soon. Hourly rates are a function of local parking and insurance costs more than the vehicle or its maintenance. In Brookline, where I live, the town has sponsored many of the parking spaces, making the cars quite cheap. If the NYC DOT has any sense, they will do likewise, as each Zipcar replaces about seven individually owned cars, greatly improving parking and congestion headaches. It's not just environmentally better, it's a quality of life upgrade.

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2003

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