Over the past few months I have had four, 15 minute late fee charges. Regardless of the fact that I think it is ridiculous that I should have to pay $25 for bringing the car in a few minutes late.

I find it hard to believe that I returned the car on four occassions exactly 15 minutes on the hour. Are you doing some sort of minute rounding?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2004

Answers

The late fees are that steep to encourage you to return the car on time to avoid inconveniencing the next user, not just to charge you for the additional "few minutes" you have the car. It's cheaper to just allow an extra half hour when you make your reservation!

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2004

Let me add further encouragement to allow extra time at the end of your reservation. I've been on the "receiving end" of those returning a car "just a few minutes late" at some frustration. It's especially difficult when one has reserved a "specialty car" (for example, a wagon or the like for hauling long items), as another nearby car cannot pass as a substitute.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2004

Well I still find it hard to believe that I was EXACTLY 15 minutes late on FOUR different occasions, which leads me to believe zipcar is rounding off minutes. There is a difference between 5 minutes and 15 minutes!

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2004

The late fee is $25 per hour or any part thereof, so it doesn't matter if it's 5 minutes or 15 minutes late, the penalty is the same.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2004

If you think it's "ridiculous" that you should have to pay $25 for bringing in the car a few minutes late, perhaps you should think about the person standing by an empty spot, waiting for the car that they have reserved. Returning the car late is selfish and rude, and it looks like you do it all the time. Try thinking about other people before you bellyache about late charges. SHEEEEESH!!!!

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2004

I've spent more then $1000 on zipcar in the limited about of time I've been a member. If you are a few minutes late returning a car to a normal rental agency they don't charge you an entire day and fees are always negotiable. Regardless, it's not worth arguing about. I'd rather pay $40 for an all day car rental then $9.50 + a 15 minute $25 late fee for an hour.

So I will cancel my membership. And for the record, I've never had someone waiting for me during a late return of a few minutes, though I have had to wait for a late driver on two different occasions. I have always been understanding, because things do happen.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2004

If you've never seen someone waiting for the car, then there are two possibilities: one is that the person who reserved the car after you was notified by zipcar, assuming you'd notified them, or simply was still en route to the car (I often pick my car up 5-10 minutes after my reservation start time--it's simple convenience and logistics). The second possibility is that no one actually reserved the car after you, which makes your failure to extend your reservation a half hour completely inexcusable. Zipcar as a system works because, whether or not your know someone is waiting for the car, you make the effort to return it on time or extend your reservation (often while very close to the spot, as another poster noted).

I've done the math on those $40-a-day car rentals, and personally I don't find them a better deal than Zipcar: they're always further from my house, I have to pay for gas, and I'm not fully covered by insurance while I'm driving them unless I buy the extra, super- expensive coverage at the rental counter.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2004